Manager, Technology Vendor Management (Chicago/Hybrid)

Feeding America•Chicago, IL

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, Technology Vendor Management will build and lead Feeding America's technology vendor management function, shaping how we engage, govern, and maximize value from a growing portfolio of strategic technology partners. This role serves as a key connector between Technology, Finance, Legal, Procurement, and business leaders, ensuring vendor relationships support Feeding America's mission, technology strategy, and operational priorities. The incumbent will establish scalable vendor management practices, drive negotiations and performance accountability, improve visibility into technology investments, and help the organization make smarter sourcing and partnership decisions. Beyond contract management, this role will influence technology strategy by identifying opportunities to improve vendor performance, reduce risk, optimize spend, strengthen service delivery, and create long-term value across the enterprise and network. This is a hybrid position based out of Feeding America’s Chicago office location. At Feeding America, we believe in offering a flexible work environment. Employees can be in the office an average of 2 days a week (when not travelling for work) and work from home on other days. Employees also have access to a 30-day “work anywhere” program during the course of each calendar year that can be combined with PTO and/or holidays.

Requirements

8+ years of technology experience, including at least 5 years of direct vendor management, operations management, or vendor oversight experience.
Proven ability to lead vendor management practices across sourcing, Request for x (RFx) processes, contract negotiation, onboarding, governance, performance management, and issue resolution.
Strong understanding of the technology services landscape, including technology architecture and planning, technical requirements, development methodologies, outsourcing models, service offerings, pricing, and delivery structures.
Experience with financial management, spend analysis, business case development, return on investment calculations, and identification of savings or value opportunities.
Demonstrated ability to create, modify, and improve processes, procedures, reporting, and governance practices.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, attention-to-detail, and decision-making skills.
Strong stakeholder partnership skills, including the ability to communicate clearly, mentor others, and work collaboratively with Technology, business, Finance, Procurement, Legal, and vendor partners.

Nice To Haves

Software engineering, system administration, or related technical background.
Experience developing technical documentation, use cases, road maps, or vendor performance reporting.
Experience scoping, scheduling, and managing technology projects.

Responsibilities

Cultivates and manages productive relationships with key and strategic technology vendors to support service delivery, accountability, innovation, and long-term partnership value.
Serves as a primary relationship point for strategic vendors, facilitating regular business reviews, performance discussions, escalation management, and alignment on organizational priorities.
Evaluates vendor relationship health by monitoring responsiveness, service quality, partnership effectiveness, risk indicators, and ability to meet evolving business and technology needs.
Defines strategies for vendor partnerships, including strategic, operational, tactical, and commodity vendor relationships.
Manages the vendor engagement lifecycle, including sourcing, selection, contract negotiation, onboarding, governance, termination, and billing.
Defines, implements, and manages core vendor governance processes, including scorecarding, risk management, performance reporting, and performance improvement.
Reports quarterly to the Technology Leadership Team on the status, performance, risks, and value of key and strategic supplier relationships.
Creates and incorporates contract amendments, including renegotiated terms and scope changes.
Proactively identifies sourcing synergies across business entities and executes value opportunities.
Works with Technology leadership and business partners to understand, define, and prioritize vendor and technology requirements.
Builds and maintains institutional knowledge of vendor collaboration practices, governance expectations, relationship history, and lessons learned.
Monitors the financial viability and management stability of key vendors.
Monitors and analyzes spending trends to recommend future actions and identify savings opportunities.
Assists business partners with the development of business cases and return on investment calculations for new technology investment initiatives.
Provides training and coaching to business partners on vendor management practices.
Analyzes problem areas and helps resolve vendor-related issues, escalations, and disputes.