About Northern Trust
As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions.
Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide.
With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.
Position Summary
The Senior Sourcing Specialist – Technology Reseller & Channel Strategy will serve as a senior procurement resource responsible for developing and executing Northern Trust’s strategy for technology reseller and channel relationships across software, hardware, maintenance, support, and related technology purchases.
This role will own the reseller strategy and key reseller relationships , with a focus on maximizing the commercial and strategic value delivered through the channel. The individual will evaluate when Northern Trust should purchase through a reseller versus contract directly with a software or hardware OEM, lead reseller commercial and contractual negotiations, establish competitive margin and pricing structures, and ensure reseller relationships provide measurable value beyond transaction processing.
The ideal candidate brings significant experience working with both technology resellers and direct software/hardware OEMs and understands reseller economics, channel incentives, rebates, discount structures, deal registration, distribution models, and contractual risk. This person should be comfortable challenging existing commercial models and developing a disciplined framework for determining where reseller relationships create value and where direct contracting is more advantageous.
Key Responsibilities
Reseller & Channel Strategy
•Own and continuously evolve Northern Trust’s enterprise technology reseller and channel strategy.
•Develop a structured reseller-versus-direct OEM decision framework considering price, discounting, contractual leverage, support, operational efficiency, payment terms, risk, licensing complexity, and strategic importance.
•Determine which technology categories and suppliers should be sourced through preferred resellers and which should remain direct relationships.
•Rationalize reseller usage where appropriate and develop a preferred reseller model that concentrates spend and improves Northern Trust’s negotiating leverage.
•Monitor channel economics and identify opportunities to improve the overall value generated from reseller relationships.
Commercial & Margin Negotiations
•Lead ongoing reseller negotiations covering:
•reseller margins and markups;
•discount structures;
•OEM pass-through discounts;
•rebates and incentives;
•volume-based pricing;
•renewal economics;
•payment terms;
•price protection;
•credits and service levels; and
•value-added services.
•Establish greater transparency into OEM price, reseller acquisition cost, reseller margin, incentives and final Northern Trust price , where commercially obtainable.
•Negotiate margin structures rather than evaluating transactions solely on end price.
•Identify opportunities to aggregate demand across suppliers and business units to improve pricing and negotiating leverage.
•Challenge reseller quotes and validate whether channel pricing is competitive relative to direct OEM alternatives and the broader market.
OEM vs. Reseller Decision Management
•Partner with Technology Procurement and internal stakeholders to evaluate significant purchases and renewals and determine the optimal route to market.
•Assess cases where an OEM may provide stronger economics, contractual protections or strategic alignment through a direct agreement.
•Identify situations where a reseller provides incremental value through demand aggregation, transactional efficiency, financing/payment terms, licensing expertise, fulfillment capabilities or access to additional channel discounts.
•Prevent unnecessary channel margin from being introduced into purchases when the reseller is not delivering commensurate value.
Supplier Relationship Management
•Serve as the commercial relationship owner for strategic reseller relationships.
•Establish reseller governance, performance metrics and regular business reviews.
•Create measurable expectations around pricing competitiveness, quote quality, responsiveness, licensing expertise, savings generation, reporting, innovation and service.
•Hold resellers accountable for demonstrating quantifiable incremental value , rather than simply processing transactions.
•Develop executive-level relationships with key reseller partners while maintaining appropriate competitive tension.
Sourcing & Negotiation Leadership
•Lead complex negotiations involving resellers, distributors, and direct OEMs.
•Support major software and hardware negotiations where channel strategy can materially affect commercial outcomes.
•Work across multiple parties in three-way negotiations involving Northern Trust, the OEM and the reseller to optimize economics without losing transparency or negotiating leverage.
•Develop competitive reseller events and benchmarking exercises where appropriate.
•Provide senior sourcing leadership and negotiation support to other members of the Technology Procurement organization.
Contracting & Risk Management
•Lead or support negotiation of reseller master agreements, ordering terms and transaction-specific commercial terms.
•Partner with Legal, Risk, Information Security, Finance and Technology stakeholders to identify and mitigate risks associated with channel purchasing.
•Ensure appropriate protections related to OEM terms, licensing rights, warranties, support obligations, audit rights, data protection, compliance requirements and continuity of service.
•Establish clear accountability between the OEM and reseller to minimize gaps in responsibility when issues arise.
•Identify concentration, financial, operational, and contractual risks associated with reliance on strategic resellers.
Qualifications
•8 years of progressive experience in technology strategic sourcing, procurement, vendor management, channel management or related disciplines, preferably within a large financial institution or complex global enterprise.
•Demonstrated experience negotiating with both technology resellers and direct software/hardware OEMs .
•Deep understanding of technology reseller economics, including reseller margin, OEM/channel discounts, deal registration, rebates, incentives and distribution models.
•Strong experience negotiating large, complex technology transactions and master agreements.
•Demonstrated ability to determine when a reseller model creates economic or operational value versus when a direct OEM relationship is more advantageous.
•Experience developing supplier strategies, preferred supplier models and supplier governance frameworks.
•Strong commercial and financial acumen with the ability to break down pricing structures and identify underlying supplier and channel economics.
•Strong negotiation skills and ability to manage complex multi-party negotiations.
•Ability to influence senior stakeholders across Technology, Finance, Legal, Risk and Procurement.
•Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or relevant procurement certification preferred.
What Success Looks Like
Within the first 12 months, this role should be able to:
•Establish a clear enterprise reseller strategy and define when Northern Trust should use reseller versus direct OEM purchasing.
•Create transparency into reseller economics , including margins, markups, discounts and incentives.
•Renegotiate key reseller commercial arrangements to deliver measurable savings and improved contractual terms.
•Establish preferred reseller governance and scorecards with defined performance and value metrics.
•Rationalize reseller relationships and concentrate spend where doing so creates greater negotiating leverage.
•Identify opportunities where Northern Trust should move purchases from reseller to direct OEM, or from direct OEM to reseller , based on economics, risk and operational value.
•Establish a repeatable model that Procurement can apply to future software, hardware, maintenance and support transactions.
Salary Range:
$114,700 - 194,900 USD
Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.
Work Authorization
Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa).
Working with Us
As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve.
Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities.
Reasonable Accommodation
Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at MyHRHelp ntrs.com , or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.