Her Story
About Aurora
Aurora Spradley is an experienced procurement and sourcing professional with approximately 20 years of experience across the power generation, nuclear, manufacturing, and oil and gas industries. She currently serves as a Principal Sourcing Specialist at NRG Energy, where her work focuses on sourcing, procurement, vendor coordination, and supporting the materials and services required for operations. Throughout her career, she has managed procurement activities ranging from RFQ development and bid evaluation to purchase order issuance, materials tracking, vendor negotiations, inventory coordination, and project procurement. Her experience includes working with production materials, service contracts, Bills of Materials, work orders, warehouses, and project requirements. Spradley has developed her expertise through a combination of formal seminars and classes, extensive on-the-job training, and mentorship. Her career has included roles such as Procurement Specialist, Contract Buyer, Procurement Agent, and Project Procurement Specialist, giving her broad exposure to supply chain processes and procurement operations. She has demonstrated particular strength in vendor negotiation, materials planning, project coordination, and resolving supply and delivery challenges. One notable professional achievement was receiving a high on-site award for expediting a massive piece of equipment from Germany to New Mexico within three days, requiring continuous tracking and coordination with customs to meet the demanding timeline. Spradley attributes her success to determination, perseverance, and the strong work ethic modeled by foster father. She views challenges as opportunities to find solutions and excel, reflecting advice from a former boss who encouraged her to see problems as reasons to succeed. She is particularly passionate about encouraging women who may face doubts about their background, education, or capabilities to remain confident and true to themselves. In both her professional and personal life, she emphasizes ethics, honesty, and compassion as essential values. She also recognizes that time, vendor availability, and workforce shortages remain significant challenges in procurement, requiring professionals to remain adaptable, organized, and solution-oriented.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Aurora
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the strong work ethic I learned from my foster father, who has been one of my greatest mentors. I watched him push through significant physical challenges and continue showing up for work. His determination inspired me to push myself, persevere through challenges, and continue striving for more.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was to stop looking at challenges simply as problems and instead see them as opportunities to solve, improve, and excel. One of my former bosses would remind me that I did not have a problem; I had a reason to excel. That perspective has stayed with me throughout my career and has helped me approach difficult situations with a solution-oriented mindset.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would encourage young women to stay true to themselves and never allow someone else to convince them that they are not capable or good enough. I have heard those doubts directed at me because I did not have a college degree and because of my background as a foster child. Those experiences taught me that other people's perceptions do not determine my capabilities. I would encourage women to believe in themselves, recognize their own strengths, and continue moving forward regardless of what others may say.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Time is one of the biggest challenges in procurement and sourcing today. Vendors are increasingly tied up with demand, while workforce shortages have made it more difficult to obtain materials and services within the required timeframes. Managing these constraints requires strong coordination, planning, communication, and responsiveness to keep projects and operations moving forward.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Ethics, honesty, and compassion are the values that matter most to me. Ethics is my number-one priority because I believe integrity is fundamental to doing my job correctly and maintaining trust. I also place a high value on honesty and having a big heart when working with others, both professionally and personally.
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