Senior Manager, IT Procurement & Vendor Management

The Senior Manager, IT Procurement & Vendor Management develops and executes enterprise technology sourcing strategies that deliver value, manage risk, and support American Family's strategic goals. Reporting to the Procurement Director, you will lead a team responsible for managing approximately $300M in annual IT spend across a complex supplier ecosystem. We are looking for a leader with deep experience operating in large enterprise environments with extensive technology spend and extensive vendor portfolios. You will lead full lifecycle sourcing plans, guide complex technology negotiations, and build partnerships with business and technology leaders to maximize value from American Family's technology investments.

The Senior Manager, IT Procurement & Vendor Management oversees a team of procurement and vendor management professionals responsible for executing full lifecycle sourcing strategies across the IT vendor ecosystem. You will guide the development of category strategies, sourcing pipelines, negotiation approaches, and vendor governance practices that optimize supplier performance, cost, and risk. Using strong business acumen and communication skills, the role builds trusted relationships with partners across Technology, Finance, Legal, Third-party Risk and Security while influencing strategic decisions and aligning sourcing activities with enterprise priorities. The leader will also help develop talent, strengthen procurement capabilities, and advance best practices that support American Family's long-term growth.

Position Compensation Range

$113,000.00 - $194,000.00

Pay Rate Type

Salary

Compensation may vary based on the job level and your geographic work location. Relocation support is offered for eligible candidates.

Primary Accountabilities

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of sourcing and vendor management professionals.
• Foster a collaborative, performance-driven environment built on trust, transparency, and accountability.
• Set clear goals, provide ongoing feedback, conduct performance evaluations, and support professional development.
• Promote engagement and continuous improvement as the team strengthens American Family's procurement capabilities.

Category Strategy & Strategic Sourcing

• Lead the development of enterprise IT category strategies aligned with American Family's technology roadmap and financial goals.
• Oversee the full sourcing lifecycle including market analysis, RFX execution, supplier evaluation, negotiation strategy, and contract execution.
• Build structured sourcing pipelines, negotiation guides, and sourcing best practices across the IT procurement team.
• Identify opportunities for cost optimization, supplier consolidation, and improved commercial models across the IT vendor portfolio.

Vendor Management & Governance

• Establish governance frameworks to manage supplier performance, contract compliance, and service delivery across strategic technology vendors.
• Lead supplier relationship management and performance reviews with important partners.
• Ensure contract management practices and agreement on commercial, legal, and operational requirements.
• Monitor supplier risk and performance, reporting progress, vendor performance, and market trends to senior leadership.

Stakeholder Partnership & Value Delivery

• Develop strong partnerships with technology and business leaders to support strategic initiatives and enterprise programs.
• Promote category management, strategic sourcing, and vendor management practices that enhance value and mitigate risk.
• Use data analysis and performance metrics to communicate insights, influence strategy, and support decision-making.
• Align team resources and sourcing priorities to support key business initiatives and operational goals.

Specialized Knowledge & Skills Requirements

• Demonstrated experience providing customer-driven solutions, support or service.
• Solid communication and influencing skills across varying leadership levels.
• Demonstrated experience driving business results.
• Demonstrated experience in creating meaningful data analysis and metrics to support business needs.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills related to complex vendor matters.
• Extensive knowledge of vendor contracts and commercial/legal terms and conditions.

Additional Specialized Knowledge & Skills

Enterprise Sourcing & Technology Procurement

• Significant experience leading sourcing initiatives within large enterprise organizations managing substantial technology spend.
• Experience working within large, highly matrixed organizations with extensive supplier portfolios.
• Demonstrated ownership of $100M+ in annual category spend with responsibility for sourcing strategy, negotiations, and supplier management.
• Deep knowledge of procurement processes including category strategy development, RFX execution, supplier evaluation, contract negotiation, and vendor governance.
• Experience sourcing and negotiating technology solutions including SaaS platforms, enterprise software, cloud services, and managed services.
• Experience supporting enterprise technology transformation or digital modernization initiatives.

Commercial & Analytical Capabilities

• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to develop total cost of ownership models and supplier benchmarks.
• Experience using data analysis and metrics to develop insights, communicate strategy, and influence business decisions through effective storytelling.
• Strong problem-solving capabilities with the ability to navigate complex vendor and commercial situations.

Leadership & Influence

• Demonstrated experience leading teams and developing procurement talent.
• Strong communication and influencing skills across multiple levels of leadership.
• Ability to manage complex initiatives and drive alignment across cross-functional stakeholders.
• Customer-focused mindset with experience delivering measurable results.

Travel Requirements

• Up to 10%.

Additional Information

• Offer to selected candidate will be made contingent on the results of applicable background checks
• Offer to selected candidate is contingent on signing a non-disclosure agreement for proprietary information, trade secrets, and inventions
• Sponsorship will not be considered for this position unless specified in the posting

In this hybrid role, you will be expected to work a minimum of 10 days per month from the office. You should reside within approximately 35-50 miles of one of the following office locations: Madison, WI 53783 or Boston, MA 02110

We provide benefits that support your physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing. You will have access to comprehensive medical, dental, vision and wellbeing benefits that enable you to take care of your health. We also offer a competitive 401(k) contribution, a pension plan, an annual incentive, 9 paid holidays and a paid time off program (23 days accrued annually for full-time employees). In addition, our student loan repayment program and paid-family leave are available to support our employees and their families. Interns and contingent workers are not eligible for American Family Insurance Group benefits.

We are an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws pertaining to non-discrimination, non-harassment and equal opportunity. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.

American Family Insurance is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please email [email protected] to request a reasonable accommodation.