At ERCOT, our diverse and dynamic work environment provides a platform on which employees can work together to build the future of the Texas power grid and wholesale market utilizing the latest technologies and resources. We encourage you to join our talented, dedicated workforce to develop world-class solutions for today and tomorrow’s energy challenges while learning new skills and growing your career. ERCOT is committed to fostering inclusion at all levels of our company. It is the cornerstone of our corporate values of accountability, leadership, innovation, trust, and expertise. We know that individuals with a wide variety of talents, ideas, and experiences propel the innovation that drives our success. An inclusive and diverse workforce strengthens us and allows for a collaborative environment to solve the challenges that face our industry today and in the future. JOB SUMMARY The IT Category Manager – Strategic Sourcing & Vendor Management is responsible for developing and executing category, sourcing, contracting, and vendor management strategies across assigned Information Technology spend categories. The position serves as a strategic commercial partner to IT leadership, Procurement, the Vendor Management Office (VMO), Cybersecurity, Legal, Finance, Enterprise Architecture, Third-Party Risk Management, and other business stakeholders. The role provides continuity across the full supplier lifecycle—from category strategy, market analysis, competitive sourcing and negotiation through contract execution, supplier governance, performance management, commercial optimization, risk management, renewal, and value realization. ADDITIONAL JOB DUTIES IT Category Management Develop and maintain multi-year sourcing and category strategies for assigned IT spend categories (software/SaaS, cloud, infrastructure, hardware, cybersecurity, telecommunications, professional services, and emerging technology), grounded in ongoing analysis of technology spend, supplier concentration, demand forecasts, market conditions, and sourcing opportunities. Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation, competition, standardization, cost optimization, demand management, and reduction of vendor lock-in, informed by current knowledge of technology markets, supplier capabilities, pricing models, and industry trends. Strategic Sourcing & Commercial Negotiation Lead competitive sourcing activities (RFPs, RFQs, supplier and commercial evaluations) and develop negotiation strategies for significant technology purchases, renewals, expansions, and enterprise agreements. Analyze proposals and alternative commercial structures — including subscription, consumption, enterprise licensing, committed spend, capacity-based, and other pricing models — at the SKU, product, service, rate-card, and total-cost levels. Perform market benchmarking and comparative commercial analysis to establish negotiation targets and leverage, partnering with Legal, Cybersecurity, Finance, Architecture, IT, TPRM, and business stakeholders throughout sourcing and contracting activities. IT Vendor Management Office Support Support governance of strategic and critical IT suppliers throughout the contract lifecycle, including scorecards, KPIs, SLAs, service performance measures, and contractual commitments. Facilitate or support supplier business reviews, QBRs, and executive governance meetings, monitoring supplier commitments, performance issues, corrective actions, and relationship health. Maintain visibility into strategic supplier relationships across contracts, business units, platforms, and services, and identify supplier dependencies, concentration risks, and potential vendor lock-in. Renewal & Commercial Lifecycle Management Maintain a forward-looking pipeline of significant IT contract renewals, expirations, and sourcing events, beginning strategic renewal planning early enough to preserve competition and negotiating leverage. Evaluate utilization, consumption, licensing, capacity, demand forecasts, and historical spend ahead of renewal negotiations, challenging unnecessary demand, unused licensing, and unfavorable pricing structures. Evaluate supplier proposals against contractual protections, market benchmarks, and total cost of ownership, coordinating competitive sourcing or market validation when appropriate. Supplier Risk, Resilience & Critical Infrastructure Partner with Cybersecurity, TPRM, Legal, Compliance, Architecture, IT, and business owners to identify and address supplier risk — financial, operational, cybersecurity, supply-chain, concentration, geographic, contractual, and continuity — throughout the lifecycle. Incorporate critical-infrastructure considerations into technology sourcing — including supply-chain resilience, continuity of supply/service, and supplier incident response — support appropriate supplier due diligence and contractual controls for critical operations, and escalate material supplier performance, resilience, or risk concerns to appropriate leadership. Value Management & Executive Reporting Track and report negotiated savings, validated cost avoidance, and other measurable value, developing executive-level reporting on IT spend, sourcing pipeline, supplier performance, renewals, and commercial risk. Use market intelligence and supplier performance data to support fact-based sourcing, renewal, and negotiation decisions, and promote accountability for supplier commitments through closure. EXPERIENCE Requires minimum 5 years job related work experience in excess of degree requirements Requires experience in IT strategic sourcing, procurement, category management, vendor management, or technology commercial management. Prefer demonstrated experience negotiating complex enterprise technology agreements and managing strategic suppliers. Prefer working knowledge of software licensing, SaaS, cloud consumption, IT infrastructure, hardware, professional services, cybersecurity, and emerging technology commercial models. Prefer experience with supplier performance management, scorecards, KPIs, SLAs, governance, and executive business reviews. Prefer strong negotiation, stakeholder management, written communication, and executive presentation skills. Prefer experience in a regulated, critical-infrastructure, utility, ISO/RTO, or similarly complex operating environment is preferred. EDUCATION Bachelor's Degree : Business, Finance, Supply Chain Management or related field (Required) Master's Degree : MBA (Preferred) or a combination of education and experience that provides equivalent knowledge to a major in such fields is required CERTIFICATION CPSM Certified Professional in Supply Management (Preferred) The foregoing description reflects the minimum qualifications and the essential functions of the position that must be performed proficiently with or without reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. It is not an exhaustive list of the duties expected to be performed, and management may, at its discretion, revise or require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned. This job description is not intended to create a contract of employment with ERCOT. Both ERCOT and the employee may exercise their employment-at-will rights at any time. ERCOT is firmly committed to equal employment for all qualified persons without regard to race, sex, medical condition, religion, age, creed, national origin, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, ancestry, veteran status, genetic information or any other protected category under federal, state or local law. Expected Salary Range: $103,000 - $141,000 The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to 27 million Texas customers - representing about 90 percent of the state's electric load. As the independent system operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects more than 54,100 miles of transmission lines and 1,250 generating units. ERCOT also performs financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers retail switching for 8 million premises in competitive choice areas. ERCOT is a membership-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Legislature. ERCOT's members include consumers, cooperatives, generators, power marketers, retail electric providers, investor-owned electric utilities (transmission and distribution providers,) and municipal-owned electric utilities. ERCOT offers an excellent benefits package, which includes health, dental, vision, life insurance, long/short-term disability insurance, long-term care insurance, Section 125 Flexible Spending Account, and a Retirement Savings Plan. The medical, dental, vision, and quality-of-life benefits offered by ERCOT are second to none. Full-time employees are eligible to enroll in benefits on the first of the month following the date of hire. Additionally, 401(k) plans are available to help employees plan for the future. The ERCOT Internship Program provides college students the opportunity to develop their skills in a professional work environment. Each intern will receive unique projects and assignments that aim to solve real challenges facing the electric industry. ERCOT internships provide professional learning experiences that offer meaningful, practical work related to each student's desired career path. Eligible candidates should be enrolled in an academic bachelors or post graduate degree program maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The ERCOT Engineer Development Program (EDP) is a 12- to 16-month, self-paced program geared toward entry-level engineers looking to start a career in the power industry. Through the program, an EDP Engineer receives one-on-one mentoring, specialized training, and exposure to the work performed by each of the engineering groups at ERCOT. The program allows engineers to develop the fundamental skills necessary to reach their full potential while gaining an understanding of the types of engineering work ERCOT has to offer. EDP management supports participants each step of the way as they progress through the program. Upon completion, graduates are placed as full-time engineers within one of ERCOT’s engineering groups. The GMS Development Program (GDP) is designed to provide entry-level and early career professionals with the skills necessary to become successful Power System and Computer Engineers. The program, which is based in ERCOT’s Grid and Market Solutions (GMS) Department, will provide experience in day-to-day work and instruction in the fundamentals of electric power systems engineering, grid and market applications, software programming, and IT service and operations management. The GDP offers one-on-one mentoring, training, field trips, and special assignments. These assignments allow GDP engineers to become knowledgeable and familiar with the various business areas at ERCOT. The GMS leadership team prepares GDP engineers for a future career at ERCOT in power systems and computer engineering. The System Operator Development Program (ODP) is intended to combine real-time daily operations in an exciting work setting to prepare participants with the vital skills necessary to be successful in such a critical position — providing 24x7x365 on-demand support to manage the flow of electric power to more than 26 million Texas customers. If you are new to the industry, this program introduces you to the Bulk Electric System by combining introductory courses with the NERC Certification Exam Preparation Program in preparation to pass the NERC Certification Exam.

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