Assistant Manager, Procurement

Role Summary
This is a high-ownership, high-judgment role where success depends on the ability to operate independently, engage effectively across stakeholders, and drive complex deals forward with pace and precision. We are less focused on narrow specialization and more on identifying candidates who think critically, communicate with clarity, and take full accountability for outcomes in a fast-moving environment.
•    Owns outcomes, not tasks - accountable for moving deals to completion, not just executing assigned steps
•    End-to-end ownership mindset - operates as the single accountable lead for each deal, driving progress, surfacing risks, and ensuring alignment to business objectives
•    Clear, precise, and audience-aware communicator - conveys complex ideas in a structured, concise, and actionable way; adjusts tone and depth appropriately across stakeholders and communication channels (verbal, email, Slack)
•    Strong critical thinker with sound judgment - able to quickly synthesize information, identify key issues, and form clear, defensible points of view
•    Deeply inquisitive and business-driven - consistently seeks to understand the “why” behind each engagement and uses that insight to shape recommendations and contract strategy
•    Comfortable challenging assumptions and asking direct questions - does not take inputs at face value; surfaces gaps, tests reasoning, and pushes for stronger outcomes
•    Strong commercial problem solver - connects contract terms to business objectives; identifies risks, tradeoffs, and pragmatic paths forward
•    Thrives in ambiguity with a “jack-of-all-trades” mindset - flexible and willing to step across functional boundaries, handling a wide variety of deal types and stakeholder needs
•    Ability to manage multiple priority-1 items without loss of clarity or quality - remains organized and responsive while maintaining high standards for thinking and communication

Posted Job Description
The Opportunity

MassMutual is looking for a dynamic and experienced Contract Manager to lead and manage complex commercial agreements with precision and confidence. In this multifaceted role, you will oversee multiple projects simultaneously, leveraging strong communication, organization, and analytical skills to ensure alignment with internal policies and business objectives. You will be responsible for negotiating and drafting contract terms tailored to each deal, while collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders—such as legal, IT, and enterprise risk—to deliver strategic and compliant outcomes. This role is central to driving operational excellence and mitigating contractual risks in a fast-paced environment.

The Team

On the MassMutual Procurement team, our goal is to enable MassMutual’s mission and vision by providing the right supplier solution at the right time.  Our mission is to streamline the procurement process, align supplier partners to meet business needs and continuously increase the value provided to our policyholders.

The Impact

This role involves understanding the underlying business problem and creatively solving it by working with internal stakeholders to gain their input and approvals as necessary, explaining deal terms and risks to the internal engagement manager, and negotiating terms directly with the supplier.  You will have a deep support structure in our Procurement organization including Category Management and Supplier Relationship Management, among other dedicated functions.

Requirements of the role include but are not limited to:
•    Understanding the business drivers behind transactions assigned to you and developing an execution plan
•    As the central point of contact for each contract, you will leverage your organizational skills and influence to ensure deals are negotiated and executed in accordance with business timelines
•    Engaging with internal stakeholders including the line of business, legal, compliance and data security groups to assess risks specific to each transaction
•    Drafting and redlining contracts to ensure that MassMutual is adequately protected from risks by relying upon your skills to assess the impact of deviations from standards and engage internal stakeholders when required
•    Negotiating with suppliers to produce contracts that adhere to MassMutual contracting standards and meet business objectives.
•    Planning and executing negotiation strategy in a timely manner while adjusting to changing circumstances
•    Working closely with the larger Procurement team, and stakeholders as appropriate
•    Identifying inefficiencies in existing procedures, uncovering bottlenecks, and proposing innovative solutions to streamline contracting processes

The Minimum Qualifications
•    Bachelor's Degree / law graduate with contract experience
•    5-8+ years of experience in contract evaluation, drafting and redlining
•    Shift timing: 2:30 to 11:30PM

The Ideal Qualifications
•    Detail-oriented with a consistent track record of accuracy and precision
•    Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and effectively
•    Proven business insight coupled with sharp critical thinking
•    Highly organized with demonstrated time management and problem-solving capabilities
•    Experience in developing and executing strategic contracting and negotiation approaches for sophisticated commercial agreements
•    Proficient in collaborating with diverse procurement teams, including supplier relationship management and category strategy development