B4 - Sr. Category Specialist (IT Services)

Requisition 38884: B4 - Sr. Category Specialist (D&T Services)

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Note for Safety-Sensitive Positions: Any safety-sensitive position with Norfolk Southern will require the following pre-employment screenings:

• FRA Drug and Alcohol Screen
• Medical Screening
• Background Check

Primary Purpose:

Reporting to the D&T Category Manager, the D&T Category Specialist supports the Category Management group by analyzing data and contributing to the development of category strategies. This role is responsible for transforming data into actionable insights, supporting sourcing initiatives, and managing supplier performance. Key responsibilities include spend analysis, market research, supplier evaluation, and the development of negotiation and performance tracking models to drive value and efficiency across D&T procurement categories.

Principal Duties:

• Identify, gather, and analyze spend data relevant to IT category sourcing.
• Conduct detailed category analysis to capture market trends, indices, benchmarks, cost drivers, and supplier insights.
• Perform periodic spend criticality analysis at both the category and enterprise levels.
• Provide input to value propositions and sourcing strategies using SCM tools.
• Develop and maintain a database of potential sourcing suppliers.
• Segment category spend to identify off-contract or non-compliant spend.
• Build total cost of ownership (TCO) models and prioritize sourcing opportunities.
• Analyze market structures and identify supply-side levers and improvement opportunities.
• Assess new market entrants, non-traditional suppliers, and substitute products/services.
• Create strategic sourcing evaluation and negotiation models.
• Develop supplier scorecards and assist in tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) and service levels.
• Support documentation of current and future state process maps and technology requirements.

Job Related Experience:

• 4-7 years of experience in technology category management and/or data analysis.
• Experience with analytics and visualization tools such as Power BI, Tableau, QlikView, Alteryx, or SQL.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in a technical or business discipline, or equivalent experience.

Licenses / Certifications:

• Required: None
• Preferred: Professional Supply Chain certification (e.g., CPSM, CSCP)

Skills and Abilities:

• Technical Skills:

• Project Management - Proficient in project planning, scheduling, and task assignment using tools like Gantt charts and work breakdown structures.
• Risk Management - Applies risk analysis techniques and proactively identifies mitigation strategies.
• Supplier Performance Management - Develops KPI tracking solutions and understands supplier relationship principles.
• Contract Writing and Management - Understands contract structures and scopes standard terms and performance criteria.
• Spend Analysis - Conducts detailed spend analysis and monitors off-contract or rogue spend.
• Negotiation - Supports negotiations for contracts valued between \$1M-\$10M using advanced strategies.
• Strategic Sourcing - Leads sourcing processes including RFI/RFP development, supplier evaluation, and opportunity quantification.
• Category Strategy Development and Management
  
  
  
  • Fully understands and enacts strategic category management principles including sourcing, change management, process improvement, and technology enablement.
  
  
  
  
• Market Analysis
  
  
  
  • Provides direction on market research and pricing analysis; forecasts supply risks and trends.
  
  
  
  
• Procurement Process
  
  
  
  • Applies and improves end-to-end procurement processes; coordinates vendor integration and performance measurement.
  
  
  
  

• Non-Technical Skills:

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  • Business Acumen
    
    
    
    • Has fair appreciation and insight into current business priorities and measurements.
    • Demonstrates a fair understanding of general business principles and moderate market awareness.
    
    
    
    
  • Drive and Initiative
    
    
    
    • Sets challenging goals and consistently completes objectives on time.
    • Generates original, value-added ideas and seeks innovative methods.
    
    
    
    
  • Analytical Thinking
    
    
    
    • Analyzes complex problems with multiple interrelated causes.
    • Uses tools like fishbone analysis, data analysis, and financial modeling to identify cost drivers and improvement opportunities.
    
    
    
    
  • Strategic Thinking and Alignment
    
    
    
    • Recognizes strategic opportunities and leads development of aligned short-term plans.
    • Maintains a well-rounded perspective and ensures team alignment.
    
    
    
    
  • Change Agility
    
    
    
    • Understands cross-functional impacts of change and supports broad transformation efforts.
    • Effectively manages complex or sweeping change initiatives.
    
    
    
    
  • Effective Communication
    
    
    
    • Actively listens and provides constructive feedback.
    • Communicates clearly across all levels and contributes to internal communications.
    
    
    
    
  • Works Collaboratively
    
    
    
    • Understands team dynamics and fosters a collaborative environment.
    • Actively supports team success and shares achievements with others.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

Industry Experience:

• Experience in IT procurement and/or the digital & technology industry is preferred; candidates with backgrounds in leading supply chain sectors will also be considered.

Company Overview

Since 1827, Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and its predecessor companies have safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, it operates a customer-centric and operations-driven freight transportation network. Committed to furthering sustainability, Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid 15 million tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. Its dedicated team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, and is the largest rail shipper of auto products and metals in North America. Norfolk Southern also has the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern U.S., serving a majority of the country's population and manufacturing base, with connections to every major container port on the Atlantic coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes. Learn more by visiting www.NorfolkSouthern.com.

At Norfolk Southern, we believe in celebrating our individuality. By leveraging the unique backgrounds and viewpoints of our employees, we can create a culture of innovation, respect, and inclusion. We know that employees thrive in a workplace where differing viewpoints, ideas, and experiences are freely shared and valued. As such, we encourage all employees to contribute their distinctive skills and capabilities to our organization.

Equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Together, we power progress.