Senior IT Vendor Manager

The Bank for International Settlements, BIS is hiring a Senior IT Vendor Manager within the ITS department. This role is based in Basel, however, thanks to our status as an international organization, we can hire globally and welcome applications from candidates of all nationalities and located anywhere in the world. Relocation support is available for the successful candidate and their dependent family members.

This job is available as a three‑year fixed‑term. The deadline for application is on Tuesday 17 March end of day.

The Senior IT Vendor Manager is responsible for managing strategically a variety of critical technology vendors (e.g. Red Hat, Workday, Palo Alto Networks). This includes managing vendor contracts, performance, risks and relationships, ensuring that the BIS can maximise value from its external investment and derisk dependencies on external parties. The Senior IT Vendor Manager plays a critical role in negotiating contracts in close collaboration with senior IT leaders, IT Product Managers, Procurement, and Legal.

The Senior Vendor Manager will also work closely with Product Managers to help shape / explore futuristic opportunities with the vendors.

• Act as the primary point of contact for key IT vendors like Red Hat, Workday, and Palo Alto Networks to drive innovation.
• Play a significant role in co‑creating and implementing a Vendor Management Framework.
• Work in an international, inclusive, and dynamic environment, collaborating with IT leaders and cross‑functional teams.

• Manage Vendor Relationships:
  Act as the primary contact for key IT vendors, fostering strategic partnerships and ensuring alignment with organisational goals.
• Lead Contract Negotiations:
  Oversee contract renewals, amendments, and terminations, ensuring favourable terms and compliance with policies.
• Monitor Vendor Performance:
  Establish and track KPIs to evaluate vendor performance, address issues, and implement corrective actions when necessary.
• Risk Management:
  
  Identify and manage risks in vendor relationships, implementing strategies to ensure service continuity and minimise disruptions.
• Cost Optimization:
  Continuously assess and optimise vendor‑related costs, identifying opportunities for cost savings and efficiency improvements without compromising service quality.
• VM Framework implementation:
  Co‑create and implement a Vendor Management Framework to establish best practices and equip teams with tools to manage vendors strategically.
• Stakeholder
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Work closely with IT, legal, procurement, and finance teams to ensure seamless vendor management processes and provide regular updates to leadership.
• Market Analysis:
  Stay informed about industry trends, emerging technologies, and market conditions executing market analysis to identify potential new vendors and innovative solutions.
• Compliance and Governance:
  Ensure that all vendor agreements comply with relevant regulations, policies, and standards, maintaining up‑to‑date documentation of vendor contracts and performance metrics.
• Explore strategic partnership opportunities:
  Collaborate with the Product managers and business sponsors to help explore future areas of partnerships.

• Educational Background:
  Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in IT, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum Extensive
  
  Experience:
  
  10+ years in strategic IT sourcing and vendor management, with a proven track record in managing vendors in highly interdependent environments.
• Contract Negotiation Expertise:
  Demonstrated success in negotiating complex contracts and renewing vendor partnerships, even in challenging situations.
• Technical Knowledge:
  Strong understanding of IT infrastructure, software, services, and vendor management best practices.
• Analytical and Tool Proficiency:
  Skilled in using Oracle Fusion (or similar tools) and MS Excel, with a focus on data‑driven decision‑making.
• Soft Skills:
  
  Exceptional communication, organisational, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and maintain effective relationships with vendors and internal stakeholders.