Procurement Category Manager, Professional Services and Consulting

Leads the development and execution of enterprise category strategies for Professional Services and Consulting across AbbVie business functions and geographies. The role manages sourcing initiatives, supplier portfolios, demand and spend visibility, contracting approaches, and ongoing supplier performance for categories that may include advisory and management consulting, technology and digital consulting, engineering and technical services, legal and financial services, marketing and creative agencies, human resources and learning services, and other specialized external services. This position partners with business leaders, Finance, Legal, Compliance, Information Security, and other Procurement teams to balance access to critical capabilities with cost, quality, speed, innovation, and risk. The incumbent establishes category plans, gains stakeholder alignment, leads competitive sourcing and negotiations, supports implementation and adoption, and ensures that engagements use the appropriate commercial model, contract structure, supplier channel, and governance. Success requires a proactive, relationship-oriented, customer-focused, analytical, and continuous-improvement mindset.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain multi-year category strategies for Professional Services and Consulting representing a minimum of $250 million in annual expenditures, using spend analysis, demand forecasts, supplier-market intelligence, internal capability assessments, and stakeholder priorities.

• Define category scope and subcategory plans across advisory and management consulting, technology and digital consulting, engineering and technical services, legal and financial services, human resources and learning services, and other specialized external services.

• Lead cross-functional sourcing initiatives from opportunity identification and business requirements through request for proposal, supplier evaluation, negotiation, contracting, implementation, and benefits tracking. Deliver measurable value through savings, cost avoidance, demand management, improved service, innovation, process simplification, supplier consolidation, and risk reduction.

• Establish clear buying channels and engagement models. Guide stakeholders in selecting the appropriate solution, including preferred-supplier use, competitive sourcing, deliverable-based statements of work, project consulting, outcome-based arrangements, or managed services.

• For Consulting, challenge and clarify business needs, expected outcomes, work plans, deliverables, team structures, timelines, and knowledge-transfer requirements. Evaluate proposals using fact-based comparisons of scope, team composition, experience, methodology, rate cards, effort, expenses, intellectual property, and total cost.

• For Professional Services, build fit-for-purpose supply strategies for specialized and project-based services, including supplier qualification, competitive bidding, service-level expectations, milestone and acceptance criteria, deliverable quality, capacity, geographic coverage, and continuity of critical expertise.

• Plan and execute complex negotiations covering rates, discounts, volume tiers, fixed fees, milestones, payment terms, expenses, credits, service levels, deliverable acceptance, change control, ownership and use of work product, data protection, audit rights, termination, and other commercial protections. Translate negotiated outcomes into clear, enforceable agreements in partnership with Legal.

• Develop supplier-segmentation and governance models. Conduct business reviews with strategic suppliers; use scorecards to monitor cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness, innovation, diversity, compliance, and stakeholder satisfaction; and lead corrective action or supplier-development plans when performance falls below expectations.

• Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and translate category strategies into clear decisions, executive summaries, project plans, implementation roadmaps, and communications tailored to the audience. Secure sponsorship, resources, and adoption across business functions and geographies.

• Use analytics to establish spend baselines, identify leakage and fragmented demand, benchmark professional-services rates and consulting economics, evaluate make-versus-buy opportunities, model scenarios, validate savings, and support fact-based award recommendations.

• Maintain awareness of consulting and professional-services market trends, supplier capabilities, regulatory developments, emerging delivery models, and technology-enabled services. Convert market insights into sourcing actions and business recommendations.

• Ensure purchases and engagements comply with applicable AbbVie policies and procedures, Procurement requirements, delegated authority, third-party risk management, privacy, information security, records management, and applicable legal and regulatory obligations.