IT Operational Vendor Manager

Key Operational Responsibilities

• Performance and Service Delivery Management
  • SLA & KPI Tracking: Establish, monitor, and report daily and weekly on vendor performance against contractual SLAs and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as uptime, response time, and resolution rates.
  • Operational Governance: Plan and lead regular operational review meetings with key vendors, including weekly service review meetings and monthly performance deep dives.
  • Issue Resolution & Escalation: Act as the first point of escalation for all critical vendor-related operational issues and service disruptions, coordinating internal and external teams to drive timely resolution and root cause analysis (RCA).
  • Vendor Scorecarding: Maintain detailed, data-driven vendor performance scorecards and dashboards, proactively identifying trends and service gaps that require immediate attention.
• Contract Compliance and Administration
  • Contract Adherence: Ensure vendors comply with all operational terms and conditions outlined in executed contracts, Statements of Work (SOWs), and regulatory requirements such as security and data protection.
  • Invoice and Usage Validation: Review, validate, and process vendor invoices against agreed-upon contract pricing, usage metrics, and license entitlements, working closely with Finance to manage spend accuracy.
  • Documentation Management: Maintain an accurate and centralized repository of all operational vendor contracts, contact lists, performance reports, and compliance documentation.
  • Change Management Oversight: Work with the IT Change Management team to monitor vendor-driven changes to ensure they are properly scheduled, communicated, and pose minimal risk to the production environment.
• Relationship and Value Management
  • Communication Bridge: Serve as the hands-on, daily point of contact for vendor managers and internal business owners, translating technical performance data into clear business insights.
  • Continuous Improvement: Identify, champion, and track vendor-led continuous service improvement (CSI) initiatives aimed at enhancing efficiency, quality, and cost-effectiveness of delivered services.
  • Risk Mitigation: Monitor vendor operational risk exposure such as single points of failure and business continuity planning, ensuring all required audit and due diligence materials are up-to-date.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Experience: Minimum of 3‑5 years of direct experience in an IT role focused on vendor management, Service Delivery Management, or IT Operations.
• Technical Knowledge: Strong working knowledge of IT services, infrastructure (Cloud/SaaS, Networks, End‑User Computing), and common IT delivery models.
• Operational Proficiency: Demonstrated experience setting up and managing performance metrics (SLAs, KPIs) and leading formal service review meetings.
• Certification: ITIL Foundation certification (or equivalent) is highly desirable; deep understanding of IT Service Management processes (Incident, Problem, Change).
• Soft Skills: Exceptional communication, diplomatic negotiation, and conflict resolution skills to manage challenging operational discussions effectively.
• Key Competencies: Expertise in Service Level Management, Operational Risk & Continuity, Data Analysis & Reporting, Conflict Resolution & Escalation, IT Service Management (ITIL principles), and Stakeholder Communication.

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