IT Vendor/Procurement Specialist

3 days a week onsite in Westlake, OH. Permanent/Fulltime role. 

Must-Have Skills:

1)      5 years of experience in IT procurement, vendor coordination, and/or purchasing support

2)      Experience working with contracts, vendor communications, and/or procurement systems

3)      Direct experience with reviewing vendor contracts, contract renewals, and vendor sourcing

4)      Experience supporting strategic sourcing and/or vendor evaluations

5)      Experience influencing across different levels in the organization (internal and vendors)

6)      Experience with various software licensing models and related support and professional services

7)      Experience working with VARs

8)      Familiarity with asset management and software licensing audit

9)      Ability to develop contracts and work with legal team as needed to negotiate with vendors

10)   Basic understanding of IT products and services (software, hardware, SaaS, cloud, network, etc.)

11)   Familiarity with procurement processes and tools

12)   Experience creating vendor performance metrics/scorecards

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

·         Vendor Management Support

·         Assist with onboarding new IT vendors and ensuring all documentation and compliance requirements are met

·         Monitor contract expiration dates and support timely renewals or termination processes

·         Maintain vendor scorecards and collect performance metrics to support service-level discussions

·         Help manage issue tracking, escalations, and resolution follow-ups under guidance from vendor leads

·         Facilitate the design, implementation, and management of vendor management process improvements

Sourcing & Procurement Coordination:

·         Lead the execution of sourcing activities (e.g., RFQs, RFPs, supplier analysis, negotiations, renewals) for IT-related purchases

·         Collect and consolidate pricing, service details, and commercial terms for evaluation and comparison

·         Collaborate with IT and business stakeholders to understand procurement requirements and timelines

·         Prepare documentation and assist with purchase requisition processes

Contract & Compliance Administration:

·         Maintain organized records of vendor contracts and supporting documents in procurement systems

·         Ensure contracts include appropriate cybersecurity, privacy, and risk language in collaboration with IT, data security, and legal

·         Track vendor compliance with internal policies, license management, and audit readiness requirements

·         Review and monitor vendor invoices to ensure appropriateness

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

·         Partner with IT teams on procurement needs including hardware, software, SaaS, network, and services

·         Support finance and procurement leadership in reporting, budgeting, and tracking savings initiatives

·         Educate business partners on procurement procedures and help facilitate purchasing workflows

Required Experience and Skills:

·         Five years of experience in IT procurement, vendor coordination, and/or purchasing support

·         Experience working with contracts, vendor communications, and/or procurement systems

·         Direct experience with reviewing vendor contracts, contract renewals, and vendor sourcing

·         Experience supporting strategic sourcing and/or vendor evaluations

·         Experience working in a role that requires influencing across different levels in the organization (internal and vendors)

·         Experience with various software licensing models (perpetual, subscription, SaaS, etc.) and related support and professional services

·         Experience working with VARs

·         Familiarity with asset management and software licensing audit

·         Bachelor’s Degree

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

·         Ability to develop contracts and work with legal team as needed to negotiate with vendors

·         Basic understanding of IT products and services (software, hardware, SaaS, cloud, network, etc.)

·         Strong organizational and communication skills, with attention to detail

·         Familiarity with procurement processes and tools

·         Proficiency in Excel and Microsoft Office Suite; ability to generate reports and summaries

·         Experience creating vendor performance metrics/scorecards

·         Excellent relationship-building skills and aptitude for working collaboratively with cross-functional groups

·         Demonstrated ability to effectively manage process improvement plans, implement programs, and evaluate outcomes

·         Self-starter with a high degree of drive, initiative, and follow-through

·         Must maintain a positive, partnering-type approach with all stakeholders

·         Demonstrated professionalism to support a culture of integrity

·         Ability to work in a high activity/fast-paced environment while managing the associated stress