Senior Manager, Production Technology Procurement
Warner Bros. Discovery
Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.
Who We Are…
When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…
From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.
Your New Role...
The Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Senior Manager for Production Technology Procurement supports category strategy development and associated initiatives for all Production Technology subcategories for the company. Production Technology represents $50M in third party spend across WBD’s 30+ brands and is a key contributor to business success and revenue growth. The role will collaborate with various internal clients to lead enterprise-level sourcing strategies, manage complex negotiations, and support category management across production technology spend areas. This role will partner closely with WBD technology organizations that support production and post production teams to ensure sourcing initiatives are aligned with business priorities. Example projects this role would lead sourcing support for may include software for production finance / accounting activities, production and post production software and/or hardware for production asset lifecycle management, workflow tools, content collaboration tools, editing tools, etc.
The Senior Manager also serves as a trusted advisor to executives and business leaders, driving innovation, supplier performance, and transformation across procurement initiatives. The role will contribute to cross-functional initiatives, support executive-level reporting, and champion procurement best practices.
This role reports to the VP, Production & Content Supply Chain Procurement and will also work closely with the leads of Production Procurement and Post Production & Content Supply Chain Procurement.
Your Role Accountabilities...
Negotiations, Contract Creation & Management: Sr Manager will lead business and technical negotiations for highly complex technology deals, including:
Develops enterprise contract strategies by gathering global stakeholder requirements.
Interprets and communicating contract terms; identifying risks and drafting custom protections for current and future negotiations.
Collaborates with Legal to resolve contractual challenges and with Finance to align on budgets and commercial objectives.
Negotiates pricing, SOWs, SLAs, and other operational terms while aligning with WBD's broader strategic relationships.
Identifies cross-business opportunities by assessing supplier footprint across WBD and crafting strategic concessions and fallbacks.
Leads negotiations end-to-end, including alignment with senior leadership (SVP/EVP+) on strategy, positioning, and risk mitigation.
Understands both vendor solutions and WBD's workflow / architecture to optimize negotiations using competition, benchmarked terms, and collective buying power.
Drives deals to closure with strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills, and by fostering collaboration across multifunctional teams.
Sourcing & Partnership Strategy: Sr Manager will lead development and execution of sourcing and vendor management strategies to support WBD’s evolving production technology landscape by:
Acts as a strategic advisor and liaison across Legal, Finance, Security, Global Content Operations, and Technology stakeholders, including SVP, EVP, and C-level leadership, ensuring alignment on priorities and timely issue resolution.
Develops and evolves procurement frameworks, negotiation playbooks, and supplier engagement models to drive consistency, efficiency, and value.
Maintains deep expertise in sourcing, contract negotiation, and vendor management best practices; brings thought leadership on market trends, emerging technologies, and supplier innovations.
Identifies strategic opportunities for supplier rationalization, cost optimization, and adoption of innovative technologies.
Partners with key stakeholders to align sourcing strategies with long-range business and technology planning initiatives.
Relationship Management: Sr Manager will cultivate and manage strategic relationships with both vendors and internal stakeholders, ensuring alignment, performance, and value by:
Manages enterprise-level vendor relationships, addressing business issues, resolving escalations, and maintaining strong partnerships with key production technology providers.
Leads the planning and execution of vendor business reviews, including performance evaluations and strategic assessments.
Prepares supplier debriefs to address performance gaps and identify opportunities for relationship and service improvements.
Delivers clear, executive-level reporting and insights on vendor performance, engagement status, and risk to senior stakeholders.
Advises business partners on market trends, emerging technologies, and vendor capabilities to inform sourcing decisions.
Builds and nurtures trusted relationships across the WBD organization, from operational teams to senior executives.
Ensures accuracy of vendor records, contracts, and transaction data to support compliance and informed decision-making.
Process & Operations: Sr Manager will provide strategic oversight and high-level support to sourcing operations and vendor engagement processes by:
Leads end-to-end RFX and competitive bidding processes for production technology vendor selection, ensuring alignment with WBD’s enterprise objectives.
Evaluates vendor solutions through a strategic lens, considering long-term fit with WBD’s production technology roadmap and impact to production operations.
Ensures compliance with WBD’s sourcing and procurement policies, while promoting operational discipline and risk mitigation.
Identifies opportunities for process optimization and partners cross-functionally to implement improvements that drive efficiency, cost savings, stronger vendor relationships, and business value.
Qualifications & Experience…
7-9+ years strategy, operations and sourcing experience in a sophisticated sourcing environment with demonstrated people management experience
Solid experience and highly developed subject matter expertise in production technology
Bachelor's Degree in related field; advanced degree JD/MBA a plus
Experience in the Media & Entertainment industry with exposure to production technology
Professional accreditation in sourcing / procurement preferred
Proven expertise in high-stakes negotiations and deal structuring, with a strong command of complex commercial and technical considerations.
Develops sophisticated financial models to inform business cases and vendor strategy.
Applies strategic judgment in evaluating supplier proposals and selecting optimal sourcing approaches.
Identifies cross-functional value opportunities by understanding enterprise-wide vendor impact.
Leverages market intelligence and industry trends to inform negotiation strategy and maximize value.
Highly adaptable in fast-paced, evolving environments; excels under pressure and shifting priorities.
Drives deal execution through strong cross-functional leadership, stakeholder alignment, and solution-oriented thinking.
Strategic, self-directed collaborator with a bias for action and the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
Demonstrated strength in analytical thinking, issue resolution, and risk-informed decision-making.
Exceptional communicator with the ability to influence at all levels; skilled in distilling complex information into clear, actionable insights.
Excellent written, oral and presentation skills and an ability to synthesize complex and technical information into concise and clear recommendation.
Detail-oriented and highly organized, with a commitment to clarity, accuracy, and follow-through.
Ability to function effectively in a matrixed organization.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
How We Get Things Done…
This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.
Championing Inclusion at WBD
Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.
In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, skill set, experience, and/or performance. Base pay is just one component of Warner Bros. Discovery’s total compensation package for employees. Pay Range: $109,900.00 - $204,100.00 salary per year. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, an employee wellness program, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and sick time and vacation.If you’re a qualified candidate with an arrest or conviction record, please know that your application will be considered in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.