Digital NA Strategic Sourcing and Vendor Manager

Digital NA Strategic Sourcing and Vendor Performance Manager

The Digital NA Strategic Sourcing and Vendor Performance Manager at Airbus is a senior and critical role responsible for owning the strategy, performance, and regional harmonization of the digital vendor ecosystem for Digital North America. You will act as the primary Digital business partner to the North American Procurement team and the critical coordination point with our Corporate headquarters in Europe (specifically Central Digital Governance and Procurement teams).

This role ensures that all North American digital contracts, Statements of Work (SOWs), and supplier engagements are strategically aligned and harmonized regionally and with the global master agreements and standards established in Europe. The position requires familiarity with modern digital technologies (Cloud, SaaS, AI/ML, Data Analytics, Cybersecurity), complex software asset management (SAM), and the ability to manage supplier performance to maximize value, innovation, and service quality for Airbus Digital in North America.

• Harmonization & Contract Strategy (40%)
  • Serve as the lead Digital-side authority for North America on all global vendor agreements and Digital-related procurement policies, as well as software asset management (SAM) principles.
  • Liaise directly with Central Digital Governance and Procurement teams to maintain a deep understanding of the portfolio of existing Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and preferred supplier lists.
  • Drive the harmonization of all North American Digital contracts. Proactively review new and existing regional agreements to ensure they are executed as SOWs or Service Orders under the established European global contracts wherever possible.
  • Lead MFT teams to provide regional technical and business requirements in collaboration with back to European teams to influence future global contract negotiations, ensuring North American needs are met.
  • Lead the regional management of software licensing (e.g., perpetual, subscription, Enterprise License Agreements - ELAs) to identify consolidation opportunities and ensure compliance with global SAM policies.
  • Lead analysis of Digital licence and supplier spend data to identify opportunities for consolidation, cost reduction, and process improvements.
  • Spearhead commercial and contractual negotiations with key digital suppliers. Secure best-in‑class terms focusing on scalability, innovation, risk mitigation, and long‑term value, not just initial cost.
  • Collaborate with Legal and Digital Security to ensure all regional agreements adhere to global standards for data privacy, liability, and information security as well as Export Control and ITAR regulations.
• IT Sourcing Strategy & Procurement Partnership (30%)
  • Act as the primary IT subject matter expert and strategic partner to the North American Procurement team.
  • Translate the Airbus Digital North America technical roadmap (e.g., Cloud, AI, Data, software) into a forward‑looking vendor strategy.
  • Drive efforts for technical requirements, scopes of work (SOWs), and critical Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for new Digital initiatives.
  • Collaborate with the NA Procurement team, who will lead the commercial RFPs and negotiation process. This role will own the technical evaluation of supplier proposals, assessing them for architectural fit, technical merit, and long‑term value.
  • Provide the final IT recommendation for supplier selection to Procurement and business stakeholders.
• Vendor & Software Performance Management (30%)
  • Own the post‑contract supplier relationship from a Digital operations and performance perspective.
  • Drive value, mitigate risks, optimize total cost of ownership (TCO), and ensure that our Digital vendor partnerships align with the company's strategic and technological objectives.
  • Establish and manage a formal Vendor Performance Management (VPM) program, in addition to monitoring software license utilization, consumption, and audit compliance.
  • Define, track, and report on vendor scorecards, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and adherence to contractual SLAs, ensuring suppliers meet both service and software compliance…