Job Description
Location: Fargo, ND/Bismarck, ND/Bemidji, MN/Sioux Falls, SD
Shift: 8 Hours - Day Shifts
Job Schedule: Full time
Weekly Hours: 40.00
Department Details
Are you a seasoned Chief Information Officer, Vice President, or Director of a technology organization with vendor management and contract negotiation experience that would consider a lower stress leadership position? Or an experienced technology Vendor Sales Representative that is tired of the high-pressure sales targets and quotas?
This contract negotiation and vendor management position may be the next career opportunity for you. You will interact with our strategic, operational, and tactical partners and vendors, and provide vendor management guidance to our senior technology management and to our C-Suite stakeholders outside of the technology organization.
Job Summary
The desired candidate will have a strong background in managing IT sourcing and procurement and performing contract negotiation (vendor sales and/or buyer procurement). The candidate needs to be able to show value by providing cost savings and cost avoidance while working collaboratively with contract stakeholders. Establish and/or approve internal and external policies, standards, and processes for vendor interaction. Develop and mature key sourcing and procurement competencies across IT, such as business relationship management, stakeholder collaboration, best practices for negotiation, analytics, project management, finance, and communication through formal training and mentoring. Work closely with stakeholders (IT, business, vendor management) to lead major sourcing programs. Possess an executive presence with C-Suite communication style able to converse with people at every level of our IT organization and vendor sales team and executives. This position will report into the IT Business Management Office and will have a strong background in IT sourcing and procurement and performing contract negotiation (vendor sales and/or buyer procurement).
Continue to enhance, through a collaborative and inclusive approach, an enterprise IT sourcing and procurement strategy that delivers against IT and business strategy priorities and translates IT and business needs into effective IT sourcing and procurement strategies. Develop and mature key sourcing and procurement competencies, such as business relationship management, stakeholder collaboration, business service planning, best practices for negotiation, analytics, project management, finance, and communication through formal training and mentoring. Help evolve sourcing and procurement into strategic functions.
Propose vendor and/or industry trends to stakeholders and propose updates and improvements to existing strategies. Help contract owners manage the communication process with vendors, including what information should be communicated, when and by whom, to ensure that appropriate negotiation leverage is preserved.
Keep abreast of industry trends that have an impact on the IT sourcing strategy, through external advisory services, internal procurement and vendor management teams and good working relationships with existing and emerging strategic vendors used by the enterprise. Identify the drivers, shifts, market dynamics and trends to advise the business and IT teams of the most effective sourcing and procurement strategies across all IT services. Identify and leverage relevant third-party market intelligence sources.
Work closely with stakeholders (IT, business, vendor management) to lead major sourcing efforts. Provide high-value procurement and contract negotiation consultation to IT contract owners. Partner with contract owners to build the negotiation strategy and negotiation team for IT contracts. Lead the evaluation of optimal sourcing and pricing options, taking into consideration outsourcing/cloud, hybrid, and insourcing models. Serve as a point of escalation for vendor issues and disputes and drive those issues to resolution. Incorporate the organization’s strategies, objectives, standards and requirements into all sourcing and procurement initiatives.
Serve as change agent, influencing stakeholders to change organizational culture and processes driving adoption of practices. Present Vendor Management proposals, updates and outcomes to senior leadership.