Senior Technical Category Manager- SaaS

Why UKG:

At UKG, the work you do matters. The code you ship, the decisions you make, and the care you show a customer all add up to real impact. Today, tens of millions of workers start and end their days with our workforce operating platform. Helping people get paid, grow in their careers, and shape the future of their industries. That's what we do.

We never stop learning. We never stop challenging the norm. We push for better, and we celebrate the wins along the way. Here, you'll get flexibility that's real, benefits you can count on, and a team that succeeds together. Because at UKG, your work matters-and so do you.

About the Role:

UKG is seeking a Senior Technical Category Manager to serve as a strategic partner to stakeholders across Engineering, Product, Enterprise Services, and Cloud organizations. This individual will lead high-impact initiatives focused on vendor rationalization, negotiation, and spend optimization across a multi-million-dollar technology portfolio.

Operating with a high degree of independence and judgment, the Senior Manager will drive complex sourcing projects - from market research and category strategy development to supplier negotiations and software licensing evaluations. A key focus of this role will be optimizing SaaS investments by identifying opportunities to right-size or renegotiate existing agreements and leading RFP initiatives for legacy technologies to deliver greater scalability and cost efficiency.

This position plays a critical role in reducing supplier redundancy, improving commercial outcomes, and aligning technology spend with UKG's financial and strategic objectives. The ideal candidate will bring deep knowledge of the SaaS market, exceptional stakeholder management skills, and a proven ability to influence change across diverse business functions.

Essential Functions:
• Support the management and optimization of a multi-million-dollar technology spend portfolio, driving value through strategic partnerships with key vendors.
• Build and nurture relationships with internal stakeholders to understand business priorities and inform technology sourcing strategies aligned with enterprise objectives.
• Partner with FP&A leadership to align technology investments and spending decisions with the company's financial goals.
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for acquiring and optimizing enterprise software, cloud services, SaaS solutions, and hardware assets.
• Lead end-to-end software and services acquisition processes to achieve the lowest total cost of ownership through competitive sourcing events (RFx, reverse auctions, etc.)
• Identify and resolve breakdowns in communication, demand planning, or negotiation, ensuring timely execution across procurement and stakeholder teams.
• Serve as the primary relationship owner for a portfolio of strategic resellers and cloud service providers, fostering accountability and performance excellence.
• Negotiate and execute complex contracts in partnership with Legal, Finance, and Third-Party Risk teams to ensure compliance and mitigate organizational risk.
• Develop and implement market-based category strategies that reduce costs, eliminate redundancies, improve efficiency, and deliver measurable results through performance metrics and reporting.
• Proactively monitor SaaS market trends to uncover and capitalize on opportunities for cost optimization, renegotiation, or competitive sourcing events - consistently driving reductions in overall technology spend

About You:

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or relevant certification (e.g., CPSM, CSCP, or equivalent) preferred.
• 7-10+ years of progressive experience in technology sourcing, procurement, or supplier management, with a focus on enterprise SaaS.
• Extensive experience negotiating, interpreting, and managing SaaS and software licensing agreements, including commercial and contractual terms.
• Strong expertise in sourcing strategy, contract negotiation, and category planning, with a demonstrated track record of cost optimization and supplier performance improvement.
• Deep knowledge of procurement best practices, market intelligence, and technology category management.
• Proven ability to build and influence relationships across all levels of the organization and with external suppliers to drive alignment and strategic outcomes.

• Exceptional communication and analytical skills, with the ability to translate complex data and contract terms into actionable business insights.
• Highly organized and adaptable, capable of managing multiple complex projects and workstreams in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.