Job Description:

Our client is seeking an Associate Director, IT Vendor Management is responsible for leading the Firm’s IT vendor ecosystem, ensuring third-party engagements deliver value, align with technology strategy, and adhere to compliance and risk management requirements. This role serves as the central point of coordination between IT, Procurement, and Finance, driving best practices in vendor governance, contract lifecycle management, and performance oversight across the portfolio.

Operating with a firm-wide lens, this leader builds scalable vendor management practices that ensure transparency, accountability, and long-term value creation. Core responsibilities include guiding vendor selection, onboarding, and performance monitoring; managing contract worker lifecycle processes; and proactively addressing risk and compliance requirements. This role partners closely with IT Leadership, IT Budget Owners, and Procurement to ensure vendor relationships directly support the Firm’s operational and strategic objectives.

This position requires a results-driven professional who is highly organized, attentive to detail, and comfortable operating in a complex, matrixed environment. The individual must have strong vendor and contract performance management experience, solid financial acumen, and the ability to lead through influence. The Associate Director will lead a small internal team and may oversee vendor-aligned resources to ensure efficient execution of administrative and operational processes, cultivating a culture of vendor accountability and continuous improvement.

Essential Functions (This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented and changed as necessary.):

Contract Performance Management:

• Monitor vendor adherence to the commercial terms, SLAs and obligations defined in active contracts, escalating non-compliance or performance risk as appropriate.
• Partner with Procurement and Legal to ensure contractual obligations are consistently applied and that renewals, extensions or terminations are executed in alignment with Firm standards.
• Track contract, licensing and warranty expirations; partner with IT Stakeholders and Procurement to support renewal or termination actions with sufficient lead time to avoid operational or financial disruption.

Strategic Oversight & Alignment:

• Provide strategic and operational oversight of IT vendor relationships, ensuring alignment with Firm-wide goals, technology strategy, and service delivery standards.
• Partner with IT Leadership and stakeholders to anticipate third-party needs, guide vendor selection, and align engagements with scope, budget, and risk management protocols.
• Serve as the primary liaison between IT, Procurement, Finance, and IT vendors, acting as the escalation point for onboarding, performance, and compliance matters.
• Collaborate with IT Finance and Procurement to monitor vendor spend against budget, ensure financial transactions follow policy, and contribute to annual budgeting and forecasting related to vendors and contract workforce.

Analytics & Data Analysis:

• Aggregate and analyze vendor performance data from IT stakeholders, Procurement, vendor surveys and other sources to identify patterns, trends and areas requiring results-driven oversight.
• Develop and maintain reporting frameworks that translate raw performance data into actionable insights for IT Leadership and vendor governance forums.
• Support the Firm's shift toward a metrics-driven vendor management approach by continuously refining data collection methods, analytical models and performance benchmarks.
• Provide data-backed recommendations to inform vendor decisions, contract actions and process improvements across the vendor portfolio.

Vendor & Market Research:

• Partner with IT stakeholders to identify, evaluate and shortlist vendor products and services that align with their operational and strategic requirements.
• Proactively monitor the technology supplier landscape and emerging market trends to ensure the Firm's vendor portfolio remains competitive, current and fit for purpose.
• Conduct structured vendor assessments and facilitate selection processes that are objective, documented and aligned with Procurement standards.
• Maintain awareness of peer firm practices and industry benchmarks to inform vendor strategy and governance recommendations.

Products & Services Inventory Management:

• Serve as the steward of a curated, authoritative library of IT products and services — including professional services engagements — that clearly documents the principal capabilities, scope and purpose of each offering.
• Ensure the inventory is current, accurate and accessible to IT stakeholders, enabling informed decision-making around vendor selection, renewals and portfolio rationalization.
• Identify duplication, gaps or consolidation opportunities across the products and services portfolio and surface findings to IT Leadership with supporting analysis.
• Collaborate with IT Finance and Procurement to align inventory data with contract records, spend tracking and budget planning.

Vendor Governance & Performance:

• Proactively and routinely engage current vendors to drive performance improvement through structured stakeholder interviews, discrete performance metrics and supporting empirical data.
• Define, implement, and institutionalize vendor performance KPIs and SLAs; track results, analyze trends, and lead remediation efforts when targets are not met.
• Establish performance monitoring rhythms and lead governance forums to drive transparency, accountability, and timely issue resolution.
• Identify opportunities to optimize vendor engagement models, including pricing structures, resourcing approaches, and contract consolidation.
• Support internal audit, risk, and compliance functions by ensuring contractual obligations, vendor policies, and financial practices are consistently applied.

Contract Workforce Oversight:

• Lead strategic planning for contract worker needs, partnering with PMO, Demand Management, and other IT leaders to forecast, reallocate, or right-size contingent workforce supply.
• Oversee the vendor census and workforce tracking to ensure accurate, up-to-date data informs resourcing, compliance, and financial planning.
• Manage contract workforce lifecycle processes (onboarding, extensions, offboarding) to ensure timely access, compliance adherence, and performance monitoring.

Process Standardization & Improvement:

• Continuously evaluate and improve vendor management workflows, templates, approval requirements, and performance monitoring practices.
• Support the development, refinement, and enforcement of governance standards related to contracting, vendor evaluation, onboarding, and performance oversight.
• Drive consistency in how vendor engagements, contracts, renewals, and performance data are captured, evaluated, documented, and presented for review.
• Enhance tools, processes, and reporting capabilities that support vendor performance management, contract workforce oversight, and spend transparency.
• Identify process gaps, risk areas, and opportunities for operational efficiency; recommend improvements to leadership and implement best practices across the vendor ecosystem.

Leadership & Team Management:

• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, and direction to the vendor management team, ensuring effective execution of administrative and operational processes.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and collaboration within the vendor management team and across vendor relationships.
• Partner with IT Leadership to align team priorities with Firm objectives and to continuously refine vendor management practices, standards, and tools.

Other Functions:

• Any other related functions/duties as assigned by management. Functions may vary based on project and Information Technology department needs.

Qualifications:

• Education, Work Experience, Skills

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Supply Chain, Information Technology. Business Administration, or a related field; or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of experience in IT, engineering, strategic sourcing, business operations, or related disciplines.
• 5+ years of experience managing suppliers/partners, preferably within an IT or technology-focused environment.
• Strong understanding of contract structures, including MSAs, SOWs, change requests, and licensing agreements.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and manage vendor and contract worker KPIs and SLAs.
• Proficiency in financial validation of vendor invoices, including reconciliation with contracts, POs, and time/expense artifacts.
• Experience using procurement and financial systems (e.g., Coupa or similar) for vendor transactions, approvals, and reporting.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively across IT, Procurement, Finance, PMO, and vendor organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in process development, standardization, and continuous improvement.
• Strong listening, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• High attention to detail and strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple vendors and workstreams simultaneously.

Technologies/Software:

• Experience with vendor management, sourcing, procurement, or contract lifecycle platforms such as:
• Coupa, Ariba, or similar procurement and supplier management systems
• ServiceNow (Vendor Management, Contract, Asset, or Workforce modules)
• CLM tools such as Agiloft, DocuSign CLM, or similar platforms for redlines, approvals, and audit tracking
• Experience with reporting and analytics tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or similar dashboards used for vendor performance, spend, and KPI reporting
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, and Teams.
• Familiarity with IT service management (ITSM) concepts is a plus.

Certificates, Licensures, Registrations:

• Preferred certifications (not required):
• CIPS certifications (Level 4–6) or other recognized procurement certifications (e.g., CPSM)
• ITIL Foundation (for understanding vendor roles in service delivery)
• PMP (Project Management Professional)
• Certified Third-Party Risk Professional (CTPRP) or similar vendor risk credential
• Other relevant vendor management, sourcing, or governance certifications considered a plus.

Salary/Rate: $90-$110/HR (depends on experience level). This is a contract position with candidates expected to work 40 hours/ week. Upon conversion Salary would be $170,000 - $190,000 (depending on experience level), plus benefits.  

About Us

Peterson Technology Partners (PTP) is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating a transparent, inclusive, and human-centered hiring experience.

For more than 28 years, PTP has operated as one of the top IT staffing and recruiting firms in the USA—built on trust, long-term partnerships, and technical excellence.

Based in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, IL, our team of more than 500 employees and consultants is dedicated to:

• Helping every client make the best hiring decisions possible
• Matching professionals with the right IT jobs and career opportunities

As part of that commitment, we believe in providing clear information about how our hiring technologies work and how your data is used. The following section outlines our AI-assisted interview process and your rights as a candidate.

AI-Assisted Interview Experience (Pete & Gabi – Rebecca):

To provide a consistent, fair, and flexible experience for all candidates, we use AI-assisted tools to support parts of the interview process. This includes our proprietary AI platform Pete & Gabi, which includes AI recruiter Rebecca.

These AI hiring tools help us:

• Transcribe interviews
• Summarize candidate responses
• Generate job-related insights
• Streamline communication and scheduling

Please note that:

• The AI does NOT make hiring decisions; all decisions are made by our human recruiters, hiring managers, or client partners.
• The AI does not evaluate facial expressions, emotions, or physical traits; it is used only to support fairness, consistency, and efficiency.

If you prefer a non-AI interview format, we will gladly provide an alternative.