Strategic Sourcing Specialist, Technology

About Northern Trust

Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management, and banking services. Founded in 1889, the company adheres to three guiding principles: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. These principles guide the behavior of its partners, who are committed to providing exceptional service to clients worldwide.

Cross-Vendor Security & Risk Commercial Strategy

• Build and maintain the multi-vendor strategy across identity/security controls, risk tooling, and protective service layers, aligned to enterprise risk posture and resiliency goals.
• Drive vendor rationalization/substitution strategies and contract runway planning to avoid surprise renewals and unmanaged risk exposure.
• Lead commercial design for security tooling where value is measured by adoption, coverage, and risk reduction outcomes (not shelfware).

Channel & Reseller Governance / Margin Transparency

• Own strategy and controls for reseller/channel economics: discount governance, rebate programs, pass-through requirements, fee structures, and price protection.
• Establish playbooks and guardrails that prevent margin leakage, duplicative purchases, and fragmented sourcing across channels.
• Drive demand management opportunities (standardization, preferred channel routing, catalog discipline) in partnership with Procurement Ops.

Complex Negotiations & Escalation Path

• Support Category Managers on renewals/RFx and step in as escalation for impasses or highly complex negotiations (security terms, audit rights, incident-related clauses, regulatory addenda, channel price disputes).
• Ensure negotiation posture and outcomes align to enterprise standards for security, privacy, resiliency, and regulatory requirements.

Value Tracking, Controls, and Risk-Focused Governance

• Develop scorecards and value realization frameworks for security and optimization vendors (license utilization, coverage metrics, outcome validation, unit-cost curves).
• Establish periodic strategic reviews with Security/Risk leadership and IT Finance to confirm roadmap alignment and quantify delivered value.
• Ensure sourcing decisions reinforce a sustainable risk culture and reduce operational/compliance surprises.

What This Role Does Not Own

• Day-to-day vendor operational governance/QBR ownership and performance management (Vendor Management lane), though this role participates to enforce commercial controls and drive value realization.
• Routine purchasing admin, PO/invoice troubleshooting, or CLM data hygiene (Procurement Ops lane).
• Owning all RFx execution end-to-end (Category Manager lane), except when a sourcing event is strategically critical or stalled.

Preferred Knowledge & Specialized Expertise

• Security + Risk Commercial Acumen (Role-Specific)
• Security contracting patterns: audit rights, breach notification, SLAs for protective services, cyber indemnity constructs (in partnership with Legal/Risk)
• Understanding of identity/security architectures at a conceptual level (IAM, WAF/CDN, posture mgmt, monitoring/telemetry) to align commercials to real usage and coverage
• Channel / Reseller Economics (Role-Specific)
• Discount structures, rebates, MDF-like programs, services attach, margin controls, price protection, and governance models for large resellers/telecom/optimization providers
• Optimization / Value-Realization Mindset
• Strong orientation to utilization, leakage reduction, and measurable outcomes; ability to build executive-ready value narratives

Experience & Qualifications

• 10+ years in technology sourcing with demonstrated strength in security/risk contracting and/or channel economics (resellers/telecom/optimization platforms)
• Master’s preferred; advanced negotiation or conflict management specialization a plus
• Proven track record of building governance models, leading difficult negotiations, and operating credibly with CISO/Risk/Compliance leaders

Key Deliverables / Success Measures

• Deliverables Portfolio commercial strategy and governance playbooks; channel economics controls; executive decision papers; value tracking scorecards; benchmark insights

Measures of Success

• Reduced risk exposure via stronger contract posture;
• Improved margin transparency;
• Decreased value leakage;
• Measurable savings and verified adoption/utilization outcomes

Pay

Salary range is $114,700 - 194,900 USD. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. The company also offers a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.

Working with Us

As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve.

Philanthropy

Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities.

Reasonable Accommodation

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at MyHRHelp@ntrs.com, or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.