Vendor Manager SME

Vendor Management SME
Dublin
Hybrid 2 days on site
6-12 month contract
700 per day.

This role will form part of wider Sourcing Strategy implementation team. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing, implementing and embedding the organisation's strategic vendor management processes, governance structures and reporting frameworks. The individual will translate ITSM aligned methodologies into practical, scalable vendor management practices that strengthen performance, governance compliance and value delivery across the strategic supplier ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Process Design

Develop and document end-to-end vendor management processes aligned to ITSM principles, including onboarding, performance management, risk management, issue escalation and continuous improvement.

Define roles, responsibilities, workflows and controls that ensure consistent and compliant vendor interactions across IT and business functions.
Governance & Operating Model

Design a comprehensive vendor governance framework covering operational, tactical and strategic governance layers.

Establish governance forums, cadence, formal meetings and escalation paths t to ensure effective oversight and accountability.
Reporting & Performance Management

Build a standard vendor performance reporting framework, including KPIs, SLAs, scorecards, dashboards and compliance metrics.

Partner with service owners and procurement to ensure reporting drives actionable insights and supports contract obligations.
Stakeholder Engagement

Collaborate with IT service owners, procurement and finance to align vendor management processes with organisational needs.

Lead the change management activities to embed new processes, including training, communications and adoption reporting.
Quality, Risk & Compliance

Integrate risk management, audit requirements and any regulatory considerations into vendor processes and governance.

Ensure vendor performance and compliance issues are tracked, escalated and resolved through formal governance.
Continuous Improvement

Identify opportunities to optimise vendor management practices through automation, tooling and data-driven insights.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Essential
. 10 - 15 years' experience in IT service management, vendor management, sourcing or service delivery roles.
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Strong knowledge of ITSM frameworks (eg, ITIL) and their application to vendor and service management.
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Experience designing or operating vendor management, service management or sourcing governance processes.
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Ability to develop structured governance models, reporting frameworks and performance metrics.
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Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence across technical and business teams.
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Analytical mindset with experience using data to drive decisions and improvements Background in IT sourcing, service delivery and supplier performance management.
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Structured thinker with strong process design capability.
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Confident facilitator able to lead governance forums and cross-functional workshops.
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Detail-oriented, with a focus on quality, compliance and continuous improvement.
Desirable
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Background in IT procurement, commercial negotiations or supplier relationship management is advantageous.
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Experience in change management to support adoption of new processes and governance structures.
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Strong workshop-facilitation skills for process design, governance setup and stakeholder alignment.
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Recent experience in a similar role(s) or project(s).
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Demonstrated experience designing or implementing process frameworks, governance models, or operating models in a multi-vendor environment.
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Proven ability to work within complex IT organisations, ideally during sourcing transitions, service integrations, or major transformation programmes.
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Experience in working on both the Customer and supplier side of service delivery/vendor management.
Qualifications
Essential
. Bachelor's degree in information technology, Business, Supply Chain, Management or a related discipline.
Desirable
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Formal training or certification in IT Service Management (eg, ITIL Foundation or higher).