Digital NA Strategic Sourcing and Vendor Performance Manager

Airbus•Herndon, VA

13h•Onsite

About The Position

The Digital NA Strategic Sourcing and Vendor Performance Manager at Airbus is a senior and critical role responsible for owning the strategy, performance, and regional harmonization of the digital vendor ecosystem for Digital North America. You will act as the primary Digital business partner to the North American Procurement team and as the critical coordination point with our Corporate headquarters in Europe (specifically Central Digital Governance and Procurement teams). This role needs to ensure that all North American digital contracts, Statements of Work (SOWs), and supplier engagements are strategically aligned and harmonized regionally and with the global master agreements and standards established in Europe. This position requires familiarity with modern digital technologies (Cloud, SaaS, AI/ML, Data Analytics, Cybersecurity), complex software asset management (SAM), and the ability to manage supplier performance to maximize value, innovation, and service quality for Airbus Digital in North America.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or a related field.
Minimum of 10+ years of experience in an IT environment, with at least 5+ years focused on IT Service Management (ITSM), performance analysis, or process improvement.
Minimum of 8-10 years in a senior IT role such as IT Vendor Management, IT Strategy, Software Asset Management (SAM), or Technical Program Management.
Demonstrable experience managing relationships and performance for major enterprise software suppliers (e.g., Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, Siemens, Dassault Systèmes) as well as key digital/cloud providers (AWS, Google, etc.).
Proven experience working in a large, global, matrixed organization, with specific experience collaborating with European headquarters or business units.
Analytical Mindset: Exceptional analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving skills with a keen attention to detail.
Strategic Thinking: Ability to see the bigger picture and connect IT performance metrics to strategic business outcomes.
Experience in large scale, high risk, or strategic project sourcing, with a background in a procurement environment in a large global enterprise.
Demonstrated experience in managing issues, scope and quality while bringing projects to successful completion within the cost and time requirements.
Cost conscious and cost reduction / optimization mindset.
Knowledge of Business Case Analysis & Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Approach.
Excellent “maneuvering’ skills in a demanding, multi-functional and multinational environment.
Excellent Communication Bilingual (spoken and written) in French, English and Networking skills are essential and a strong ability to influence.
Customer oriented mindset, adaptive Understanding of complex enterprise software licensing models (ELA, subscription, consumption-based, perpetual) and SAM principles.
Technical knowledge of modern IT stacks (Cloud, SaaS, PaaS, AI, Data).
Strong understanding of IT contract structures, SLAs, SOWs, and software audit processes.
Ability to partner effectively with technical (Architects, Engineers) and non-technical (Procurement, Legal, Finance) teams.
Excellent stakeholder management abilities.
Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical and data-driven topics to non-technical and executive audiences.
Influence & Collaboration: Proven ability to lead through influence, build consensus, and work collaboratively across diverse teams and leadership levels.
Facilitation: Strong facilitation skills to lead productive meetings and workshops aimed at problem-solving and decision-making.
Data Analysis & Visualization: Expertise in data analysis and reporting tools like Qlik Sense, Google Studio, Tableau
Technology ecosystem understanding: must grasp how various IT components—hardware, software, and services—interact and integrate within the company's overall technology framework.
Knowledge of IT categories: understanding of a wide range of technology categories, including: Software (enterprise applications, SaaS, etc.) Hardware (servers, networking equipment, user devices) Telecommunications Data centers and cloud services
IT infrastructure concepts: Familiarity with IT infrastructure principles, such as network architecture, security protocols, and data storage, enables them to evaluate vendor solutions on a technical level.
Technical documentation analysis: The ability to read and comprehend technical specifications is vital for comparing different products and ensuring they meet internal requirements.
Daily able to see and read computer screen and other electronic equipment with screens, able to read documents, reports and engineering drawings.
Daily able to hear to participate in conversations in person and via teleconference or phone and to hear sounds on production floor including safety warnings or alarms.
Daily able to speak in conversations and meetings, deliver information and participate in communications.
daily use of personal computer, telephone, copies, fax machine, and related office equipment and using electronic identification card to enter building floors.
Daily able to carry documents, tools, drawings, electronic equipment up to 10lbs.
Daily able to sit for long periods of time in meetings, working on computer.
Daily able to stand for discussions in offices or on production floor.
10% of time able to travel independently and at short notice.
Daily able to walk through office and production areas including uneven surfaces.
Authorized to Work in the US

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree (MBA) is a strong plus.
NA Preferred Certifications in project management & purchasing are preferred (i.e. PMP, CPP)
Professional certification in Software Asset Management (e.g., CSAM, CITAM)
ITIL v4 Foundation, Managing Professional, or Strategic Leader certification.
Lean Six Sigma (Green or Black Belt) certification.
Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT) or related certifications.
Project management experience.
Experience with Agile or DevOps environments and measuring performance in those contexts.
Knowledge of ITIL or IT service management best practices.

Responsibilities

Harmonization & Contract Strategy: Serve as the lead Digital-side authority for North America on all global vendor agreements and Digital-related procurement policies, as well as software asset management (SAM) principles
Liaise directly with Central Digital Governance and Procurement teams to maintain a deep understanding of the portfolio of existing Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and preferred supplier lists. Drive the harmonization of all North American Digital contracts.
Proactively review new and existing regional agreements to ensure they are executed as SOWs or Service Orders under the established European global contracts wherever possible.
Lead MFT teams to provide regional technical and business requirements in collaboration with back to European teams to influence future global contract negotiations, ensuring North American needs are met.
Lead the regional management of software licensing (e.g., perpetual, subscription, Enterprise License Agreements - ELAs) to identify consolidation opportunities and ensure compliance with global SAM policies.
Lead analysis of Digital licence and supplier spend data to identify opportunities for consolidation, cost reduction, and process improvements.
Spearhead commercial and contractual negotiations with key digital suppliers. Secure best-in-class terms focusing on scalability, innovation, risk mitigation, and long-term value, not just initial cost.
Collaborate with Legal and Digital Security to ensure all regional agreements adhere to global standards for data privacy, liability, and information security as well as Export Control and ITAR regulations.
IT Sourcing Strategy & Procurement Partnership: Act as the primary IT subject matter expert and strategic partner to the North American Procurement team.
Translate the Airbus Digital North America technical roadmap (e.g., Cloud, AI, Data, software) into a forward-looking vendor strategy. Drive efforts for technical requirements, scopes of work (SOWs), and critical Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for new Digital initiatives.
Collaborate with the NA Procurement team, who will lead the commercial RFPs and negotiation process. This role will own the technical evaluation of supplier proposals, assessing them for architectural fit, technical merit, and long-term value.
Provide the final IT recommendation for supplier selection to Procurement and business stakeholders.
Vendor & Software Performance Management: Own the post-contract supplier relationship from a Digital operations and performance perspective. Drive value, mitigate risks, optimize total cost of ownership (TCO), and ensure that our Digital vendor partnerships align with the company's strategic and technological objectives.
Establish and manage a formal Vendor Performance Management (VPM) program, in addition to monitoring software license utilization, consumption, and audit compliance .
Define, track, and report on vendor scorecards, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and adherence to contractual SLAs, ensuring suppliers meet both service and software compliance obligations.
Develop and maintain dashboards to track and report on key metrics, including cost savings, spend under management, and vendor performance.
Lead and chair Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) focusing on technical performance, service delivery, risk management, software asset optimization , and innovation.
Act as the primary Digital escalation point for vendor performance issues, driving suppliers toward root cause analysis, corrective action plans, and continuous improvement.
Other duties as assigned