Specialist, Global Procurement - Project Management Office

Northern Trust • Chicago, IL

20h • Hybrid

About The Position

Northern Trust is searching for a highly-skilled specialist for its procurement project management office to contribute to the effort and help maintain momentum and growth trajectory. The PMO Specialist is a senior individual contributor within the Global Procurement Project Management Office, responsible for leading the execution of complex, cross‑functional initiatives that advance the strategic objectives of Global Procurement. This role provides program leadership, operational governance, and execution oversight across a portfolio of initiatives, working closely with Procurement leadership and business partners to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and delivery outcomes. The PMO Specialist operates with a broad enterprise perspective, managing ambiguity, coordinating across disciplines, and ensuring disciplined execution of strategic priorities. The candidate will be responsible for working on multiple large- and small-scale projects at a time, manage the projects to a successful outcome and collaborate with the Global Procurement teams.

Requirements

• Knowledge of the corporate business strategy development is necessary to effectively manage the business continuity and disaster recovery units.
• Knowledge of communication and systems technologies usually acquired through formal education or previous experience is required for understanding how technologies function so that they can be adequately tested.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills are required to manage the activities for the respective units.
• Strong organizational skills are necessary to determine the unit goals, resources needed, and to assess and develop the skills of the staff.
• Interpersonal (relationship builder, respectful, resolves problems, influential, people friendly and organizational savvy)
• Self-management (adaptability and resilience, learning behavior, integrity and ethics)
• Client Service and Quality (quality, relationship building and client satisfaction)
• University degree or equivalent experience required, 7 years of experience in PMO support, procurement, or a related role.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in financial services or a regulated environment preferred.

Responsibilities

• Establish and oversee project plans, workstreams, and delivery cadence across the Procurement PMO portfolio.
• Consolidate and report progress, risks, and performance metrics to senior Procurement leadership.
• Partner with Procurement leadership to support development and execution of strategic plans, priorities, and roadmaps.
• Provide guidance and insight on operating model effectiveness, delivery capacity, and execution readiness.
• Conduct market analysis, benchmarking, and peer comparisons to inform continuous improvement and best‑in‑class procurement practices.
• Identify and lead initiatives designed to enhance efficiency, scalability, and the business partner experience.
• In partnership with Procurement Governance & Compliance, support development and execution of programs, policies, and best practices that strengthen procurement operations and partner experience.
• Organizing training, meetings, townhalls, enrichment activities, and encourage a positive and inclusive employee experience focusing on participation, teamwork and communication.
• Lead special projects and strategic initiatives as directed by Procurement leadership.
• Support coordination of space, location, or operational initiatives impacting the Global Procurement organization, as applicable.
• Responsible for overseeing the employee engagement aspects of Driving Performance including enterprise talent management and succession planning change management.
• Leads other strategic projects as directed by Procurement leadership.

Benefits

• 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
• other voluntary and well-being benefits
• discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Associate degree