Assistant Vice President - Procurement - Remote

We are seeking a strategic, experienced, and hands-on Assistant Vice President of 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. Why Work at Symetra Here’s what some of our employees have to say about why they work at Symetra: “If you want to invest in yourself and build a career, this is a great place to work. If you don't want to put in the effort to learn the industry and become a student of the business (it takes real effort!), there are easier places to work.” - Cris H., VP Internal Sales “We're big enough to make an impact on the country, but small enough to care and know who you are and what you're contributing to the organization. All new ideas are welcome!” - Stephanie F., VP Customer Service & Operations 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. We empower inclusion At Symetra, we aspire to be the most inclusive insurance company in the country. We're building a place where every employee feels valued, respected, and has opportunities to contribute. Inclusion is about recognizing our assumptions, considering multiple perspective, and removing barriers. We accept and celebrate diverse experiences, identities, and perspectives, because lifting each other up fuels thought and builds a stronger, more innovative company. We invite you to learn more about our efforts here. Creating a world where more people have access to financial freedom Symetra is a national financial services company dedicated to helping people achieve their financial goals and feel confident about the future. In our daily work, we're guided by the principles of Value, Transparency and Sustainability. This means we provide products and services people need at a competitive price, we communicate clearly and openly so people understand what they're buying, and we design products--and operate our company--to stand the test of time. We're committed to showing up for our communities, lifting up our employees, and standing up for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Join our team and help us create a world where more people have access to financial freedom. For more information about our careers visit: https://symetra.eightfold.ai/careers Work Authorization Employer work visa sponsorship and support are not provided for this role. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States at hire and must maintain authorization to work in the United States throughout their employment with our company. Please review Symetra's Remote Network Minimum Requirements: As a remote-first organization committed to providing a positive experience for both employees and customers, Symetra has the following standards for employees' internet connection: Minimum Internet Speed:100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload, in alignment with the FCC's definition of "broadband." Internet Type:Fiber, Cable (e.g., Comcast, Spectrum), or DSL. Not Permissible:Satellite (e.g., Starlink), cellular broadband (hotspot or otherwise), any other wireless technology, or wired dial-up. When applying to jobs at Symetra you'll be asked to test your internet speed and confirm that your internet connection meets or exceeds Symetra's standard as outlined above. Identity Verification Symetra is committed to fair and secure hiring practices. For all roles, candidates will be required (after the initial phone screen) to be on video for all interviews. Symetra will take affirmative steps at key points in the process to verify that a candidate is not seeking employment fraudulently, e.g. through use of a false identity. Failure to comply with verification procedures may result in: Disqualification from the recruitment process Withdrawal of a job offer Termination of employment and other criminal and/or civil remedies, if fraud is discovered