IT Vendor Manager (100% Remote)

Position Summary  The IT Vendor Manager leads the IT Vendor Relations Managers team and oversees the end‑to‑end lifecycle of third‑party vendor relationships including onboarding, governance, performance management, and offboarding. The role provides lifecycle oversight of vendor performance, commercial terms, contract governance, and operational alignment to ensure vendors deliver measurable business value. The role partners closely with Finance, Legal, Security, Compliance, IT Directors, SBPs, PMO, and other business stakeholders to ensure cost transparency, operational accountability, and alignment to company priorities.  This is a Remote/Work from Home position reporting to Sr. Manager of Product & Business Analysis    What you will do:   Vendor Ownership & Accountability  Leads Vendor Management team which includes setting priorities, establishing standards for vendor governance, and ensuring consistent execution of vendor management practices across the organization.  Serve as the primary owner for assigned vendor relationships, ensuring delivery against contractual commitments, SLAs, and business expectations.  Oversee vendor lifecycle activities (onboarding through offboarding), ensuring proper operational, security, and contractual alignment, while maintaining visibility into scope, performance, financial exposure and renewal timelines.  Escalate performance or contractual risks as needed.  Contract & Commercial Management  Lead or support negotiations (renewals, amendments, and commercial adjustments), partnering with Legal to ensure appropriate performance metrics, pricing protections, and risk safeguards, while proactively managing contract obligations and renewal strategy.  Identify cost optimization opportunities and prevent value leakage.  Lead Performance & Governance  Establish and monitor KPIs and SLAs, and conduct structured vendor performance reviews (e.g., QBRs) to ensure accountability and continuous alignment with business expectations.  Maintain documentation and visibility of contractual commitments and obligations, and track remediation plans to address underperformance.  Financial Oversight  Partner with Finance to support forecasting, budgeting, and spend tracking, and monitor spend against forecasts to identify and address variances.  Ensure invoices align with contractual terms and approved scope.  Cross-Functional Alignment  Partners with business owners, SBPs, IT Directors, and PMO to ensure vendor deliverables align with operational and project needs, and to maintain clarity of roles and responsibilities across teams.  Provide structured updates to leadership, SBPs, and IT Directors on vendor health, risks, performance, and improvement opportunities.    Qualifications  Bachelor’s degree with Information Technology or Business Technology Management/Finance focus.  5+ years of experience in vendor management, contract management, sourcing, or related commercial roles.  3+ years of experience leading or directly supervising a team   Experience managing enterprise vendor relationships and contract lifecycles.  Demonstrated experience participating in contract negotiations.  Experience managing vendor spend and performance tracking.  Strong commercial judgment with the ability to support and influence vendor negotiations.    Ability to hold vendors accountable while maintaining productivity and professional relationships.  Strong analytical skills with the ability to assess cost, performance, and risk.  Experience establishing or maintaining vendor governance, including contract and obligation tracking.    Respectful and outstanding leadership skills that motivate colleagues to focus their energy on achieving business goals.  Ability to plan and manage both strategic and tactical operational levels. Works to achieve goals while overcoming obstacles and/or planning for contingencies.  Strong analytical, planning, and budgeting skills.  Ability to influence others.  Excellent verbal and written communication skills, presentation, and problem-solving skills.  Self-starter with strong organizational and time management skills, self-directed and able to handle multiple priorities with demanding timeframes.  Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and staff to create a high-quality, results-driven, team-oriented environment.   Demonstrated ability to use discretion, make sound decisions, and maintain confidentiality.  Willingness and ability to work flexible hours and travel (up to 10%); will include some overnight travel.   Proficient in MS Office, modern communication tools for virtual teams (i.e., MS Teams)    Physical Demands:   Employees may experience the following physical demands for extended periods of time:    Sitting, standing and walking (95-100%)     Keyboarding (70-90%)     Viewing computer monitor, tablet and cell phone requiring close vision (70-90%)     Work Environment:   100% Remote: Work environment is at home.