Strategic Sourcing & Procurement Leader

Northwestern Mutual; Milwaukee (WI); Hybrid; USD 108,000 - 162,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwestern Mutual is seeking an Assistant Director of Sourcing & Procurement in Milwaukee to partner with senior leaders on vendor strategies for critical relationships. You will lead complex negotiations, guide cross-functional teams, and drive improvements across processes, systems, and compliance in a dynamic enterprise environment.

The role emphasizes strategic thinking, data-driven decision-making, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders while mentoring vendor managers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Technology, Legal, or related field or equivalent experience.
• Minimum eight years of leadership experience in financial services, preferably with sourcing, vendor management, or strategic vendor negotiations.
• Ability to build influential relationships, communicate a vision, persuade varied audiences, and guide senior-leader decisions.
• Strong cross-functional leadership, financial analysis and modeling, research, analytical problem-solving, planning, and organizational skills.
• Experience with contract development and execution; MBA or JD preferred.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior leaders and enterprise teams to establish vendor strategies, goals, and execution plans for critical, high-risk, and strategic relationships.
• Advise executive relationship owners on using strategic vendors to achieve innovation, efficiency, and sound financial management.
• Identify sourcing opportunities across strategic vendor relationships and anticipated enterprise needs.
• Lead sophisticated, sensitive and technology-focused contract negotiations.
• Lead cross-departmental projects while managing scope, risk, business value, schedules, and budgets.
• Research vendor-management trends and help ensure regulatory and compliance expectations are addressed.
• Recommend and implement significant process, workflow, organizational, and system improvements.
• Provide leadership and mentoring to vendor managers throughout the vendor-management lifecycle.

Skills

Strategic approach

Cross-functional leadership

Executive communication

Data/market intelligence

Excel

PowerPoint storytelling

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor’s degree (Business/IT/Legal)

MBA or JD preferred

Tools

IT infrastructure

Software/services familiarity

Job description

Northwestern Mutual is seeking an Assistant Director of Sourcing & Procurement in Milwaukee to partner with senior leaders on vendor strategies for critical relationships. You will lead complex negotiations, guide cross-functional teams, and drive improvements across processes, systems, and compliance in a dynamic enterprise environment.

The role emphasizes strategic thinking, data-driven decision-making, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders while mentoring vendor managers.