Sourcing Specialist, Principal - Information Technology and Health Solutions

Your Role The Global Business Services team is responsible for the execution of the sourcing process for goods and services, including supporting the business by making effective sourcing decisions and establishing supplier contracts. The Sourcing Specialist Principal will report to the Director, Sourcing for the IT Stellarus team. In this role you will provide sourcing strategy, advice and objectives to support the operational business initiatives. Responsibilities Be responsible for the overall prioritization, quality and delivery of strategic sourcing initiatives to support Blue Shield’s and Care1st’s culture of affordability. Act as a trusted advisor and provide leadership through sourcing strategy advice and consultation to best achieve the business strategy and culture of affordability objectives. Provide guidance to business partners and seek alignment to influence spend and cost savings/total cost of ownership through supplier rationalization and driving economies of scale. Be a liaison with business users and SMEs to understand requirements and priorities of the field, providing input for requirements to ensure an appropriate business model. Validate key inputs and assumptions built into quantitative and qualitative analysis and/or financial models. Lead, structure and guide business partners on complex sourcing initiatives. Contribute to the analysis of complex situations, identify risks and contribute to the development of risk mitigation ideas. Ensure sourcing principles and best practices are incorporated into the initiatives. Present status, track process implementation results and issue identification/resolution effectively to management. Remain informed and engaged throughout project lifecycle. Lead end‑to‑end contracting for complex technology and product 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; accelerate blocker resolution. Qualifications Requires a college degree or equivalent experience. Requires a minimum of 10 years of prior relevant experience in strategic sourcing/contracting. Requires a minimum of 7 years negotiating technology agreements (SaaS, data services, managed services/outsourcing, healthcare services) with direct ownership of deals in the multi‑million‑dollar range. Requires mastery level knowledge of Sourcing/Supplier Relationship Management typically obtained through advanced education combined with experience. May have deep knowledge of project management. Requires excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills. Hybrid Work Model This role requires employees to be in‑office based on our hybrid workplace model, balancing purposeful in‑person collaboration with flexibility. For most teams, this means coming into the office two days each week. Employees living more than 50 miles from an office location will work with their manager to determine in‑office time based on business need. About Stellarus and the Ascendiun Family of Companies Stellarus, launched in January 2025, is designed to scale innovative healthcare solutions that support customers in creating a health care experience deserving of their family, friends, and neighbors. Stellarus is part of a family of organizations overseen by a nonprofit corporate entity named Ascendiun. The Ascendiun Family of Companies also includes Blue Shield of California and its subsidiary, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan and Altais, a clinical services company. Stellarus’ vision is to empower its customers to create a healthcare experience that is worthy of their family, friends, and neighbors. Stellarus’ objective is to offer innovative, modern, scalable solutions that challenge the health care status quo, closely aligning with Blue Shield of California’s vision of improving quality, affordability, and experience for members. Our Values At Stellarus, our core values of agility, trust, drive, courage and service shape our approach to developing innovative product offerings. Our Workplace Model For most teams, this means coming into the office two days per week. Employees living more than 50 miles from an office location, out‑of‑state employees, and employees in certain member‑facing roles should work with their manager to determine in‑office time based on business need. For employees with medical conditions that may impact their ability to work in‑office, we are committed to engaging in an interactive process and providing reasonable accommodations to ensure their work environment is conducive to their success and well‑being. The Company reserves the right to require more presence in the office based on business needs, and requirements are subject to change with periodic reviews. Physical Requirements Office Environment: roles involving part to full time schedule in office environment. Based in our physical offices and work from home office/deskwork – Activity level: Sedentary, frequency most of work day. Equal Employment Opportunity External hires must pass a background check/drug screen. Qualified applicants with arrest records and/or conviction records will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with Federal, State and local laws, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status or disability status and any other classification protected by Federal, State and local laws. #J-18808-Ljbffr