Hiring: VP Procurement - Technology and Digital Company: Northwestern Mutual Location: Milwaukee, WI Job Posted Time: 2026-09-12 13:16:48 Employment Type: Contract Target Skills & Keywords : Agile, Change Management, Digital Transformation, SaaS, Vendor Management About the job Experience: •15+ years of experience in technology procurement, sourcing, or vendor management. •Proven experience partnering with CIOs/CDOs and senior IT leaders at an enterprise level. •Comprehensive expertise in modern technology ecosystems, cloud platforms, AI, and digital transformation. •Strong executive presence with exceptional negotiation and relationship-management skills. Required Skills: •Serve as the primary procurement strategic partner and day-to-day relationship leader for the CIO, CDO, and senior technology executives. •Partner with IT leaders to translate technology strategy and roadmaps into multi-year category strategies, sourcing plans, and vendor ecosystem decisions. •Build and sustain executive-level trust through proactive engagement, transparent governance, and clear articulation of value, risk, and tradeoffs. •Shape technology demand and investment decisions by leading early engagement and intake with IT teams—clarifying business outcomes, requirements, timelines, and budget assumptions before sourcing begins. •Establish and run joint operating rhythms with CIO/CDO organizations (quarterly business reviews, pipeline reviews, and steering committees) to drive decisions, remove blockers, and maintain alignment. •Define shared success metrics with IT (cost, time-to-contract, risk posture, service performance, innovation outcomes) and provide executive-ready reporting on progress and realized value. •Broker alignment across IT, Finance, Legal, Risk, Privacy, and Information Security to ensure deals are executable and balanced across value, compliance, and operational constraints. •Own executive escalation paths and conflict resolution for sourcing decisions, supplier performance issues, and commercial disputes—ensuring fast, well-governed outcomes. Interested candidates, please apply directly through the job posting on company's career page or try via AI auto apply on this platform. Don't miss this opportunity to join a forward-thinking team!