Procurement Contracting, Principal

Your Role

We’re seeking a sourcing and contracting professional to drive end‑to‑end commercial strategy and contract execution for high-value technology-driven deals (e.g., SaaS, AI/ML platforms, managed services, healthcare services and complex outsourcing). This role requires leading cross-functional negotiations, designing deal structures, managing risk, and driving business results. Prior experience in a healthcare payer environment (Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial) and knowledge of HIPAA/HITECH, CMS, and state regulatory requirements are highly desirable.

Your Work

In this role, you will:

• Lead end‑to‑end contracting for complex technology and services deals (often $5M–$100M+), including MSAs/CSAs, Order Forms, SOWs, Amendments, Change Orders, and negotiation playbooks; drive best‑value outcomes across price, risk, service levels, and innovation
• Own negotiation strategy: develop BATNAs, should‑cost/TCO models, and multi‑round RFx/auction strategies; run competitive events and down‑selects with clear decision frameworks
• Structure commercial models that balance agility and control (e.g., output‑/outcome‑based pricing, ramp/elastic capacity, milestone & acceptance, indexed rate cards, usage tiers, EDPs, reservations/commit models for cloud)
• Partner with Legal, Privacy, Security, Finance, Risk, Compliance, and IT to close issues quickly (IP/data rights, privacy & data protection, security schedules, regulatory addenda, BAAs/DPAs, service levels/credits, termination/transition assistance, subcontracting, open‑source/SBOM, audit/controls)
• Guide stakeholders through intake to signature: ensure complete business requirements, strong SOWs, and adherence to required pre‑approvals and documentation
• Reduce cycle time and risk by applying standard templates, clause libraries, and redline best practices; escalate and resolve blockers rapidly
• Coach and uplift the stakeholder team (and business partners) on sourcing/contracting excellence—RFx design, market intelligence, supplier due diligence, and contract hygiene
• Drive supplier performance & value realization: embed measurable SLAs/OLAs/KPIs, performance credits, continuous‑improvement constructs, and governance cadences (e.g., QBRs)
• Champion ESG & supplier diversity objectives through sourcing strategies and supplier development
• Measure what matters: track savings/avoidance, cost‑to‑serve, cycle time, compliance and risk metrics on dashboards and balanced scorecards
• Proofread, edit, and fact-check legal documents for accuracy and consistency
• Write and negotiate contracts and statements of work
• Draft competitive bid documents and manage vendor selection and qualification through a competitive bid process for goods and/or services
• Assist the business in maintaining compliance with all Blue Shield policies regarding contracting and purchasing
• Assist the business to resolve vendor management issues such 

Your Knowledge and Experience 

• Requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Requires at least 10 years of strategic sourcing/contracting experience, 7+ years negotiating technology agreements (SaaS, data services, managed services/outsourcing, healthcare services) with direct ownership of deals in the multi‑million‑dollar range
• Strong grasp of core agreement structures and the interplay between legal and business terms
• Confidently interprets and communicates contract issues with legal teams, aligning supplier edits with client requirements
• Expert redlining & negotiation across complex commercial and risk terms (limitation of liability, indemnities, data/security, privacy, IP, SLAs, benchmarking/most‑favored terms, termination & transition)
• Writes clearly, concise contract language aligned with client expectations and culture
• Strong cross‑functional leadership working with Legal, Security/Privacy, Finance, Risk/Compliance, IT, and executive sponsors to closure on critical issues
• Analytical depth in price modeling, TCO/should‑cost, scenario analysis, and market intelligence
• Proficiency with e‑sourcing & CLM tools (e.g., Jaggaer, Ivalua, Ariba, Service Marketplace) and standard procurement workflows from intake through signature
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Word for contracting, Excel for data analysis and PowerPoint for executive-ready presentations
• Outstanding communication (written/oral), executive presence, and the ability to simplify complex issues
• Healthcare payer experience (Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial/ASO), including practical application of HIPAA/HITECH and CMS or state requirements (e.g., BAAs, data‑sharing and regulatory filings) preferred
• Demonstrated success with outsourcing/BPO and transition/knowledge‑transfer constructs
• MBA or JD (or equivalent contracting leadership experience) highly desirable