Manager, IT Finance and Vendor Management

Position Summary:

The Manager of IT Finance and Vendor Management office is responsible to lead the IT Finance team and Vendor Management for the IT department. The IT Finance team involves analyzing actuals, forecasting, and reporting on the IT department's budget, and ensuring compliance with financial controls and company policies. The IT Vendor Management Office (VMO) is a dedicated team that is responsible for managing vendor relationships, contracts, and performance. It acts as the central point of contact for all vendor-related activities and ensures that all vendors are managed effectively and efficiently.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• IT Finance: Analyze and compare actual technology spending to plans, forecasts, and previous years. Perform financial analysis and modeling for projects, and help prepare business cases for financial investment. Prepare the annual IT budget for review with IT Leadership. Validate spend is approved and accurate. Partner with Finance and Accounting to perform reconciliation activities and reclasses. Hold monthly financial reviews with IT Leadership.
• IT Vendor Management: Manage vendor relationships, contracts, and performance. Lead vendor selection and onboarding, vendor contract management, vendor performance management, risk management, vendor lifecycle management, vendor data management and reporting, and relationship management. Responsible for executing Request for Proposals (RFPs). Past experience in the telecommunication industry, understanding products, services, and rates is required.
• Process and Governance: Review current state processes for both the Finance and Vendor Management areas of responsibility. Identify gaps and areas for improvement in efficiency and quality. Implement governance to ensure visibility, control, and high quality.
• Communication: Engage with IT stakeholders and communicate effectively both written and verbal. Negotiate new contracts, negotiate renewals, facilitate Requests for Proposals, redline contracts, and conduct market research for benchmarking purposes to share with IT Leadership.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree is required; emphasis in Business Administration or Business Finance is strongly preferred.

• 5+ years with complex contract negotiation experience is required.        

• Prior direct people leadership experience is required.

• Competency with financial and budget concepts is required.

• Ability to travel 10%.

• Telecom Infrastructure background is a big bonus. 

• Experience in multiple industries is highly desired with at least one industry being manufacturing.

• Experience presenting to senior leaders in an organization is desired.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Experience in contract negotiations and requests for proposals.
• Process and analytical skills are essential.          
• Leadership skills are essential.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential.
• Experience working both independently and in a team-oriented, collaborative environment is essential.
• Persuasive, encouraging, and diplomatic, with conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to elicit cooperation from a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks.
• Adept at conducting research into market rates and trends.
• Basic understanding of financial and accounting concepts.