Director, IT Vendor Management

Vendor Strategy & Governance

Develop and execute a comprehensive IT vendor management strategy aligned with enterprise and technology priorities.
Work with sourcing to establish governance frameworks for vendor selection, onboarding, performance management, and offboarding.
Help define policies, standards, and controls to drive consistency.
Create a vendor segmentation model (strategic, preferred, tactical) to prioritize oversight and engagement.

Vendor Performance & Value Management

Implement and oversee vendor performance management processes, including SLAs, KPIs, and scorecards.
Drive accountability for vendor outcomes, including delivery quality, service levels, and innovation contributions.
Ensure vendors deliver measurable business value, including cost optimization, productivity gains, and risk reduction.
Lead regular business reviews with key vendors to assess performance and identify improvement opportunities.

Contracting & Commercial Oversight

Partner with procurement and legal teams to negotiate contracts, pricing, and terms.
Ensure contracts include appropriate service levels, penalties, security requirements, and exit provisions.
Optimize vendor spend through consolidation, renegotiation, and demand management strategies.
Provide financial oversight of vendor budgets, forecasts, and total cost of ownership.

Risk, Compliance & Security

Ensure vendors comply with enterprise risk management, cybersecurity, and regulatory requirements.
Partner with information security and risk teams to conduct due diligence and ongoing risk assessments.
Monitor and mitigate third-party risks, including operational, financial, and reputational exposure.
Maintain vendor continuity and contingency planning.

Stakeholder Engagement

Act as a strategic advisor to IT and business leaders on vendor-related decisions and opportunities.
Provide transparency into vendor performance, risk, and financial impacts.
Align vendor capabilities with business needs and technology roadmaps.
Facilitate cross-functional collaboration between IT, procurement, legal, and finance.

Required Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of experience in IT, sourcing, vendor management, or procurement
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing vendor management or strategic sourcing teams
• Proven track record managing large, complex vendor portfolios with significant spend
• Experience in decentralized or multi-entity organizations (preferred: insurance, financial services, or similar industries)
• Strong experience in contract negotiation and vendor performance management
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Information Systems or related field
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence senior stakeholders
• Ability to translate vendor performance into business value and risk implications
• Strong financial acumen and cost optimization mindset
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Ability to lead and manage both on-site and virtual teams globally
• Ability to work independently, with limited required direction and guidance
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience working in complex, matrixed, or regulated enterprise environments
• Teammate Benefits & Total Well-Being