Director, IT Vendor Liaison
Job Description Summary:
The Director, Vendor Liaison is a strategic leader responsible for overseeing the lifecycle of IT third-party technology vendors, ensuring alignment with Enterprise Technology goals, optimizing vendor performance, and mitigating risk. This role partners closely with IT leaders, procurement, finance, risk, and legal teams to drive value, innovation, and compliance across the vendor ecosystem.
What You Will Do:
Strategic Vendor Oversight
- Develop and execute the Technology-wide vendor management strategy for IT services, software, infrastructure, and outsourcing.
- Establish governance frameworks for vendor selection, onboarding, performance monitoring, and offboarding in partnership with global risk and strategic sourcing teams.
Performance & Relationship Management
- Lead vendor scorecard development and quarterly business reviews to ensure service delivery, SLAs, and KPIs are met.
- Partner across enterprise functions to ensure performance and governance frameworks are supportive of organizational guiderails and goals.
- Foster strategic partnerships with key vendors to drive innovation, cost savings, and continuous improvement.
- Act as a point of escalation to resolve vendor disputes and support issue resolution.
Contract & Financial Management
- Collaborate with procurement and legal to negotiate contracts, renewals, and amendments.
- Monitor and forecast vendor spend and identify cost optimization opportunities.
- Support IT teams in defining objective terms and expectations for vendors that align execution with expected outcomes.
Risk & Compliance
- Ensure vendors comply with regulatory, cybersecurity, and data privacy requirements.
- Conduct risk assessments and implement mitigation plans for critical vendor relationships in alignment with third-party risk management.
Cross-Functional Partnership and Leadership
- Partner across enterprise functions to ensure that global standards and expectations are enforced while representing Enterprise Technology in processes and ways of working.
- Partner with IT service owners, finance, and business stakeholders to align vendor pool and capabilities with technology roadmaps.
- Lead vendor-related transformation initiatives, including outsourcing transitions and vendor consolidation.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in in business administration, operations management, or applicable field, or equivalent experience.
- 10+ years of relevant experience, including five years working directly with vendors.
- Thorough knowledge of vendor management best practices and industry trends.
- Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing to a broad audience.
- Project management, organization and prioritization skills to handle multiple projects.
- Decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Direct experience in vendor management, IT sourcing, or technology procurement.
- Proven leadership in managing complex vendor ecosystems within large-scale IT environments.
- Strong negotiation, financial acumen, and contract management skills.
- Familiarity with ITIL, COBIT, or other IT governance frameworks.
- Experience with TBM (Technology Business Management) principles is a plus.
- Executive presence with strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Analytical mindset with a focus on data-driven decision-making.
- Ability to navigate ambiguity and drive strategic outcomes in a fast-paced environment.
- Extensive knowledge of accounting functions (e.g. reporting, investments, insurance products,), technology or operations, depending on governance support role.
Working Conditions
- Hybrid Office Environment
- Moderate Travel 10 to 25%
Compensation:
- The Salary for this position generally ranges between $156,000 – 178,000 annually. Please note that the salary range is a good faith estimate for this position and actual starting pay is determined by several factors including qualifications, experience, geography, work location designation (in-office, hybrid, remote) and operational needs. Salary may vary above and below the stated amounts, as permitted by applicable law.
- Additionally, this position is typically eligible for an Annual Bonus based on the Company Bonus Plan/Individual Performance and is at the Company’s discretion.
Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.
This is a hybrid position requiring three days in office per week in one of our hub locations (Cedar Rapids, Denver). Relocation assistance will not be provided for this position.
This job description is not a contract of employment nor for any specific job responsibilities. The Company may change, add to, remove, or revoke the terms of this job description at its discretion. Managers may assign other duties and responsibilities as needed. In the event an employee or applicant requests or requires an accommodation to perform job functions, the applicable HR Business Partner should be contacted to evaluate the accommodation request.
Disclaimer:
Beware of fake job offers!
We’ve been alerted to scammers impersonating Transamerica recruiters, particularly for remote positions. Please note:
- We will never request personal information such as ID or payment for equipment upfront.
- Official offers are sent via DocuSign following a verbal offer—not through text or email.