Director Category Management, Finance Services

Dir Category Mgmt - FP06BE

We're determined to make a difference and are proud to be an insurance company that goes well beyond coverages and policies. Working here means having every opportunity to achieve your goals - and to help others accomplish theirs, too. Join our team as we help shape the future.

The Hartford's Strategic Sourcing & Real Estate (SSRE) team seeks an innovative leader for the Financial Services category. As Director, Financial Services Category Manager, you will oversee sourcing for all vendors and projects within this category and advance The Hartford's strategy.

You will enhance the Sourcing function to maximize vendor value, optimize costs in alignment with The Hartford's strategy, and mitigate third-party risks. Influencing business stakeholders and strengthening The Hartford's sourcing strategy with its Financial Services vendors is essential to the role.

• Develop and implement comprehensive category and sourcing strategies for the Financial Services category, including Asset and Investment Management Services, by collaborating with partners and understanding business and technical requirements.
• Negotiate and leverage contracts with key Financial Services vendors to drive value across business, product, and technology roadmaps. Contracts include MSAs, SaaS and Platform Agreements, Market data and portfolio valuation services, EULAs, and SOWs.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders, Third Party Risk, FP&A, and Legal to conduct contract analysis, optimize contract value, establish success metrics, and reduce third-party risk.
• Conduct market analysis to understand trends, key suppliers, and potential risks within contracts and the category. Benchmark current contracts and identify gaps and opportunities for optimization.
• Act as a trusted advisor to business leaders, aligning third-party contracts, vendor consolidation, and contract renegotiations with The Hartford's evolving strategy.
• Use data to manage category performance and identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising quality or performance.
• Lead the RFx process through completion, including requirements gathering, respondent identification, scorecards, weighting, successful negotiation, and contracting.
• Establish deep partnerships with strategic partners, aligning Vendors to The Hartford's strategic vision.
• Influence and maintain strong internal relationships from the Executive level to day-to-day operations.
• Align The Hartford with growth projections necessary for future success.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Law, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 7-10 years of experience in Sourcing and category management within large institutions, particularly in Financial Services, Asset, and Investment management.
• 5+ years of leadership experience in developing and influencing cross-functional relationships.
• Expertise in Financial Services sourcing strategy development and execution.
• Familiarity with IT hosted services, business platforms, investment data, and valuation services.
• Strong process leadership and expertise in contract agreements and risk management.
• Experience in working with Senior Executives and driving data-driven strategies.
• Expert communication skills, both written and oral.
• Flexibility and organizational change management experience.
• Ability to work in cross-functional teams to achieve outcomes.
• Proactive risk management skills.
• Expertise in consensus-building and solving complex business challenges.
• Negotiation experience with Financial Services / Wealth Management vendors.