Position Summary

The Director of the IT Vendor Management Office (VMO) is a strategic and operational leader responsible for the end-to-end management of a global IT vendor portfolio exceeding $250 million annually, spanning 250+ vendors and 650+ purchase orders. This fast-paced role combines visionary leadership with hands-on accountability for vendor strategy, governance, contract lifecycle management, vendor performance, risk mitigation, compliance, and outsourced services oversight.

Reporting directly to a Corporate VP D&IT and working closely with Legal, Supply Chain, Cybersecurity, Finance, and IT leadership, the Director shapes and executes a comprehensive vendor management framework that drives cost optimization, risk reduction, innovation, and operational excellence. This position holds delegated authority for vendor contract approvals, leads executive vendor negotiations, and champions enterprise-wide vendor governance and IT procurement policy enforcement.

The Director of the IT VMO has commercial and contracting responsibility for vendors while the VPs and Directors have responsibility for product selection and management.  Both are required to approve deals, and both have deal veto authority.

Responsibilities

Strategic Vendor Management & Governance

• Develop, implement, and continuously enhance a robust global IT vendor management strategy and governance framework aligned with corporate objectives, industry best practices, and IT Procurement policies.
• Lead vendor segmentation and lifecycle management processes, including selection, onboarding, performance monitoring, renewal, and exit strategies.
• Lead reviews and decisions on Make vs Buy for new technology.
• Establish and chair vendor governance committees, making high-impact decisions that influence multi-million dollar IT spend and enterprise risk posture.
• Define and enforce IT vendor guides, standards, and procedures to ensure consistent and compliant vendor engagement globally

Contract Lifecycle & Complex Negotiation Oversight

• Oversee the full contract lifecycle for complex IT agreements, including Master Agreements, Statements of Work, Leases, Purchase Agreements, SaaS/cloud subscriptions, Non-Disclosures, Assignments, Novations and Transition Services Agreements (TSAs).
• Hold delegated authority to approve vendor contracts, amendments, and exceptions, ensuring alignment with legal, regulatory, and business risk requirements.
• Lead and support executive-level negotiations on strategic vendor contracts and resolve complex commercial disputes.
• Work with Procurement to oversee Request for Quote / Request for Proposal on IT projects.

Vendor Performance Management & Scorecards

• Design, implement, and maintain comprehensive vendor performance scorecards and dashboards that measure KPIs, SLAs, compliance, and strategic alignment.
• Use data-driven insights to drive continuous vendor improvement initiatives, optimize service delivery, and strengthen vendor accountability.
• Conduct regular business reviews with key vendors, engaging executive leadership to ensure alignment with corporate goals.

Vendor Risk & Compliance Leadership

• Own the enterprise-wide IT vendor risk management framework, including cybersecurity risk assessments, regulatory compliance (SOC, GDPR, etc), and financial risk mitigation.
• Lead vendor-initiated audits of our IT systems and software usage, managing responses, negotiations, remediation plans, and minimizing financial and operational exposure.
• Collaborate with internal audit, compliance, and cybersecurity teams to prepare for and respond to external audits and regulatory inquiries.

License Management

• Lead the management of software license entitlements to ensure compliance and optimize usage.
• Proactively track license consumption to reduce overages, eliminate unused seats, and avoid unnecessary expenditures.
• Oversee implementation and continuous improvement of Software Asset Management (SAM) tools and processes.
• Coordinate with IT, Finance, and Procurement to align license management with contract terms and business needs.

Outsourced Services Management

• Manage relationships with outsourced services providers, including vendors supplying offshore resources.
• Ensure outsourced vendors meet contractual SLAs, KPIs, quality standards, and compliance requirements.
• Monitor performance, cost, and risk associated with large-scale outsourced teams, driving continuous improvement and operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to align outsourced service delivery with business objectives and IT strategy.

Financial Stewardship & Cost Optimization

• Partner with Finance and Procurement to manage the $250M+ IT vendor spend, delivering year over year cost cost-savings and optimizing contract terms to reduce total cost of ownership without compromising quality or innovation.
• Lead “Make Good” sessions on IT investments, harvesting Lessons Learned from both successful and under-performing investments.  Implement VMO process changes based on these Lessons.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, mentor, and build a high-performing global team of potentially 5 vendor management professionals.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning, driving succession planning and leadership development within the VMO.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration with Legal, Supply Chain, Cybersecurity, and IT to ensure cohesive vendor management practices.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Champion adoption of advanced vendor management technologies, automation tools, and data analytics to improve operational efficiency and decision-making.
• Drive innovation in vendor engagement models to enhance agility, mitigate risk, and maximize business value.

Executive Reporting & Stakeholder Management

• Provide regular, insightful executive-level reporting on vendor portfolio status, risk posture, performance metrics, and strategic initiatives to the CDIO and key stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary liaison for vendor-related escalations, governance, and strategic partnership development.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Technology, Supply Chain Management, or related field; MBA, JD or advanced degree strongly preferred.
• Minimum 12-15 years of progressive experience in IT vendor management, strategic sourcing, contract negotiation, vendor risk management, and outsourced services management within large, complex, global enterprises.
• Proven leadership managing IT vendor portfolios exceeding $200M annually, with 200+ vendors and 600+ purchase orders per year in a fast-paced environment.
• Deep expertise in complex contract types, including Master Agreements, Statements of Work, SaaS/cloud subscriptions, licensing models, and Transition Services Agreements.
• Extensive experience designing and managing vendor performance scorecards, audit programs, license management, and compliance frameworks.
• Demonstrated authority and accountability for contract approvals, vendor governance, and executive negotiation leadership.
• Strong knowledge of IT regulatory environments (SOC, GDPR, HIPAA), cybersecurity risk management, enterprise vendor risk frameworks, and IT Procurement policies enforcement.
• Exceptional leadership skills with experience managing diverse global teams (direct and indirect reports) and cross-functional collaboration.
• Superior strategic thinking, negotiation, communication, and executive stakeholder management capabilities.
• Proficiency with vendor management platforms and Software Asset Management (SAM) tools.
• Ability to analyze complex data, synthesize insights, and influence enterprise-wide decisions.

Preferred Skills & Competencies

• Strategic visionary with the ability to balance operational rigor and innovation.
• Proactive, solution-oriented leader with strong conflict resolution and change management skills.
• Deep understanding of IT ecosystem architectures, vendor interdependencies, and outsourced service delivery models.
• Experience driving cultural change and vendor management maturity in a public company environment.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with competing priorities.

Supervision & Interaction

• Leads a global team of vendor management professionals.
• Reports to the Corporate VP D&IT  and partners closely with Legal, Supply Chain, Cybersecurity, Finance, Procurement, IT leadership, and external vendors.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Parker is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. Parker is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job related reasons regardless of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.  However, U.S. Citizenship, Permanent Residency or other appropriate status is required for certain positions, in accord with U.S. import & export regulations.(“Minority / Female / Disability / Veteran / VEVRAA Federal Contractor”)

If you would like more information about Equal Employment Opportunity as an applicant under the law, please go to Employees & Job Applicants U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission