Senior Technology Sourcing Manager, SaaS Category

Summary The Technology Category Sourcing Manager will be responsible for the procurement and category strategy around a range of technology-related products to enable GWRE internal functions and the build/support of customer facing products. This role involves working closely with various business functions and regions to ensure efficient sourcing strategies and negotiation techniques are utilized on high value strategic contracts. Candidates are expected to achieve cost-effective, risk mitigated contracts with Guidewire’s top suppliers while managing the commercial aspects of the strategic relationships. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in strategic sourcing within the technology category/sector, negotiations, contract management, and supplier and business relationship management. Job Description What you'll do Strategic Sourcing: Manage, review, and negotiate a portfolio of technology contracts, focusing on software, cloud infrastructure, AI, and any associated professional/consulting services. Apply strategic sourcing best practices and category insights to negotiate and execute contracts. Conduct complex technology sourcing events (RFXs) to determine optimal suppliers and solutions for business stakeholders through objective evaluation.  Experience managing contracts, negotiations, and executive readouts for mid to large size deals.   Contract Management: Use and improve standard contracting templates and language to ensure compliance with company standards and Legal stakeholders. Manage the lifecycle of key supplier contracts, ensuring risk mitigation and value creation. Ability to independently review and redline commercial terms, flag risks, business terms and SLAs. Obtain business, legal and other relevant input to mutually resolve with Guidewire’s best interest.    Supplier Relationship Management: Build and maintain relationships with a range of business requesters/stakeholders across functions and regions including executive leadership within Guidewire. Manage assigned supplier relationships and associated risks throughout their lifecycle. Apply supplier performance assessment programs to track trends and identify areas for improvement with strategic supplier partnerships.   Category Management: Implement and execute category strategies and plans. Identify and deliver new opportunities for value creation, cost reduction, cost avoidance, risk reduction and supplier relationships.  Co-Develop category strategies, plans, and benchmarks that align with company objectives and maximize category spend and value with the Technology Category & Procurement Leadership.   Data Analysis, Reporting & Enabling Technology: Utilize data analytics tools and procurement software to analyze procurement data, identify trends, and generate reports that provide actionable insights for decision-making. Partner with stakeholders on scenario analysis for usage based contracts to provide a data driven approach to forecasting and contract execution. Use Zip, Zylo, Coupa, Google, Slack and relevant AI technologies to collaborate and efficiently execute job related tasks.   Process Improvement: Collaborate with stakeholders to identify, develop, and implement best practices, standardized procedures, and process improvements across procurement activities with emphasis on leveraging AI and automation. Take ownership for team initiatives that further align processes, data, and technology to procurement strategy to achieve future state capabilities and related outcomes. Provide input to training and procurement best practices documentation for the team, approvers and requestors. Contribute to playbooks with standardized tools and templates, and knowledge collateral.   Compliance and Governance: Monitor and enforce procurement policies, procedures, and compliance with relevant regulations and standards.  Escalate areas of concern before they become company risks. Collaborate with legal and other business stakeholders to align on strategic compliance and risk management actions. At Guidewire, we foster a culture of curiosity, innovation, and responsible use of AI—empowering our teams to continuously leverage emerging technologies and data-driven insights to enhance productivity and outcomes. What you'll bring Demonstrated ability to embrace AI-driven technologies and apply them in day-to-day engineering work, using data-driven insights to drive innovation, productivity, and continuous improvement. Bachelor’s degree; or equivalent experience. 8+ years of global strategic sourcing experience, including contract management, preferably in software and professional/consulting services. Strong experience in contract negotiation and lifecycle management. Proven ability to manage key suppliers and their associated risks. Experience with category management, spend analytics, operational metrics, software asset management tools, and contract playbooks. Excellent English communication skills, both written and verbal. Experienced in presenting key deals to an executive audience. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Proficiency with procurement tools such as Zip, and Zylo preferred.  Proficiency with Google GSuite and Microsoft Word. Who You Are: Strategic Thinking Value Creator. Business Relevant Relationship Builder. Strong Communicator: Excellent customer service and communication skills supporting all levels of employee stakeholder. Detail Oriented: Aware of and manages all details as an opportunity for improvement and successful implementation. Problem Solver: Ability to assess situations, identify problems, and evaluate potential solutions. Organized Excels in time, task, and information management. Self-Driven: Ability to structure the day to accomplish tasks independently and leverage resources to remain productive when questions or roadblocks arise. Collaborator: Strong individual contributor with a team mentality within the team and stakeholders Curious Learner: Motivated to use and apply AI tools appropriately to accelerate contribution, willing to ask questions, continuous growth in  knowledge/skills, and improve processes. About Guidewire Guidewire is the platform P&C insurers trust to engage, innovate, and grow efficiently. We combine digital, core, analytics, and AI to deliver our platform as a cloud service. More than 540+ insurers in 40 countries, from new ventures to the largest and most complex in the world, run on Guidewire. As a partner to our customers, we continually evolve to enable their success. We are proud of our unparalleled implementation track record with 1600+ successful projects, supported by the largest R&D team and partner ecosystem in the industry. Our Marketplace provides hundreds of applications that accelerate integration, localization, and innovation. For more information, please visit www.guidewire.com and follow us on Twitter: @Guidewire_PandC. Guidewire Software, Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to an inclusive workplace, and believe that a diversity of perspectives, abilities, and cultures is a key to our success. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability. All offers are contingent upon passing a criminal history and other background checks where it's applicable to the position.