IT Contracts and Vendor Relations Manager

APS•Phoenix, AZ

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The IT Contracts and Vendor Relations Manager helps APS maximize value from technology investments by managing critical vendor agreements and contractual relationships, including contract review, redlining, negotiation support, compliance oversight, and vendor governance activities.

Requirements

Experienced in negotiating, contracting, and the management of IT vendor contracts including SaaS, PaaS, or other cloud‑based services
A strategic, relationship focused professional with strong collaboration and communication skills with the the ability to work across business units and external partners
Comfortable leading conversations around performance, accountability, and service expectations
Problem-solving and assertive mindset with the ability to resolve complex issues involving multiple stakeholders around budgeting challenges, performance, and service expectations
Proven track record in the negotiation and management of application managed services focusing on incident management and cost reduction over time
Ability to author and negotiate waterfall and agile scopes of work for complex system integration activities from design, build, testing, hypercare and warranty phases of new software implementation projects and programs
Bachelor's degree in business, information systems administration or related field
8 years' experience managing vendor and supplier relationships in the area of licensing, software (especially vendor relationships involving Saas, PaaS and other cloud type software services), IT application, development and maintenance services, or related experience.
Prior experience working with and negotiating with suppliers and strategic vendor initiatives.
Demonstrated ability to build relationships with key suppliers and liaise between vendor and internal organizations to resolve conflicts.
Demonstrated ability to track and negotiate contract requirements including Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
Ability to lead using informal authority to driver organizational objectives.

Nice To Haves

Full knowledge and experience with IT vendor relationship management as a discipline
Ability to maintain composure in critical negotiations, communicating effectively with both internal and external clients.
Perform advanced business and financial analysis of vendor engagements.
Build strong relationships with key vendors and the internal IT organization to ensure delivery of IT services.
Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems; Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of overall vendor relationships across the IT organization.
Demonstrated ability to lead using informal authority and personal influence to drive organizational objectives.

Responsibilities

Build strong, trusted relationships with IT vendors while serving as a go‑to partner for internal business teams
Collaborate with stakeholders to negotiate vendor services with business needs and resolve service gaps
Lead vendor conversations around performance, expectations, and issue resolution
Partner with Supply Chain to ensure the appropriate legal framework is in place to support technology engagements with contracted vendors
Navigate complex, multiple stakeholder challenges amid changing priorities to deliver solutions that balance stakeholder expectations and IT budgets.
Develop, implement, and manage IT vendor management processes aligned with Supply Chain best practices.
Develop, implement IT strategic vendor strategies or programs necessary to meet IT operational goals.
Act as business area representative and partner with Supply Chain and IT stakeholders to develop complex, multi-million dollar contracts; recommend and implement specific courses of action to meet internal and external customer needs.
Establish and maintain strong partnerships with business units and vendors, participating in IT contract development and evaluations to identify potential issues and risks.
Partner with Supply Chain and key IT stakeholders to deliver contracts in line with regulatory, risk, and strategic level requirements.
Maintain the strategic relationship with key vendors. Serve as the IT primary escalation point for Development and Operations groups for ongoing or significant issues.
Hold vendors accountable to providing continuous improvement opportunities that meet the needs of the Development and Operations groups.
Ensure contract SLAs are well defined and monitored for strategic partners.
Partner with Supply Chain to ensure the procurement of IT products and services align to Supply Chain best practices.
Drive achievement of IT governance by tracking current progress toward goals and ensuring that IT is meeting its obligation and that vendors are meeting expectations.
Define and lead opportunities for improvements and cost savings through better utilization and engagement of vendor resources.