Category Manager (Technology Sourcing)

San Francisco · 5+ years experience · Hybrid · Posted Oct 13, 2026

At a glance

Okta's Strategic Sourcing and Procurement (SS&P) team is looking for an experienced Category Manager (Technology Sourcing) to support Okta's continued growth.
You will lead sourcing activities for our Technology spend globally, including complex, high-value sourcing projects and contract negotiations for IT service and product categories.

Develop and lead sourcing strategies for Technology categories (Software, Network, SaaS, IaaS, Telephony, AI, and related technology requirements).
Gather business and technical requirements to produce documentation supporting RFx events, and develop internal presentations and business cases.
Lead and support all aspects of the strategic sourcing process end-to-end for complex, high-value technology sourcing initiatives.
Lead commercial term negotiations for project-level agreements and partner with Legal on Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and related exhibits.
Identify and lead cost optimization initiatives across the largest or most strategic Technology categories.
Provide economic analysis of supplier proposals for high-dollar or high-risk expenditures, and identify and mitigate associated internal and external risks.
Build effective, strategic relationships with senior business stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
Own the relationship strategy for Okta's most strategic or highest-spend Technology suppliers and drive supplier performance review meetings.
Ensure adherence to Okta's policies and procedures while providing guidance and mentorship to junior team members.
Build data models and spend analysis to inform leadership's Technology category decisions and brief leadership regularly.

Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, or a related field.
5+ years of experience in Sourcing and Procurement of Technology (Infrastructure, SaaS, Telecom, IaaS, AI, etc.), including category management, strategic sourcing, vendor management, risk management, and/or procurement in a large, global company environment.
Proven ability to independently lead complex contract and commercial term negotiations.
Demonstrated ability to own end-to-end management of complex, highest-dollar, or highest-risk sourcing projects with minimal oversight.
Experience mentoring or providing guidance to junior category managers or sourcing staff.
Demonstrated ability to build data models and spend analyses to inform senior leadership decisions.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated track record of building trust and driving alignment with senior-level stakeholders.
Experience owning strategic relationships with an organization's highest-spend or most critical suppliers.
Advanced proficiency in sourcing and contract systems (e.g., Workday Strategic Sourcing/Scout, Coupa, Ironclad).

Professional certifications such as CSCP, CPSM, or CPIM.
Experience driving M&A-related sourcing activity, including contract novation and consolidation.
Proven track record of process or policy improvements that scaled across a sourcing function.
Proficiency with analytics and reporting; strong data-oriented approach to category strategy and negotiations.
Experience with ERP and financial systems; familiarity with Coupa, Workday Strategic Sourcing (Scout), etc.
Ability to travel as needed.