IT VENDOR MANAGER

About the role

This role is responsible for managing the full lifecycle of IT vendor relationships, including vendor onboarding, contract negotiations, performance management, financial oversight, risk management, and compliance. The Vendor Manager will work closely with Infrastructure, Security, Development, Operations, and IT leadership teams to ensure vendors align with organizational objectives, cybersecurity requirements, and service expectations.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration with an IT focus, or a related technical field
• Minimum of eight (8) years of progressive IT vendor management experience, demonstrating increasing responsibility and leadership in managing complex application and infrastructure projects
• Experience should include a strong understanding of vendor lifecycle management
• AWS experience is highly preferred
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience developing and executing vendor management programs and strategies, including vendor risk management, performance management, and relationship management
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge and practical application of vendor management best practices and methodologies, including contract negotiation, performance monitoring, and relationship management

Desired Skills

• ITIL experience or certification
• Cloud vendor management experience (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Software Asset Management (SAM) experience
• Experience with vendor management platforms

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end lifecycle of IT vendor engagements, including vendor selection, stakeholder alignment, contract execution, onboarding, performance management, and offboarding
• Establish, monitor, and manage vendor KPIs, SLAs, and performance metrics to ensure service expectations are met and exceeded
• Identify, assess, and mitigate vendor-related risks while ensuring compliance with internal security policies, data privacy requirements, and industry frameworks such as NIST
• Manage IT vendor budgets, track spending, oversee invoice processing, and identify opportunities for cost savings and optimization
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with strategic technology vendors, serving as the primary point of contact for escalations, issue resolution, and partnership discussions
• Apply ITIL best practices, including Service Level Management and Supplier Management, to support effective IT service delivery
• Maintain a strong understanding of vendor-provided technologies and services, including cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), infrastructure, cybersecurity tools, and enterprise applications
• Collaborate closely with Infrastructure, Security, Development, and Operations teams to ensure vendor solutions meet business and technical requirements
• Maintain accurate documentation of vendor contracts, performance metrics, risk assessments, and key communications while providing regular updates to IT leadership
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the Vendor Management Office by identifying opportunities to enhance vendor governance, processes, and operational efficiency
• Support vendor cybersecurity assessments and due diligence activities to ensure alignment with organizational security and compliance standards
• Partner with Software Asset Management (SAM) teams to ensure compliance with software licensing agreements and vendor obligations
• Support business continuity and disaster recovery initiatives by ensuring vendor services align with organizational resilience requirements
• Lead negotiations and renewals for IT-related contracts, including software licensing, SaaS subscriptions, hardware procurement, cloud services, and managed services agreements, ensuring favorable commercial terms and service commitments