Lead Category Manager - Professional Services

## About the Role As the Lead Category Manager for Professional Services, you will drive the strategy, performance, and optimization of the company’s Professional Services spend, including consulting, general services and some technology. You will partner closely with company leadership to align sourcing strategies with brand and business objectives, ensuring the organization maximizes value, innovation, and ROI across all marketing investments. Your leadership will influence how the company activates its brand in the market, manages supplier relationships, and achieves cost efficiencies without compromising creativity or speed to market. **Day to day you’ll…** - Develop and execute multi-year category strategies for professional services subcategories that deliver cost savings and transformation. Anticipated spend under management up to $100M annually. - Lead RFx events- including defining requirements, evaluating proposals, and developing negotiation strategies. - Partner closely with company leadership to understand upcoming initiatives and translate business needs into sourcing plans. - Partner with Sourcing Analysts to conduct spend analysis, benchmarking, and market research. - Lead supplier relationship management and quarterly business reviews to ensure performance, innovation, and contract compliance. - Build cost models, rate card analyses, and total cost of ownership evaluations to support supplier selection and negotiations. - Advise on supplier scopes of work and assist in defining clear deliverables, KPIs, staffing plans, and rate structures. - Collaborate with Legal and business stakeholders to support contract development. - Develop executive‑level presentations and reporting that highlight category performance, supplier strategies, and value realization. - Mentor or provide direction to sourcing analysts supporting the marketing category. ## Required Qualifications - Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Communications, or related field - 5+ years of experience in procurement or category management, with at least 2–3 years supporting professional service and/or technology categories with specific results - Demonstrated expertise in sourcing high visibility consulting projects and complex technology landscapes - Strong negotiation experience - Ability to analyze data, assess market trends, and develop category strategies tailored to marketing needs - Strong understanding of scopes of work, deliverables, KPIs, and performance management for suppliers - Excellent communication and relationship-building skills - Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence senior leaders - Experience working with procurement or ERP systems, contracting tools, and analytics platforms - Strong organization, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple initiatives in a fast-paced environment ## Preferred Qualifications - Familiarity with consulting firms - Professional certifications (CPSM, CSCP, CMKG, etc.) - Experience supporting global or multi‑market initiatives - Knowledge of contract compliance, data privacy considerations, or regulations ## Why work for us At H&R Block, our purpose is simple: to provide help and inspire confidence in our clients and communities everywhere. For more than 70 years, we’ve led the tax industry and we continue to evolve through our Block Next strategy, blending human expertise with digital innovation. That same commitment to care extends to our associates. When you join us, you become part of a High Performing, Connected Culture built on strong relationships, continuous learning, and a shared commitment to making a meaningful impact. We invest in your well-being through competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and support for life both in and outside of work. ## Pay Range Information The pay range for this position is listed below. Local minimum wage laws apply. This information is posted pursuant to local requirements to provide applicants with information about wha…