Vendor Management Analyst - IT Negotiator

Caterpillar•East Peoria, IL

12h•Onsite

About The Position

The Vendor Management Analyst - IT Negotiator works with Caterpillar’s Information Technology (IT) leaders and teams on third-party IT business and technical requirements, including professional services, SaaS, software, cloud, hardware, and telecommunications. The analyst leads deals of varying complexity, seeking manager support as needed, and negotiates directly with technology vendors to minimize risk and maximize value. The role provides sourcing subject matter expertise and thought leadership to internal IT and business customers and matrix partners. The position is onsite five days a week and may require 5% travel. The ideal location is East Peoria, Illinois, or Dallas, Texas.

Requirements

Ability to lead multiple initiatives simultaneously while meeting timelines and milestones.
Ability to accurately interpret contract language and summarize historical contracts.
Knowledge of demand management, project management, commercial contracting, technology licensing, and negotiation principles.
Understanding of cost and price analysis techniques.
Understanding of technology sourcing and how it differs from other categories.
Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; fluency in English.
Well-developed collaboration skills, including communicating across the organization and reaching consensus on actions.
Ability to lead teams, vendors, and customers toward effective solutions.
Analytical, problem-solving, and project leadership skills.
Ability to interpret, analyze, and negotiate commercial terms.
Bachelor’s degree or more than five years of equivalent experience in a relevant area of study.
Experience with IT sourcing negotiations.

Responsibilities

Create detailed negotiation strategies, including identifying leverage points and deal variables and developing counteroffers.
Work with third-party advisory firms to improve market intelligence and negotiation strategies.
Advise internal customers on negotiation plans and align stakeholders on strategy, timing, and process steps.
Work with IT teams on supplier RFx requirements, participate in supplier technology evaluation teams, and partner with IT category procurement and supporting organizations.
Serve as a category subject matter expert across functions, divisions, and geographic locations.
Engage internal customers and suppliers to resolve disputes and other matters with appropriate assertiveness, tact, business acumen, and diplomacy.
Partner with Finance to analyze deal financials and their impact on annual budget processes.
Meet annual savings targets and other assigned performance metrics.
Partner with Finance, Procurement, Legal, and other matrix partners on negotiations and continuous process improvement.
Establish forward-looking demand for contract renewals and new initiatives; communicate and monitor progress.
Lead negotiations and interact directly with vendor representatives.
Deliver presentations and communications to IT service owners and Vice Presidents, and draft talking points for executive-level vendor discussions.
Support, participate in, or lead liaison work with IT service owners and teams to coordinate procurement requests and contract completion targets with business needs.
Conduct regular supplier spend analysis to identify opportunities across suppliers and the organization.
Use the contract lifecycle management tool to maintain an accurate forecast and regularly review and update the contract document source.
Interpret contract language, summarize historical contracts, and analyze and negotiate commercial terms.