The Role:

At NW Natural, we are transforming Procurement into a strategic business partner that improves outcomes across the enterprise, through smarter sourcing, strong supplier partnerships, and disciplined spend management. We focus on measurable value: lower total cost of ownership, reduced risk, stronger service performance, and faster delivery for the business.

As Procurement Manager, IT & Cybersecurity, you will lead a team of buyers and serve as the category leader for technology spend; software/SaaS, cloud, infrastructure, professional services, and cybersecurity. You will own category strategies and multi-year roadmaps, drive spend visibility and governance, and lead enterprise-level negotiations for complex agreements. Success in this role requires the ability to influence senior leaders across IT, Security, Finance, Legal, and business functions while delivering savings, risk reduction, and supplier performance improvements aligned to NW Natural’s priorities.

Day to Day:

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of buyers supporting a fast-paced IT & Cybersecurity portfolio; set clear goals, build capability, and foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Provide day-to-day direction, prioritization, and performance feedback; remove barriers and ensure the team delivers timely, compliant procurements that meet stakeholder expectations.

Sourcing & Category Management

• Develop and execute category strategies and sourcing roadmaps for IT hardware, software licensing, SaaS, cloud services, IT services/managed services, and cybersecurity solutions—balancing value, risk, resiliency, and speed.
• Own IT spend management practices: analyze spend and consumption trends, identify consolidation and rationalization opportunities (especially across SaaS), and create governance models that improve compliance, budgeting accuracy, and contract utilization.

Contract Negotiation & Risk Management

• Lead enterprise-level negotiations for complex technology agreements (SaaS and software licensing, cloud, professional services, system integrators, and managed services), including commercial models, renewals, and multi-year commitments.
• Partner with Legal, Security, Privacy, and Risk teams to embed strong protections in contracts (security and data privacy terms, third-party risk requirements, audit rights, SLAs/service credits, and regulatory compliance).

Vendor Relationship Management

• Build and manage strategic supplier relationships; establish performance expectations, run business reviews (QBRs), and drive continuous improvement and innovation with key technology partners.
• Proactively manage escalations and resolve issues (performance, scope, pricing, renewals) with clear internal communication and effective vendor governance.

Project Procurement Expertise

• Support IT&S projects by aligning procurement timelines with project schedules and critical milestones.
• Ensure sourcing decisions meet technical requirements and compliance standards.

Financial Acumen

• Manage budgets, conduct cost analysis, and forecast for multi-million-dollar technology initiatives.
• Apply total cost of ownership (TCO) and lifecycle costing principles to technology investments.

Regulatory & Compliance Knowledge

• Ensure adherence to data privacy laws, cybersecurity regulations, and industry-specific compliance requirements.

Digital Procurement Tools

• Utilize ERP systems (e.g., SAP S/4HANA) and procurement platforms (e.g., SAP Ariba, Fieldglass).
• Leverage analytics for spend visibility, supplier performance tracking, and risk assessment.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner with IT & Security senior leadership to shape demand and sourcing strategy; influence roadmaps, standards, and investment decisions through fact-based recommendations and clear options.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders by translating market insights and contract details into executive-ready recommendations; drive alignment across Finance, Legal, Risk, and technical teams.

Come on your first day with:

Key Competencies

• Business Acumen
• Build Trust & Influences
• Complex and Unstructured Problem Solving
• Analytical Thinking
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Results Orientation
• Learning Agility
• Continous Improvement Mindset
• Clear and Persuasive Communication

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree is highly preferred; advanced degree or professional certification is a plus.
• Highly prefer 7+ years of people management experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, or category management; technology categories (software/SaaS, cloud, IT services, cybersecurity).
• Proven ability to lead teams in delivering measurable business outcomes.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise-level negotiations and contract renewals with major technology suppliers, including complex commercial structures and measurable outcomes (savings, risk reduction, performance).
• Ability to influence and align senior stakeholders and drive category strategies end-to-end (market analysis, business case, sourcing, contracting, performance management, supplier governance), supported by tools such as SAP S/4HANA, Ariba, Fieldglass, process automation and spend analytics.