We are seeking a strategic, experienced, and hands-on Assistant Vice Presidentof Procurement to lead Symetra's enterprise procurement function and serve as a trusted strategic partner to senior leaders across the organization. This leader will balance long-term strategy with day-to-day execution, ensuring Procurement delivers measurable business value, strong governance, and an excellent experience for the business.

About the role

In this role, you will lead all aspects of the enterprise procurement function, including policies, processes, sourcing, contracting, supplier management, and procurement technology. You will partner with Law, Finance, Technology, Risk, Information Security, Vendor Management, and business leaders to establish effective enterprise procurement practices, governance, and controls. You will set functional strategy and priorities while creating an operating model that enables the team to deliver strategic value and responsive day-to-day execution.

What You will Do

• Staff Management: Recruit and develop strategic procurement staff to be a high-performing and motivated team responsible for collaborating with business and supplier partners. Build capability, establish clear accountability and decision rights, develop the leadership bench, and create a culture of ownership, collaboration, continuous improvement, and service.
• Process & Operational Excellence: Identify and implement the metrics, tools, processes, and controls needed to optimize procurement performance. Lead end-to-end improvement across intake, sourcing, contracting, renewals, and supplier management, balancing speed, user experience, business needs, risk, and control. Establish clear performance expectations and use data to manage pipeline, backlog, cycle time, renewals, productivity, adoption, and other measures that demonstrate results.
• Business Strategy & Category Management: Lead the development and execution of enterprise procurement strategy aligned to Symetra's growth and business priorities. Establish category and sourcing strategies across key spend areas, identify opportunities for supplier consolidation and demand management, and translate enterprise priorities into a multi-year Procurement roadmap with clear objectives, priorities, and accountability.
• Enterprise Supplier Strategy & Governance: Establish a holistic enterprise view of strategic and multi-use supplier relationships, including spend, contracts and SOWs, renewals, performance, risk, obligations, and commercial opportunities. Lead supplier strategy, performance management, executive business reviews, and relationship governance while ensuring appropriate contractual protections, risk mitigation, business continuity considerations, and escalation processes are embedded throughout the supplier lifecycle.
• Executive & Cross-Functional Partnership: Partner with senior leaders to align Procurement priorities with enterprise strategy and business needs. Build strong relationships across Law, Finance, Technology, Information Security, Risk, Vendor Management, and the divisions; influence decisions, resolve complex issues, and establish clear roles, handoffs, and decision rights across the procurement lifecycle.
• Transformation & Technology: Lead the modernization of Procurement, including the procurement platform and other procurement technology, data, analytics, and workflow capabilities. Drive process standardization, change management, and sustainable improvements in cycle time, visibility, user experience, compliance, and value realization.
• Value Creation & Financial Management: Establish and deliver measurable Procurement value through savings, cost avoidance, demand management, supplier consolidation, contract optimization, and process efficiency. Establish credible baselines, track benefits, and communicate Procurement's financial and business impact to executive leadership.

What Success Looks Like

• Procurement is viewed as a trusted enterprise partner that enables business growth, delivers measurable value, and protects Symetra through strong commercial and supplier governance.
• The function operates with clear priorities, decision rights, processes, metrics, and accountability, providing transparency and a consistent experience across the enterprise.
• The Procurement transformation and technology roadmap is executed with strong adoption and sustainable improvements in efficiency, visibility, user experience, control, and supplier value.
• The Procurement team is high-performing and well-developed, with the capabilities, leadership, and operating discipline needed to scale with Symetra's growth while maintaining confidence among senior leaders.

What we offer you

Benefits and Perks

We don't take a "one-size-fits-all" approach when it comes to our employees. Our programs are designed to make your life better both at work and at home.

• Flexible full-time or hybrid telecommuting arrangements
• Plan for your future with our 401(k) plan and take advantage of immediate vesting and company matching up to 6%
• Paid time away including vacation and sick time, flex days and ten paid holidays
• Give back to your community and double your impact through our company matching
• Want more details? Check out our Symetra Benefits Overview

Compensation

Salary Range: $141,600 - $236,000 plus eligibility for annual bonus program and long-term incentive plan

Who You Are

• 10+ years of progressive procurement, strategic sourcing, supplier management, or related experience, including progressive leadership responsibility for a complex enterprise procurement function
• 5+ years of people leadership experience, with demonstrated success building and developing high-performing teams
• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and senior executives
• Strategic problem solver with hands-on execution capability and outstanding attention to detail who is comfortable operating at both the strategic and tactical levels
• The ability to navigate complexity, lead several priorities, and deliver under tight deadlines while creating clarity, accountability, and momentum
• Experience in procurement, general management, procurement technology - with significant experience in negotiations and change management; demonstrated success leading enterprise transformation, procurement technology implementation, or operating-model change strongly preferred
• Strong knowledge of general principles of procurement law and demonstrated ability to partner effectively with Law and other risk/control functions
• Significant experience in contract negotiation and administration, strategic sourcing, supplier relationship management, and commercial value creation
• Experience working in a highly regulated industry, financial services, insurance, or a similarly complex environment is preferred.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering measurable enterprise value and building procurement capabilities that scale with organizational growth.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, or related field preferred. High school diploma required.
• Ability to travel as needed to support the business.

Travel:

Required Training & Professional Development
All newly hired people leaders with direct reports are required to complete a comprehensive leadership development program within their first year. This program includes both virtual and in-person training. The in-person sessions will take place at Symetra's corporate headquarters in Bellevue, Washington. Symetra covers all travel and accommodation expenses.

Reasonable Accommodations
Symetra is committed to providing equitable access to all job-related responsibilities, including required travel. If reasonable accommodations are needed for travel, Symetra's HR department will work to provide appropriate solutions in alignment with individual needs and company policies.