Senior Procurement Specialist - Information Technology

As a Senior Procurement Specialist supporting our Information Technology business unit you will be a trusted business advisor with internal and external stakeholders. We pride ourselves on being the experts in what we do, and we need individuals who are experienced to be able to handle the more complex spend categories and execute procurement actions that support business operations while continually adding value to the organization. You’ll develop and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, while creating procurement strategies, monitoring the contract lifecycles, managing supplier performance, and being a trusted business advisor for the Information Technology stakeholders. What You'll Do As a Senior Procurement Specialist, you will: • Manage complex Information Technology spend categories, including maintaining awareness of current and future needs, monitoring milestones and reviewing contract terms. Develop and execute action plans based on the identified sourcing strategy, business needs and improvement to ensure standards are achieved at a competitive rate with minimal risk. • Develop and execute negotiation strategies to determine contract terms and conditions, ensuring a strong product is provided with optimal savings and minimal risk. • Monitor contracts for assigned spend categories to identify pending expirations and proactively communicate with business stakeholders or junior team members to determine how to proceed with the supplier. • Conduct research, benchmarking and cost analysist to remain a subject matter expert in assigned categories and make recommendations to the business. Collaborate with business stakeholders to implement changes that achieve business goals. • Develop and maintain supplier relationships including developing performance score cards, managing performance, driving cost saving efforts and ensuring adherence to contract terms and conditions. Lead creation of improvement plans when standards are not being achieved. • Develop or participate in development of sourcing strategies for Information Technology spend categories to ensure implementation of appropriate procurement approaches and identification of controls to manage risk. • Develop and maintain relationships with internal stakeholders to support business needs and lead complex change management efforts for internal and external processes. • Maintains knowledge of changing technology, current market conductions and industry trends to identify possible improvements. Evaluate contracts and identify financial or legal implications to determine current opportunities to make changes, presenting findings and recommendations to management as appropriate. Additionally, you will: • Research and analyze current spend, suppliers, market conditions and business needs to develop sourcing alternatives or adjust strategies to ensure business stakeholders are achieving desired results. • Provide work directions and learning opportunities to other team members and will be relied upon to troubleshoot complex issues that are escalated from the team or referred from management. Act as a resource for team members with less experience. • Review internal and external processes and documents to identify business risks and implement solutions that minimize exposures moving forward. • Utilize and provide management with recommendations to improve procurement processes, system interfaces and reporting to manage risks and ensure adherence to appropriate controls. • May identify a need for and build basic business continuity plans to limit business risk baked on supplier dependencies and exposures. • Perform other job-related duties as assigned from time to time. What it Takes • Bachelors Degree or equivalent work experience • Minimum of 5 years of related work experience, with a minimum of 4 years of Procurement/Sourcing/Supply Chain or related work experience • Passion for technology and a clear understanding of how that technology can positively impact Sentry • Demonstrated good communication and strong customer service capabilities when collaborating with internal customers, vendors and other stakeholders • Demonstrates strong organizational and project management skills • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (including Word and Excel) • Creativity and the ability to work with minimal supervision and with a variety of Sentry user groups and external suppliers • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment • Ability to exercise sound financial judgement • Strong analytical, data management and negotiation skills • Demonstrated leadership and growth potential • Ability to thrive in a team environment • Ability to manage a large portfolio of projects and consistently deliver quality results What You’ll Receive At Sentry, your total rewards go beyond competitive compensation. Below are some benefits and perks that you’ll receive. • Sentry is happy to offer flexibility through a scheduled Hybrid work model. Monday and Friday work from home if you choose to, Tuesday through Thursday in office. • Generous Paid-Time Off plan for you to enjoy time out of the office. • 401(K) plan with a dollar for dollar match on your first eight percent, plus immediate vesting to help strengthen your financial future. • Group Medical, Dental, Vision and Life insurance to encourage a healthy lifestyle. • Extensive Work-Life Resources to lend a helping hand. • Sentry Foundation gift matching program to encourage charitable giving. • Continue your education and career development through Sentry University (SentryU). About Sentry We take great pride in making Forbes’ list of America’s Best Midsize Employers. A lot of different factors go into that honor, many of which contribute to your job satisfaction. ur bright future is built on a long track record of success. We got our start in 1904 and have been helping businesses succeed and protect their futures ever since. Because of the trust placed in us, we’re one of the largest and financially strongest mutual insurance companies in the United States. We’re rated A+ by A.M. Best, the industry's leading rating authority. Our headquarters is in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, with offices located throughout the United States. From sales to claims, and information technology to marketing, we enjoy a rewarding and challenging work environment with opportunities for ongoing professional development and growth. Get ready to own your future at Sentry. Opportunities await! Casey Van Der Geest [email protected] Equal Employment Opportunity Sentry is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy that there be no discrimination in employment based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, or sexual orientation. Apply tot his job