Stategic Vendor Manager

Dow Jones; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 190,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Onsite gym at Sydney/Adelaide/Brisbane

Parental and volunteering leave

Career development programs

Job summary

News Corp Australia is seeking a Strategic Vendor Manager to govern and optimize key technology vendors and outsourced partners. You’ll balance service quality, commercial outcomes and risk, serving as the accountability point for performance and compliance across strategic suppliers.

You will lead governance, drive improvements, and partner with cross-functional teams to align vendor activities with business objectives and regulatory standards.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience managing large outsourced IT vendors and service partners.
• Strong understanding of IT service management (ITIL/COBIT) and governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead governance and performance of key technology vendors and service partners.
• Ensure compliance with SLAs, budgets and contractual obligations within a SIAM model.
• Develop and present vendor performance insights to leadership.
• Manage risk, disputes and service failures with remediation plans.
• Collaborate with legal and procurement on sourcing, contracts and transitions.

Skills

Vendor management

IT service governance

Contract management

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Siam/ITIL/COBIT

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT or Business

Job description

What's the role?

We’re looking for a commercially astute and relationship-driven Strategic Vendor Manager to lead the governance and performance of key technology vendors and service partners, including a large, broad spanning outsourced managed services agreement. This is a pivotal role for someone who can balance service quality, commercial outcomes, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. You’ll be the key point of accountability for vendor performance, contractual compliance, service improvement, and ensuring strategic suppliers remain aligned to business objectives.

Responsibilities

Lead the strategic management and operational delivery of key IT suppliers and outsourced managed services partners, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations, service levels, budgets, and business expectations within a SIAM model.

Build strong relationships with external vendor leadership and internal cross-functional teams (technology, procurement, finance, legal, risk), supporting commercial activities such as cost validation, invoicing, contract variations, renewals, negotiations, and onboarding or exit activities.

Lead executive performance reviews, monitor SLAs and KPIs, manage contract documentation and governance dashboards, and provide leadership with actionable insights on vendor strategy, performance trends, commercial opportunities, and risk exposure.

Identify, escalation, and resolve vendor-related risks, disputes, and service failures while ensuring suppliers comply with cyber security, privacy, regulatory, business continuity, and audit standards.

Drive service improvement initiatives and remediation plans, holding vendors accountable for delivery outcomes and operational quality.

Partner with legal and procurement teams to contribute to strategic sourcing initiatives, transition planning, contract development, and readiness for new or modified services.

Who are you?

You bring demonstrated experience in IT vendor, supplier, or contract management, with proven success overseeing complex, high-value outsourced agreements and navigating large enterprise environments. You have a strong understanding of IT service management principles, performance-based governance (including ITIL/COBIT frameworks), SLAs, and KPIs, allowing you to deliver clear analytical reporting and actionable recommendations to leadership. You possess broad commercial acumen and sharp problem-solving skills to manage contract interpretation, negotiation support, cost management, disputes, risk mitigation, and issue escalations effectively. You are a confident communicator and collaborative team player who can engage effectively across multi-disciplinary groups (technology, legal, finance, risk, procurement) and build influence with both operational and executive stakeholders. You have experience supporting sourcing activities, procurement processes, contract development, and transitions to outsourced service models, all backed by your high attention to detail and ability to manage competing priorities. You're a proactive, outcome-focused professional with sound judgment, resilience, and a drive for continuous service improvement, ideally holding relevant qualifications in business, technology, procurement, or contract management.

Why News Corp Australia

Join a culture where innovation is our operating rhythm. You’ll work on a diverse portfolio of Australia’s most loved brands and play a pivotal role in leading the technological shift in how we create commercial content. Our vibrant, hybrid work environment and dynamic, values-driven culture empowers you to push boundaries, collaborate as one unified team, and make a positive, measurable impact for all Australians.

News Extras Benefits

• Access to publications and products from across the News Corp family


• Exclusive offers across a range of products and services that deliver genuine cost savings and benefits


• Advice, support and facilities for healthy minds and bodies (including an onsite gym at our Adelaide, Brisbane & Sydney offices)


• News offers a range of leave options to support your personal needs and moments that matter in life: Parental leave, Birthday leave, Volunteer leave, Career break and Compassionate leave.


• Support on making the most of your money


• Access tailored development opportunities, including leadership programs, to cultivate your skills and support your career


• Make a difference to our communities through volunteer opportunities and company-organised charity drives


• Engage with your passions through various employee-resource groups and accessibility to multi-faith quiet rooms & parents’ rooms

Who are we?

News Corp Australia is the nation’s most influential media organisation, operating more than 150 household-name brands across print, digital and multimedia. We lead the way in travel, fashion, food, health, homes and lifestyle, and we are the largest publisher across print and digital, reaching more than 16 million Australians each month.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Diversity strengthens our national teams and newsroom as we seek to tell stories that represent the communities of Australia. Our people make us unique, and so we are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability or gender identity. Applicants of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply! We are committed to ensuring an accessible and supportive recruitment process. If you require any adjustments or accommodations at any stage, please do not hesitate to let us know here.

Category: Technology, Digital and Data

We are proud to be Australia’s most impactful media group, we’re even prouder of what we stand for: Together, we inform, advocate and inspire all Australians, for a better Australia. With over 150 brands across news, sport and lifestyle, backed by a team of more than 5,000 dedicated people across the country, News Corp Australia is trusted by over 17 million Australians a month to provide the information and inspiration they seek across multiple digital, video, audio and print platforms. Renowned for world-class journalism and marketing services nationally and internationally, we are passionate, creative and dynamic. We offer a fast-paced environment that encourages individuals to take control of their future and challenge themselves in ever-changing fields.