Category Manager Software
Optiver is a global technology- and research-driven proprietary trading firm and market maker providing liquidity across financial markets, including through an active 24/7 Digital Assets desk.
About Optiver
Founded in Amsterdam in 1986, Optiver uses its own capital, quantitative research and proprietary technology to continuously quote, price and trade financial instruments across global markets. Its activities include listed derivatives, cash equities, ETFs, bonds, foreign currencies and digital assets; its Digital Assets desk operates crypto options market-making strategies across major venues with follow-the-sun coverage.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will execute software category plans and end-to-end sourcing events, including commercial analysis, negotiations, contracting, and award recommendations. You will manage supplier performance, renewals, licenses, and commercial terms; advise stakeholders; track market risks; maintain procurement compliance and records; coordinate across regions; and develop category playbooks and cost models.
Requirements
- 5+ years of technology procurement or strategic sourcing experience
- Experience with software categories, including SaaS and enterprise applications
- Experience delivering complex sourcing projects through contract signature
- Experience with software-provider or reseller negotiations
- Knowledge of software subscriptions, enterprise agreements, true-ups, consumption commitments, renewals, and license optimization
- Ability to partner with business, technology, and finance stakeholders
- Experience in a matrixed global environment
- Negotiation, analytical, and financial skills
- Ability to build and interpret total-cost-of-ownership and should-cost analyses
- Knowledge of sourcing methodologies, contract structures, and enterprise-software commercial terms
- Experience with procurement systems and contract and spend-data management
- Experience in trading or other technology-intensive industries is preferred
- Experience with software asset management, license optimization, or SaaS lifecycle programs is preferred
Responsibilities
- Support software category planning and strategy implementation
- Plan and run RFI, RFQ, and RFP sourcing events
- Prepare commercial evaluation models, negotiation strategies, and award recommendations
- Support agreement negotiations and structure pricing, licensing, renewals, SLAs, and commercial terms
- Monitor supplier delivery, service levels, support quality, and renewal risk
- Manage supplier escalation paths
- Advise stakeholders on software requirements, licensing, timelines, and total cost of ownership
- Track licensing models, price inflation, vendor consolidation, and consumption trends
- Ensure purchases follow procurement policy and controls
- Maintain records in sourcing and contract systems
- Coordinate global frameworks and regional exceptions
- Contribute to category playbooks, should-cost models, and sourcing lessons learned
Benefits
- Performance-based bonus structure
- 401(k) match up to 50%
- Health, mental-health, dental, vision, disability, and life coverage
- 25 paid vacation days and market holidays
- Breakfast, lunch, and snacks
- Regular social events, clubs, and sports leagues