Working in partnership with M&S, at Gist we deliver industry-leading logistics and supply chain transformation.
At Gist, safety and people sit at the heart of everything we do. We value individuality and create an environment where everyone can bring their authentic self to work, contribute meaningfully, and make a real impact.
We’re looking for a proactive, commercially minded, and relationship‑driven IT Vendor Contract Manager to lead the strategic and operational management of our IT supplier ecosystem.
This is a pivotal role responsible for maximising value from our technology partnerships, ensuring contractual and commercial rigor, and enabling high‑performing IT service delivery across the organisation. You’ll oversee vendor relationships, contract lifecycles, renewals, governance, and spend management—ensuring our suppliers deliver the performance, compliance, and cost effectiveness our business depends on.
If you excel at negotiation, stakeholder collaboration, and bringing structure to complex commercial environments, this could be the perfect opportunity.
What’s in it for you?
Gist is an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and evolving business built on our core values. Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for Gist just that little bit more special.
- 20% M&S discount on most things from furniture, fashion and food
- 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays (rising with length of service)
- Discounted rates on healthcare cash plan
- Attractive annual bonus scheme, based on M&S performance and personal objectives
- Auto Enrolment Pension or competitive Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and life assurance (up to 4 times salary)
- Amazing perks and discounts via our App to major restaurants and retailers
- Access to a wide range of wellbeing support – including our Employee Assistance Programme
- A first‑class welcome with a tailored induction and a wide range of training schemes to help with your learning and development
- Cycle to work scheme
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Working pattern: Monday – Friday with flexibility to meet the business needs
What you’ll do:
Contract Management
- Lead the negotiation, review, and management of MSAs, SOWs, service contracts, and renewals
- Lead commercial negotiations for Master Service Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), renewals, and service contracts to secure favourable terms and ensure alignment with organisational standards
- Ensure all contracts meet commercial, operational, and compliance requirements
- Maintain an accurate and accessible repository of all agreements, documentation, and contractual obligations
- Oversee the contract renewal schedule, ensuring timely reviews, risk assessment, and alignment with business, technology, and service delivery requirements
- Provide financial insight to support technology budget planning, renewals, and investment decisions
- Ensure all vendors meet contractual terms, SLAs, internal governance frameworks, and regulatory obligations
- Support procurement, legal, and risk teams on tenders, RFPs, audits, and due‑diligence activities
Reporting & Insights
- Deliver regular reporting on vendor performance, spend, service levels, and commercial risk
- Provide insight and recommendations that influence technology strategy and support operational excellence
Collaboration & Stakeholder Management
- Work closely with service delivery teams to resolve vendor issues, manage escalations, and support service continuity
- Partner with procurement, finance, legal, and technology stakeholders to drive alignment and value
- Lead and facilitate Key Account supplier review meetings, ensuring all discussions, decisions, risks, and actions are fully documented, tracked, and followed through to completion
Who you are:
- Proven experience in IT vendor, commercial, or contract management roles
- Strong understanding of contract negotiation, vendor performance management, licensing, and commercial governance
- Experience in budgeting, spend management, and financial planning
- Excellent analytical skills with strong attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines
- Confident communicator with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels
- Experience collaborating with procurement, legal, finance, and technology teams
- ITIL Foundation or similar certification (desirable)
- Detail‑Oriented: You manage contracts, documentation, and spend data meticulously
- Commercially Astute: You understand cost drivers, negotiate favourable terms, and spot value opportunities
- Analytical Thinker: You interpret financial and performance data to drive insight‑led decisions
- Negotiator: You secure value and protect the organisation’s interests with confidence and diplomacy
- Organised & Methodical: You manage multiple contracts, deadlines, and workflows efficiently
- Problem Solver: You address vendor issues, discrepancies, and process gaps proactively
- Collaborative: You build productive cross‑functional relationships
- Ethical & Trustworthy: You handle sensitive commercial information with integrity
- Resilient & Adaptable: You thrive in a fast‑paced, dynamic, and evolving environment
Why Gist?
At Gist we are united by our core values; with safety and people at the heart of everything do, we areprogressive, accountable, collaborative,andethical.
Our objective is to establish a performance‑focused environment that is fair and inclusive, where everyone can develop, and connect meaningfully to their manager, the Gist vision, and M&S. We are fiercely protective of everyone’s health, safety, and wellbeing, and align firmly to M&S’s sustainability commitments in Plan A.
Gist will play an integral part in the M&S journey as it pushes boundaries to lead the retail industry into a greener, speedier, more inspiring era. As part of the M&S group, there’s never been a better time to be part of our team. Join us and make an immediate impact.
Gist aims to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers, and suppliers. If you consider yourself to require reasonable adjustments to any part of our recruitment process, we invite you to share those requirements with us when completing your application. We will make every effort to ensure your needs are met to provide a fair and transparent process of assessment. If it’s meaningful to you, it’s important to us.
Our Internal Recruitment Team fulfil all vacancies on a direct basis. Unsolicited contact by unapproved agencies (sharing speculative CVs) will not be accepted and introductory fees will not apply.
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