Strategic Sourcing Manager, IT & Technology

Aquent; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent seeks a Strategic Sourcing Manager - IT & Technology to lead end-to-end sourcing for software, cloud services, hardware, and professional services. You will align with IT leadership, negotiate complex contracts, and drive measurable cost savings while managing risk and governance.

You will partner with InfoSec, Legal, and Finance to shepherd contracts through internal review gates, and develop forward-looking category roadmaps aligned with budget cycles and technology vision.

Qualifications

• 5+ years leading end-to-end strategic sourcing initiatives within a corporate procurement environment.
• 5+ years of IT category experience (software SaaS/on-premise, cloud, hardware, services).

Responsibilities

• Lead all phases of strategic sourcing life cycle (RFx, negotiations, awards).
• Guide end-to-end Intake-to-Contract workflow with stakeholders.
• Develop and implement multi-year IT category strategies.
• Manage risk, renewals, and hardware refresh planning.
• Provide cross-category sourcing support to IT leadership.

Skills

Strategic Sourcing

Vendor Negotiation

Stakeholder Management

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

P2P systems

CLM software

e-RFx tools

Excel

Job description

Note: This role is Hybrid 3 days onsite.

Our client's Strategic Sourcing organization is dedicated to delivering high-impact value, commercial rigor, and operational excellence to internal stakeholders across the enterprise. By developing multi-year category strategies and implementing modern procure-to-pay processes, the sourcing team directly supports business growth while balancing cost, risk, and innovation.

As the Strategic Sourcing Manager - IT & Technology, the candidate will serve as a trusted advisor to key business and technology leaders. This individual will lead end-to-end sourcing engagements across high-growth, business-critical IT categories - specifically software (SaaS and on-premise), IT hardware, cloud services, and IT professional services. The ideal candidate brings a blend of commercial negotiation expertise, deep familiarity with the IT vendor ecosystem, and a collaborative approach to navigating cross-functional risk governance.

Key Responsibilities & Estimated Allocation of Time

• Strategic Sourcing & RFx Execution: Lead all phases of the strategic sourcing life cycle (utilizing structured 7-step sourcing methodologies) for assigned IT engagements. Responsibilities include profiling technology supply markets, designing and executing RFP/RFI/RFQ events via modern e-sourcing tools, evaluating supplier proposals, leading commercial negotiations, and facilitating final contract awards. Utilize spend analytics, software benchmarking data, and market intelligence to drive measurable total cost of ownership (TCO) reductions.
• Intake-to-Contract & Negotiation Leadership: Guide primary stakeholders across technology and business organizations through the end-to-end Intake-to-Contract workflow. Serve as the commercial lead for complex IT agreements (SaaS subscriptions, enterprise software licenses, cloud commitments, and professional services SOWs), driving cross-functional alignment with Information Security, Data Privacy, Legal, and Finance. Synthesize negotiation outcomes into executive decision summaries outlining recommendations, trade-offs, financial impacts, and risk profiles.
• Category Strategy & Multi-Year Planning: Partner with technology leadership to construct comprehensive, forward-looking category strategies across assigned IT domains. Translate market dynamics and business objectives into actionable annual and multi-year sourcing roadmaps aligned with corporate budget cycles and technology architecture goals.
• Risk Management & Pipeline Planning: Build and maintain strategic sourcing pipeline roadmaps by tracking contract expirations, software renewal milestones, and hardware refresh cycles. Proactively identify vendor lock-in risks, compliance gaps, and cybersecurity/data privacy considerations, developing proactive mitigation strategies and escalating operational blockers with actionable solutions.
• Broader IT Category Support: Provide agile, cross-category sourcing support to the Senior Manager of IT Sourcing across ad-hoc enterprise technology, digital infrastructure, and e-commerce software initiatives.
• Leverage Spend & Supplier Governance: Identify and capture spend consolidation opportunities across business units, regional operating entities, and global divisions to maximize commercial leverage. Establish supplier governance routines, track vendor performance against key SLAs/KPIs, and support ongoing relationship management with key IT vendors.
• Stakeholder Relationship Management: Build strong, advisory-level relationships with internal business partners who manage technology budgets and software vendor relationships by consistently delivering against project timelines and maintaining clear, transparent communication.

Ideal Candidate Profile & Qualifications

Experience & Background

• Strategic Sourcing Track Record: 5+ years of progressive experience leading complex, end-to-end strategic sourcing initiatives and RFx processes within a structured corporate procurement environment.
• Dedicated IT Category Expertise: 5+ years of specialized sourcing experience focused on technology categories, specifically enterprise software (SaaS and on-premise), cloud infrastructure, IT hardware, and IT professional services (experience within North American retail, consumer goods, or e-commerce environments is highly desirable).

Key Competencies & Technical Skills

• IT Commercial Contracting: Proven ability to negotiate enterprise technology agreements, including Master Services Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), SaaS Subscriptions, End User License Agreements (EULAs), and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Cross-Functional Governance: Hands-on experience collaborating closely with InfoSec, Data Privacy, and Legal counsel to shepherd tech contracts through internal risk review gates.
• Financial Acumen & Benchmarking: Demonstrated success analyzing TCO models, benchmarking software pricing, and identifying license optimization opportunities to achieve quantifiable cost savings.
• Stakeholder Influence: Strong interpersonal and presentation skills with a track record of building trust with technical leaders (VPs of IT, Engineering Directors, Product Leads) and business stakeholders.
• Procurement Tools & Systems: Hands-on experience with modern procurement platforms, including Procure-to-Pay (P2P), Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM), e-RFx software, vendor management tools, and advanced Excel/PowerPoint presentation skills.

Education & Working Conditions

• Education: Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Information Technology, Operations, or equivalent practical experience.
• Work Model: Hybrid working environment (2 days in-office per week).
• Travel: Minimal travel required based on business needs.