IT Vendor Manager

The mission of Washington Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) is to radically improve how Washington residents secure health insurance through innovative and practical solutions, an easy‑to‑use customer experience, our values of integrity, respect, equity and transparency, and by providing undeniable value to the health care community.

The Exchange is a public‑private partnership that operates Washington Healthplanfinder, the eligibility and enrollment portal used by one in four Washington residents to obtain health and dental coverage. Through this platform, and with support from a Customer Support Center and statewide network of in‑person navigators and brokers, individuals and families can shop, compare and enroll in private, qualified health plans (as defined in the Affordable Care Act) or enroll in Washington Apple Health, the state Medicaid program.

Equity Statement: Equity is fundamental to the mission of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. The process of advancing toward equity and becoming anti‑racist is disruptive and demands vigilance to dismantle deeply entrenched systems of privilege and oppression. While systemic racism is a root cause of many societal inequities, we must also use an intersectional approach to address all forms of bias and oppression, which interact with and often exacerbate racial inequities.

To be successful, we must recognize the socioeconomic drivers of health and focus on people and places where needs are greatest. As we listen to community, we must hold ourselves accountable to responding to recommendations to remedy inequitable policies, systems, or practices within the Exchange’s area of influence. Our goal is that all Washingtonians have full and equal access to opportunities, power and resources to achieve their full potential.

The IT Vendor Manager is responsible for overseeing IT vendors and ensuring that service level agreements (SLAs) and contracts for IT services are fulfilled as required. This role provides both strategic direction and daily operational leadership in developing and managing vendor relationships and contracts.

The IT Vendor Manager reports to the Deputy CIO and manages the largest and most complex IT contracts at WAHBE, including the multi‑year, multi‑million‑dollar systems integration (SI) agreements and acts as the primary contact for SI and other IT vendors. The position ensures that key performance indicators (KPIs) and SLAs are consistently met, monitors vendor performance, and enforces compliance with WAHBE contract and procurement policies and regulatory standards.

This position functions as the authority and/or IT subject matter expert and collaborates with the Contracts and Procurement team to support solicitation and procurement activities for SI and other IT vendor products and services.

• Serve as Vendor Manager for the SI contract; lead strategic, creative, and logistical development, implementation, and management of the SI contracts.
• Act as primary contact with SI vendor and facilitate regular communication to ensure KPIs and SLAs are met.
• Oversee SI vendor performance: monitoring, feedback, resource planning, staffing, and adherence to contractual obligations.
• Coordinate projected costs, monitor expenses, review and approve SI invoices.
• Ensure SI reports and deliverables are submitted by the Vendor and reviewed and approved by WAHBE in a timely manner.
• Ensure successful SI implementation and deliverables by working closely with technical teams and SMEs.
• Represent IT in cross‑agency and enterprise‑level technology work groups.
• Advise Delivery Management, Tech‑Ops, IT Leadership, Deputy CIO, and CIO on SI services, providing information and recommendations for decision‑making.
• Keep current on industry trends and emerging technologies; evaluate changes for impact on SI strategies.
• In collaboration with other IT Leaders provide oversight and supervision for SI project management/support staff.
• Build and maintain vendor relationships to achieve seamless SI and operational excellence.
• Ensure effective, customer‑centric business processes for optimal SI performance and user experience.
• Oversee escalation and…