Strategy Specialist III
The Fountain Group, Waltham, MA, United States
Bill: $115
Pay: $82
Spread: 570
Duration: 1 Year
Description Your Impact Supports the Software Category Program within the Technology portfolio, overseeing targeted spend, supplier ecosystems, and third‑party partnerships to advance the Firm's strategic and operational priorities. As a Software Category Specialist, you will be part of our Optimize Team—a group dedicated to transforming the Firm's performance, capabilities, and resilience through data‑driven strategies and holistic interventions. In this role, you will guide the development and execution of sub‑category strategies (e.g., enterprise applications, SaaS subscriptions, AI tooling, cloud solutions, developer platforms) aligned with the broader Software category direction, working in close collaboration with the Category Director and cross‑functional stakeholders. You'll partner with technology, procurement, risk, and finance teams to understand evolving business needs and craft strategies that are fit‑for‑purpose and forward‑looking. Key responsibilities include identifying opportunities to optimize cost, improve software asset utilization, enhance vendor performance, and scale innovative digital solutions. You will play a critical role in managing and deepening relationships with major software providers and system integrators, ensuring high performance while embedding sustainability, compliance, and risk mitigation measures across the supplier base. Additionally, you will ensure the effective operation of Software Asset Management (SAM) tools, leveraging their insights to drive spend visibility, license compliance, financial controls, and continuous optimization. You will lead workstreams that may include analyzing category spend data, conducting market and supplier analysis, testing hypotheses for sourcing models, designing negotiation strategies, or presenting actionable recommendations to senior stakeholders. The Software Category Strategy is vital to the effectiveness of McKinsey's Technology Organization. Your efforts will enable smarter investments in applications, platforms, and digital capabilities – accelerating innovation, boosting agility, and ultimately helping internal and external clients achieve faster speed to market.
Qualifications & Skills
Undergraduate degree; advanced degree (MBA, PhD, etc.) or equivalent work experience preferred.
5 years of Software Category Management or Procurement experience (enterprise applications, SaaS, licensing, or cloud).
Excellent organizational capabilities, with the ability to initiate tasks independently and see them through.
Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to tailor your style to diverse audiences and seniority levels.
Proficiency in rational decision‑making based on data, facts, and logical reasoning.
Ability to produce category strategies, supplier management plans, and supporting deliverables (e.g., PowerPoint decks, Excel models, reports, or written analyses).
Exceptional time management to succeed in a complex and largely autonomous work environment.
Flexibility to work or attend meetings outside traditional business hours and take on projects with limited notice.
Willingness to travel and work in diverse environments, sometimes under challenging conditions.
Education Undergraduate degree; advanced degree (MBA, PhD, etc.) or equivalent work experience preferred.
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Description Your Impact Supports the Software Category Program within the Technology portfolio, overseeing targeted spend, supplier ecosystems, and third‑party partnerships to advance the Firm's strategic and operational priorities. As a Software Category Specialist, you will be part of our Optimize Team—a group dedicated to transforming the Firm's performance, capabilities, and resilience through data‑driven strategies and holistic interventions. In this role, you will guide the development and execution of sub‑category strategies (e.g., enterprise applications, SaaS subscriptions, AI tooling, cloud solutions, developer platforms) aligned with the broader Software category direction, working in close collaboration with the Category Director and cross‑functional stakeholders. You'll partner with technology, procurement, risk, and finance teams to understand evolving business needs and craft strategies that are fit‑for‑purpose and forward‑looking. Key responsibilities include identifying opportunities to optimize cost, improve software asset utilization, enhance vendor performance, and scale innovative digital solutions. You will play a critical role in managing and deepening relationships with major software providers and system integrators, ensuring high performance while embedding sustainability, compliance, and risk mitigation measures across the supplier base. Additionally, you will ensure the effective operation of Software Asset Management (SAM) tools, leveraging their insights to drive spend visibility, license compliance, financial controls, and continuous optimization. You will lead workstreams that may include analyzing category spend data, conducting market and supplier analysis, testing hypotheses for sourcing models, designing negotiation strategies, or presenting actionable recommendations to senior stakeholders. The Software Category Strategy is vital to the effectiveness of McKinsey's Technology Organization. Your efforts will enable smarter investments in applications, platforms, and digital capabilities – accelerating innovation, boosting agility, and ultimately helping internal and external clients achieve faster speed to market.
Qualifications & Skills
Undergraduate degree; advanced degree (MBA, PhD, etc.) or equivalent work experience preferred.
5 years of Software Category Management or Procurement experience (enterprise applications, SaaS, licensing, or cloud).
Excellent organizational capabilities, with the ability to initiate tasks independently and see them through.
Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to tailor your style to diverse audiences and seniority levels.
Proficiency in rational decision‑making based on data, facts, and logical reasoning.
Ability to produce category strategies, supplier management plans, and supporting deliverables (e.g., PowerPoint decks, Excel models, reports, or written analyses).
Exceptional time management to succeed in a complex and largely autonomous work environment.
Flexibility to work or attend meetings outside traditional business hours and take on projects with limited notice.
Willingness to travel and work in diverse environments, sometimes under challenging conditions.
Education Undergraduate degree; advanced degree (MBA, PhD, etc.) or equivalent work experience preferred.
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