Position Title: IT Vendor Manager
Location: Des Moines, IA
Engagement Type: Contract
Work Mode: Hybrid (onsite Wednesdays)
Duration: January 12, 2026 – June 30, 2026 (approximately 5.5 months)
Interview Type: Web cam or in-person
Role Overview:
The IT Vendor Manager will support the Department of Management’s Division of Information Technology in managing key technology vendor relationships and contracts. The role focuses on vendor performance, contract compliance, financial oversight, and alignment with state IT standards and strategic goals. The position requires on-site work each Wednesday at the Des Moines location.
Key Responsibilities:
Manage relationships with software, hardware, cloud services, and IT consulting vendors, serving as an escalation point for issues and disputes.
Conduct regular vendor performance and business reviews and oversee change and issue management, including tracking escalations and change requests.
Negotiate, execute, and renew IT Statements of Work, ensuring alignment with legal, financial, and operational standards and monitoring SLA and KPI compliance.
Track vendor spend against IT budgets, identify and manage vendor-related risks, and support audits and compliance initiatives.
Coordinate stakeholder communication, including scheduling and documenting vendor meetings, demos, onboarding sessions, and communicating vendor updates and risks.
Required Skills & Experience:
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university and at least two years of relevant full-time work experience.
Minimum 3 years managing vendor relationships for software, hardware, cloud services, and IT consulting engagements.
Minimum 3 years tracking SLAs, KPIs, and risk metrics and driving corrective actions for underperformance.
Minimum 3 years with IT procurement standards, including cybersecurity, data privacy, and accessibility.
Minimum 3 years developing and maintaining a strategic vendor portfolio aligned to an IT roadmap and conducting market research to identify emerging technologies and qualified vendors.
Minimum 3 years benchmarking vendor pricing and service levels against industry standards to ensure value for money.
Preferred Skills:
Experience working within public sector or government IT environments.
Background in risk mitigation and compliance for large, multi-vendor IT ecosystems.
Additional Details:
This is a hybrid role requiring on-site presence each Wednesday at the Des Moines, IA office. Candidates must be able to comply with additional background check and fingerprinting requirements prior to starting.