IT Vendor Relationship Manager

Primary Role

• Ability to plan, define, and implement a best-in-class IT Vendor Management Office based on knowledge, experience, best practices, and industry benchmarks with minimal guidance.
• Ability to act as the Subject Management Expert in all Vendor Management related processes and inquiries, including driving the development and execution of new processes or improving existing processes.
• Ability to develop and implement a strategy, practice and process to identify and manage the lifecycle of strategic vendors, including vendor health checks and SLAs for each strategic vendor.
• Ability to develop and implement a strategy, practice and process to manage and monitor the lifecycle of of all IT vendors, including vendor health checks and SLAs for each strategic vendor.
• Ability to develop and implement a vendor performance management process and reporting in order to define, assess, and monitor success in this space.
• Ability to evaluate current vendor management programs for continuous improvement opportunities and to continue to reduce vendor-related risks.
• Ability to provide recommendations to drive costs down across the enterprise based on internal and external benchmarks on vendor costing models.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with all levels of both the IT and Strategic sourcing functions, from Executive Leadership to Individual contributors.
• In partnership with IT Leaders and Strategic sourcing, ensures the appropriate strategic sourcing services are available to effectively manage the IT organization.
• Develops, cultivates, and sustains long-standing relationships with company-approved vendors. Conducts interviews with new vendors and informs approved vendors of their responsibilities and obligations. Conducts research on available vendors to determine which vendors offer the best pricing and product quality. Implements vendor selection programs to ensure that the best vendors are secured for each project or initiative. Ensures IT adheres to established polices and best practices with respect to vendor management.

Key Accountabilities

• Day to Day Support: (30%)
• Policies, Procedures and Standards: (15%)
• Technical Requirements and Design: (30%)
• Training: (10%)
• Project Requirements: (15%)

Knowledge/Skills

• Deliver business results and maintain prudent operating expense budget management
• Collaboration with other departments and core functional areas
• Demonstrated ability to communicate narratives to executive leaders and key partners across the organization
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Project, Visio, and all Office Tools
• Strong knowledge of SAP
• Sufficient level of technical and business background to provide highly-credible leadership and to be able to accurately and objectively evaluate complex project risks and issues
• Possess an advanced broad-based technology and financial background, with technology procurement, operational and rates & regulatory knowledge of utility companies.
• Knowledge of supply chain management and vendor management business principles/practices and ability to apply those principles to an IT environment
• Skilled nonlinear thinker who considers multiple starting points to solving problems and multiple directions to apply logic
• Knowledge of business principles from multiple disciplines and ability to apply those principles to achieve results in cross-functional projects
• Broad technical, financial, and vendor management background to provide highly credible leadership to development teams and to be able to evaluate complex project risks and issues accurately and objectively
• Business-minded: ability to understand business challenges and opportunities
• Excellent decision-making ability, balancing what is right with what is realistic Flexibility to adjust to multiple demands, shifting priorities, ambiguity, and rapid change
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and to deliver results through others while overcoming obstacles to success
• Possesses a high energy level, sense of urgency, decisiveness, and an ability to work well under pressure
  

Experience/Education

• Master's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Information Systems or similar technology field is required [Bachelor's degree plus equivalent work experience will be considered].
• Over 12 years of progressive Information Technology experience specifically with IT operational processes including Business Management, Supply Chain Management, Vendor Management, and Financial management.
• Strong experience with planning, defining, and implementing a best in class IT Vendor Management Office based on knowledge, experience, best practices, and industry bench marks with minimal guidance
• Proven experience working as a vendor manager or vendor relationship manager
• Strong experience with operating budgets, capital investment budgets, and a portfolio leveraging at least 10 large-scale, enterprise technology vendors
• Experience providing business process analysis for large, complex projects in a high-tech development environment with multi-function teams
• Experience working with relevant regulations in IT & utility industries

Other

• Collaboration with other departments and core functional areas
• Demonstrated ability to communicate narratives to executive leaders and key partners across the organization
• Ability to negotiate contracts and agreements with information technology product and service vendors
• Exceptional analytical skills focused on problem solving and process improvement in a rapidly changing environment
• Strong interpersonal skills including mentoring, coaching, collaborating, and team building
• Strong knowledge and understanding of business needs with the ability to establish/maintain high level of customer trust and confidence
• Excellent decision-making ability, balancing what is right with what is realistic
• Flexibility to adjust to multiple demands, shifting priorities, ambiguity, and rapid change
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and to deliver results through others while overcoming obstacles to success
• Possesses a high energy level, sense of urgency, decisiveness, and an ability to work well under pressure
• Possesses a curiosity and a passion towards engaging the imagination of line of business leaders in grasping and enabling the fundamentals of change
• Demonstrated ability to work and team with a multitude of different people from various lines of business as well as within IT
• Strong verbal and written communication skills for a wide variety of audiences including proven ability to deliver conference presentations
• Creative approach to problem-solving with the ability to focus on details while simultaneously maintaining the "big picture" view"

Competencies