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Senior Manager, Procurement

syndigo

Chicago, Illinois, United States
Administrative Public Relations

Job Score

90 pts
On-site model (+70) Administrative (+10) Public Relations (+10)

Syndigo gets great products chosen. Every choice in commerce, whether by a shopper, a search engine, a marketplace, or an AI assistant, is made on product data, and our software makes that data complete and trusted and moves it across the industry's largest two-sided commerce network: 15,000+ brands and 3,500+ retailers. Companies like AutoZone, Colgate-Palmolive, Dole International, Unilever, and Walgreens trust Syndigo to get their products chosen. Learn more at www.syndigo.com.

**This is a hybrid position that requires 2 days per week in office at our Chicago location**

Syndigo is hiring a Senior Manager, Procurement to establish and manage procurement practices that support the scale and complexity of the business.  Our spend is overwhelmingly indirect and technology-weighted — cloud infrastructure, software and SaaS, data and content licensing, professional services, contingent labor, marketing, and facilities — and it is currently sourced and contracted across multiple teams with inconsistent process and limited visibility. 

This role leads key procurement activities end to end: category strategy, strategic sourcing, negotiation, contract lifecycle management, supplier performance and risk, and the intake-to-pay process that connects them. You will be the single accountable owner for spend under management and for the commercial terms Syndigo signs. Success is measured in hard savings and cost avoidance, cycle time from request to signature, and the degree to which the business stops experiencing procurement as a bottleneck. 

You will report to the VP of Engineering – Infrastructure & DevOps and partner daily with Engineering, Technology, Legal, Information Security, Privacy, and the business unit leaders who own the requirements behind the spend. 

HOW WE’LL BE WINNING TOGETHER DAY TO DAY

Procurement Strategy & Supplier Management

  • Develop and execute Syndigo’s global procurement strategy, driving value, efficiency, and risk management across all third-party spend categories.
  • Establish category strategies and supplier partnerships that support business growth and operational goals.
  • Provide executive leadership with clear insights into supplier spend, performance, and savings opportunities.

Strategic Sourcing & Negotiation

  • Lead sourcing initiatives and negotiations for key enterprise agreements, including software, cloud services, professional services, and strategic vendor partnerships.
  • Drive favorable commercial terms, cost savings, and risk mitigation while ensuring long-term business value.
  • Build proactive renewal and supplier management practices to maximize leverage and avoid unnecessary spend.

Contract & Risk Management

  • Oversee the contract lifecycle in partnership with Legal, from intake and negotiation through execution, compliance, and renewal.
  • Lead vendor risk and performance management programs, ensuring suppliers meet security, privacy, regulatory, and business requirements.
  • Support governance for AI and emerging technology vendors, balancing innovation with risk management.

Financial & Operational Excellence

  • Partner closely with Finance to deliver measurable savings, cost avoidance, and budgeting accuracy.
  • Optimize procurement processes, systems, and policies to create a streamlined, scalable experience for stakeholders.
  • Drive continuous improvement across procure-to-pay operations and procurement technology.

Leadership & Business Partnership

  • Build and lead a high-performing procurement function, developing talent, processes, and capabilities as the organization grows.
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to business, technology, and executive leaders on commercial strategy, supplier management, and investment decisions.
  • Support M&A integration activities, including supplier consolidation, contract optimization, and synergy realization.

WE SHOULD TALK IF THIS SOUNDS LIKE YOU 

  • 7+ years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, or vendor management, including 2+ years of people leadership or leading complex cross-functional initiatives.
  • Track record of managing indirect spend and delivering measurable savings and cost avoidance.
  • Experience negotiating technology agreements, including SaaS, cloud infrastructure, data, professional services, and multi-year contracts.
  • Strong understanding of commercial contract terms and supplier negotiations.
  • Experience implementing or improving procurement processes, systems, and operating models.
  • Knowledge of third-party risk management, security, privacy, and compliance requirements.
  • Proficiency with procurement, contract lifecycle, and spend analytics tools.
  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
  • Strong commercial judgment with the ability to prioritize the terms that drive the most value.
  • Proven ability to influence stakeholders and build adoption across technical and business teams.
  • Data-driven decision maker with strong analytical and financial acumen.
  • Hands-on, operational mindset with experience building processes and scaling functions.
  • High integrity and sound judgment when navigating policy, compliance, and supplier ethics.

For full-time U.S. based-employees, we offer competitive health insurance benefits, PTO and volunteer time off, employer-paid short- and long-term disability, parental and adoption leave, 401(k), and tuition reimbursement.

Your individual compensation within the budgeted salary range is determined based on your skills, education, experience, and internal equity. This position is Bonus Eligible.

Budgeted Salary Range:
$130,000—$145,000 USD
Bonus:
$19,500—$21,750 USD

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

To achieve the best version of our organization, we know it takes new ideas, new approaches, new perspectives and new ways of thinking. A purpose we are 100% committed to cultivating.  Diversity is woven into our fabric at Syndigo and it’s how we stay an industry leader, innovating technology solutions that equip our customers with everything they need to be successful! 

All are welcome here and we invite you to join our team if you are ready to help us continue that growth! 

GDPR/CCPA

Syndigo, to process applications, holds onto data for a "reasonable time" after applications are submitted. This data is stored for Syndigo's internal use by HR/Recruiting Staff only. Verified requests for data deletion and exports will be completed upon request.

Syndigo Job Applicant Privacy Notice

At Syndigo, we care about your privacy. As you go through our recruitment process, we are committed to being transparent about how we process your personal data. To learn more about how Syndigo processes your personal data, go to our Job Applicant Privacy Notice.

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About Administrative

The Administrative area is responsible for ensuring the efficient functioning of all organizational operations. Administrative professionals manage processes, human resources, procurement, and facility management.

Key skills include process management, Office 365, administrative ERPs, compliance, and people management. Knowledge of automation and AI tools is becoming increasingly relevant.

The digitization of administrative processes has created new opportunities for professionals who master technology and management.

About Public Relations

The Public Relations (PR) area focuses on managing the reputation, image, and communication of an organization with its various stakeholders (such as clients, investors, employees, media, and the community). PR professionals develop corporate communication strategies, manage media relations (press relations), organize institutional events, and work in image crisis prevention and management.

Discover Other Areas

Understand the scope of work, key skills, and tools used in different career areas.

About Product Owner

The Product Owner (PO) is the professional responsible for maximizing the value of the product delivered by the development team. They act as the voice of the customer and stakeholders, managing and prioritizing the product backlog, defining clear user stories, and ensuring the team works on the most valuable items for the business.

Key skills include backlog management, user story writing, prioritization (Mascow, RICE), agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban), and stakeholder communication. Knowledge of tools like Jira, Trello, Azure DevOps, and Miro is essential.

Product Owners are highly sought-after professionals in the technology market, working collaboratively with Scrum Masters, Product Managers, and engineering teams to drive agility and continuous value delivery.

About Tech Recruiter

The Tech Recruiter is a professional specialized in recruiting technology talent, from developers to AI engineers and DevOps professionals. They combine technical knowledge with recruitment skills to evaluate and attract highly qualified candidates.

Key skills include technical screening, analysis of technical profiles (GitHub, portfolios, blogs), knowledge of software stacks and architectures, networking in tech communities and events. Proficiency with tools like LinkedIn Recruiter, Gem, Ashby, and technical assessment platforms is a differentiator.

Tech Recruiters are scarce and highly paid professionals, especially those who can map and access passive talent in competitive markets like AI, data engineering, and cloud computing.

About Cloud Solutions

The Cloud Solutions area is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing cloud infrastructure and services (AWS, Azure, GCP) for companies. Cloud professionals architect scalable, secure, and cost-optimized solutions, from data center migrations to serverless and multi-cloud architectures.

Key skills include IaC (Terraform, CloudFormation), containers (Docker, Kubernetes), serverless (Lambda, Cloud Functions), managed databases (RDS, DynamoDB, BigQuery), cloud networking (VPC, CDN, load balancer), and security (IAM, WAF, KMS). Knowledge of FinOps, cloud governance, and AWS/Azure/GCP certifications is a differentiator.

Cloud Solutions professionals in technology companies are highly valued, especially those who master multi-cloud architectures, FinOps, and can optimize costs while maintaining performance and security. The field offers opportunities from cloud engineer to cloud solutions architect, head of cloud, and chief cloud architect.

About Mobile Development

Mobile Development is one of the most dynamic and constantly evolving fields in the technology market. With billions of smartphones worldwide, the demand for qualified mobile developers continues to grow exponentially.

Key stacks include Flutter (Dart), React Native (JavaScript/TypeScript), Kotlin (Android native), Swift (iOS native), and hybrid frameworks like Ionic and Capacitor. Knowledge of mobile architecture (MVVM, Clean Architecture), mobile CI/CD (Fastlane, Bitrise, Codemagic), and App Store/Google Play publishing are essential.

Senior mobile developers are highly valued professionals, with competitive salaries and many remote work opportunities at international companies. Specializing in cross-platform or native is a strategic career decision.

About Agile

The Agile and Digital Transformation area is fundamental for organizations seeking efficiency and rapid adaptation. Agile professionals facilitate processes, eliminate bottlenecks, and promote a culture of continuous improvement.

Key certifications include CSM, PSM, SAFe, ICP, and Kanban. Knowledge of Scrum, Kanban, XP, and agile frameworks is essential, as are leadership and facilitation soft skills.

Senior Agile coaches and Scrum Masters are highly valued, especially in technology companies that adopt agile methodologies at scale.

Career Guides

Technology Career Guide

Planning, skills, interviews, and professional growth in IT, Data Science, DevOps, and Product.

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Design Career Guide

UX/UI, Graphic Design, Product Design. Portfolio, tools, interviews, and growth in the Design field.

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Marketing Career Guide

SEO, Paid Media, Growth, Content Marketing. Certifications, tools, and strategies to grow in Digital Marketing.

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Finance Career Guide

Financial market, investments, corporate finance, certifications, and strategies to grow in the financial field.

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Communication Career Guide

Journalism, PR, Corporate Communication, Content Marketing, and Multimedia Production.

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Administration Career Guide

Business Management, HR, Logistics, Consulting, Project Management, and Entrepreneurship.

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Data Career Guide

Data Science, Data Engineering, BI, Machine Learning, and AI. From training to the job market.

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Product Career Guide

Product Management, Product Ownership, Agile, Scrum, and OKRs. From strategy to execution.

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Tech & Remote Glossary

Stop getting lost in interviews and job descriptions

The job market, especially within tech and global companies, has developed its own dialect. Not understanding these acronyms can make you lose valuable opportunities or poorly negotiate your contract. To end this problem, we created the Definitive Glossary for the Remote Professional.

🏢 Work Models & Routine

Async (Asynchronous Work)
A communication model where responses don't need to be immediate. Instead of back-to-back meetings, the team relies on well-structured documents, threads, and messages. It's the gold standard for global companies spanning multiple time zones.
Sync (Synchronous Work)
The opposite of Async. It requires the team to be online and available at the same time for meetings, live chats, and real-time collaboration.
Daily / Stand-up
A quick daily meeting (usually 15 minutes) common in Agile (Scrum) methodologies. The team answers three questions: What did I do yesterday? What will I do today? Are there any blockers?
All-Hands / Town Hall
A company-wide meeting involving all employees. Usually led by the founders (C-Levels) to present results, new goals, and answer team questions.
1:1 (One-on-One)
A recurring individual meeting between a professional and their direct manager. It is used for career alignment, feedback, and problem-solving, not just for project status updates.

💰 Contracts, Benefits & Compensation

PTO (Paid Time Off)
Instead of strict, categorized leave policies, modern US companies usually offer a flexible pool of days (e.g., 20 days of PTO, or even "Unlimited PTO") that you can use for vacations, sick days, or personal matters, while receiving your regular compensation.
Equity / Stock Options
Company ownership. The startup offers you the right to buy shares at a heavily discounted strike price in the future. If the company grows, goes public, or is acquired, these shares can be highly lucrative.
Vesting (Vesting Schedule)
The rule that controls your Equity. It usually lasts 4 years. You don't get all the shares on day one; you "earn" them gradually as you stay with the company. A "1-year Cliff" means you must stay for at least one year to receive your first batch of shares.
RSUs (Restricted Stock Units)
Unlike Stock Options (where you have the right to buy the stock), RSUs are actual shares the company grants you as a bonus or part of your compensation package, following a strict Vesting schedule.
Independent Contractor (1099 / B2B)
The most common international hiring model for global talent working for US companies. You act as a service provider (business-to-business), receiving the gross salary (often six-figure compensation) without standard local payroll tax deductions at the source.

🤖 Recruitment & Hiring Process

ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
The "robot" that reads your resume. Software like Greenhouse, Ashby, and Workday are used to filter candidates by keywords before a human even looks at the document. (Pro tip: this is why your resume must be clean, semantic, and have the right keywords).
JD (Job Description)
The document that lists the responsibilities, technical requirements, and benefits of the open position.
Cultural Fit
The interview stage that evaluates if your core values, communication style, and worldview align with the company's culture. This is the ultimate test of your Soft Skills.
Onboarding
The integration process. It's the period of your first few weeks at the company, where you get your access credentials, learn about the culture, study the internal documentation, and understand how the product works.

🚀 How to use this to your advantage?

The secret isn't just knowing what these acronyms mean, but using them actively. If during an interview for a premium tech role you ask, "How does your PTO policy and Vesting schedule work?", the recruiter will immediately perceive you as a high-level professional, familiar with the global market standards.

The remote job market requires preparation. And having the right vocabulary is the first big step to securing six-figure proposals and standing out among thousands of applicants.

Expert Tip

The Back-End Development Market

The Back-End Development Market: Barriers, Opportunities, and the Path to the Top

Behind every brilliant application, revolutionary artificial intelligence, or successful fintech, there is an invisible and robust ecosystem. Welcome to the Back-End universe.

The Modern Back-End Paradox: Did AI Steal the Jobs?

With the rise of tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor, many junior developers wonder if the Back-End career is threatened. The short answer is: no. In fact, it has evolved.

Artificial Intelligence has made writing basic "CRUD" (Create, Read, Update, Delete) code trivial. However, the market no longer pays six-figure salaries for writing repetitive code. The global market is actively hunting for Software Engineers—professionals who understand architecture, resilience, latency, and scalability. The Back-End didn't die; the bar was simply raised.

Barriers to Entry: What Separates Juniors from Seniors

Entering Back-End development today requires overcoming technical barriers that go far beyond mastering a programming language (like Java, C#, Go, or Python). Key barriers include:

  • System Design: Knowing how to design a system that supports 100 users is easy. Designing one that handles 1 million requests per second requires deep knowledge of load balancing, caching (Redis/Memcached), and message queues (RabbitMQ/Kafka).
  • Data Complexity: The debate is no longer just "SQL vs. NoSQL". It is about data modeling, replication, sharding, and how to avoid database bottlenecks in distributed systems.
  • Security: With data breaches costing millions, companies require developers to master security practices from day one. Not knowing the vulnerabilities listed by the OWASP Top 10 is a dealbreaker for premium remote roles.
  • DevOps and Cloud Culture: The modern Back-End developer must understand containerization (Docker), orchestration (Kubernetes), and cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure).

Golden Opportunities: Where is the Money?

For those who overcome these barriers, the market is a blue ocean of opportunities, especially for US/Global Remote work.

  • Migration to Microservices and Serverless: Corporate giants continue to dismantle legacy monoliths. Professionals who understand the patterns described by Martin Fowler are highly sought after.
  • High-Performance Languages: While traditional languages maintain their corporate strength, the use of Go (Golang) and Rust has skyrocketed for systems requiring massive concurrency and low memory footprint (Green Computing).
  • AI Infrastructure: AI models don't run in a vacuum. There is a massive demand for Back-End engineers proficient in Python and C++ to build data pipelines (MLOps) and the APIs that serve these models in real time.

Success Stories: Architectural Decisions That Changed the Game

True Back-End engineering shines when solving impossible problems. Let's look at real-market examples:

The Discord Case (Migration to Rust): Discord faced latency spikes in its core Read States service, originally written in Go. Because Go's Garbage Collector caused critical millisecond freezes, the team rewrote the service in Rust, completely eliminating latency spikes and supporting trillions of messages with absurd efficiency. This proved the value of choosing the right tool for performance limits.

The Netflix Case (Pioneering Microservices): Netflix transformed a monolithic system that broke under pressure into an architecture of thousands of independently managed microservices. They pioneered the concept of Chaos Engineering, purposely shutting down production servers to ensure their Back-End was resilient to failure.

Practical Tips: How to Land Premium Global Jobs

  1. Master the Fundamentals: Before learning the trendy framework of the month, study data structures, algorithms, and time complexity (Big-O Notation). This is exactly what will be tested in high-level technical interviews (Whiteboard interviews).
  2. Build a Problem-Focused Portfolio: A GitHub repository with a "To-Do List" won't impress anyone. Build an API that handles asynchronous image processing, create a scalable URL shortener, or engineer a messaging system using WebSockets and Redis.
  3. Study Real Cloud Architecture: Get solutions-based certifications (like AWS Certified Developer or Solutions Architect). These serve as a "Seal of Approval" to bypass strict Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) like Greenhouse or Ashby.
  4. Flawless Technical Communication: According to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey, the highest-paying roles require asynchronous global collaboration. Your code documentation, commit messages, and PR reviews must be pristine and professional.

Verdict: Is a Career in Back-End Worth It?

Absolutely. If you are an analytical person who loves solving complex puzzles and cares about the security and efficiency of things no one sees, the Back-End is your place.

It is a career virtually immune to visual fads. While Front-End libraries change every few years, the fundamentals of relational databases, networks, and operating systems remain the same. It is a rock-solid foundation for a highly lucrative and globalized career.