IT Vendor Manager

MUST HAVE SKILLS:

• Passion and Experience managing the business of Technology, PowerPoint skills, vendor management, project management, leadership reporting, and financials.

Summary

The IT Vendor Manager serves as a strategic partner and trusted advisor in managing the organization s technology vendor ecosystem. This role bridges business strategy, IT leadership, and vendor relationships to ensure technology investments deliver maximum value, are cost-optimized, and align with long-term capital and operating plans.
The TI Vendor Manager has a genuine passion for operational excellence and vendor management, possesses robust communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrates high analytical capabilities, is vendor-focused, team-oriented and highly capable of working independently and cross functionally to meet operational and business objectives.

The IT Vendor Manager will collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Operations, Architecture, and Sourcing, to define vendor-specific requirements, and oversee performance through KPIs and SLAs. Success in this role requires agility in communication, with the ability to engage confidently with executives while working closely with technical teams and individual contributors.
The IT Vendor Manager plays a critical role in aligning vendor strategy with the organization s technology and business objectives. This position works across operations, enterprise architecture, sourcing, and IT leadership to manage vendor and support program reporting to executives to enable strategic decision-making. The role ensures technology purchases are optimized, integrated, and aligned with the company s multi-year capital and expense investment plans.

Key Responsibilities

• Through strong partnerships with internal stakeholders including sourcing, IT, architecture, finance, legal and business teams ensures vendor relationships contribute measurable results to client's performance objectives
• Partner with Operations, Architecture, IT Leadership, and other stakeholders to align and document vendor capabilities
• Develop and deliver innovative commercial models that contributes to the CIO financial savings target
• Establish and enhance Tier-1 and Tier-2 strategic supplier relationships, engage with suppliers and their leadership regularly
• Conduct periodic supplier reviews to discuss performance, document product roadmaps and business needs.
• Seek out disruptive technologies, establish relationships, discover opportunities to POC and partner with IT stakeholders to rationalize the existing technology footprint.
• Leverage internal and external data to provide insights and recommendations that enhance supplier performance and operational efficiency
• Translate technology requirements into vendor-specific solutions that integrate with multi-year capital and expense investment plans.
• Manage the full lifecycle of vendor relationships, including onboarding, governance, performance reviews, and contract compliance.
• As a senior individual contributor within the Vendor Management function, this role ensures suppliers deliver consistently against contractual commitment, service level agreements, and compliance requirements while driving operational excellence and innovation
• Proactively identify and resolve operational challenges, contributing to continuous improvement initiatives
• Develop quantitative analysis and reporting on supplier performance by tracking and reporting performance using KPIs and SLAs, driving accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with the Sourcing department to develop negotiation strategies, optimize costs, and ensure favorable contract terms.
• Provide strategic insight and recommendations to executives while also engaging at a detailed level with technical and operational contributors.
• Identify risks, opportunities, and innovations within the vendor portfolio to strengthen business outcomes.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders including Operations, Architecture, and IT Leadership to develop vendor-related technology strategies and requirements.
• Manage vendor relationships across the lifecycle, ensuring alignment with business objectives and technology roadmap
• Engage as required in market analysis, trending, value assessment, and business requirements for alternative approach strategies
• Conduct Total Cost of Ownership analysis for vendor relationships, evaluating both direct and indirect costs to inform decision-making and optimize cost efficiency.
• Financial: understanding of vendor-driven spend forecasts segmented into Capital and Expense. Ability to present forecasts to Finance and IT Leadership.
• Ensure technology investments are integrated with capital and operating expense plans while supporting enterprise strategy and priorities.
• Represent vendor strategy at both executive and operational levels, adapting communication style to engage with senior leaders and individual contributors.
• Proactively identify risks, opportunities, and innovation potential within the vendor ecosystem.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor s degree in Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field (Master s degree preferred).
• 8+ years of progressive experience in IT vendor management, sourcing, or technology strategy.
• Skilled in project management, time management, and reporting to executives.
• Vendor Management: Expertise in managing and optimizing relationships with Tier-1 suppliers
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop supplier strategies that align with client objectives and enhance supplier relations
• Project Management: Proficiency in managing large scale projects, including implementation of new technologies and process improvements
• Negotiation: Strong negotiation skills to secure favorable terms and manage supplier contract costs effectively
• Leadership: Proven ability to provide guidance and leadership to peers and teams, fostering best practices in vendor management
• Leadership: Proven history leading teams to meet or exceed operational targets in vendor management
• Demonstrated ability to work independently on assigned tasks while contributing to broader team goals
• Strong understanding of IT contracts, vendor governance, and technology lifecycle management.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex vendor relationships and restructuring contractual relationships to enhance value.
• Proven success in partnering with cross-functional teams to align vendor solutions with business and technology strategy.
• Strong experience in business case development and financial acumen with experience in cost optimization and contract strategy.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence executives and collaborate effectively with technical teams and individual contributors.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with the ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Knowledge of IT infrastructure, applications, cloud services, and emerging technologies is highly desirable.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master s degree in Business, Engineering, Information Systems, or related discipline.
• Professional certifications such as Certified Professional in Supplier Management (CPSM), Certified Technology Procurement Professional (CTPP), or ITIL certification.
• Experience managing vendors within large, complex enterprises and multi-year investment planning cycles.
• Experience with ERP, vendor management or procurement tools (e.g., SAP Ariba, Coupa, ServiceNow, GEP).
• Knowledge of regulatory, compliance, and risk management considerations in IT vendor contracts.
• Strong track record of driving innovation and value creation through vendor partnerships.