Senior Category Manager, IT Procurement (Software & Hardware)

Waymo's Procurement and Vendor Enablement Office (PVEO) is the engine behind our rapid scaling. We are a diverse, collaborative group with a mission to efficiently procure the critical infrastructure and technology required to scale the Waymo Driver. 

In this remote role, the IT Category Manager supports the business by leading strategic sourcing and category management for our Software (SaaS/On-Prem), End-User Hardware, and IT Professional Services. You will partner deeply with Waymo’s IT, Security, and Engineering teams to manage complex renewals, drive cost efficiency, and ensure our technology stack scales with our growth.

You will:

• Category Strategy: Develop and execute a comprehensive procurement strategy for Corporate IT, including SaaS, Hardware, and Telecom, balancing cost optimization with speed-to-market.
• Strategic Renewals: Proactively manage a high-volume pipeline of software renewals; lead negotiations for mission-critical SaaS platforms to secure favorable long-term commercial and legal terms.
• Implementation Services: Structure and negotiate complex Statements of Work (SOWs) for IT Professional Services and Systems Integrators to ensure successful software implementation and ROI.
• Hardware & VAR Management: Optimization of Value-Added Reseller (VAR) relationships for end-user compute and peripherals, ensuring competitive pricing and seamless fulfillment logistics for a growing workforce.
• Stakeholder Partnership: Act as the trusted advisor to the CIO, IT Ops, and Security leadership; lead "make vs. buy" analyses and influence technical requirements to drive commercial value.
• Risk & Compliance: Partner with Legal (Privacy/Security) to ensure all software and hardware agreements meet Waymo’s rigorous data protection and cybersecurity standards.

You have:

• 7+ years of strategic procurement experience, with at least 4+ years dedicated to IT, Software, or Technology sourcing.
• Deep expertise in SaaS licensing models (consumption-based, per-seat, enterprise agreements) and experience negotiating with Tier 1 software publishers.
• Proven ability to draft and negotiate complex commercial contracts, including MSAs, EULAs, DPAs, and Professional Services SOWs.
• Experience managing Hardware lifecycles and negotiating with large VARs (e.g., CDW, Insight, Presidio) or OEMs (Lenovo, Apple, Dell).
• Strong financial acumen with the ability to present TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) analysis to Finance and Engineering leadership.
• Ability to operate in a high-velocity environment, managing multiple concurrent high-priority renewals and sourcing events.

We prefer:

• Experience in a hyper-growth Tech or Pre-IPO environment.
• Familiarity with Cloud Infrastructure spend (AWS, GCP) and FinOps principles.
• Experience using Ariba P2P, e-sourcing and spend Analysis tools

Please note that Waymo may not be able to employ remotely in all locations. Please speak with your recruiter about your preferred location for remote work when you begin the interview process.