Contract Manager – IT Contract & Vendor Management

yechte; Brussel; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Yechte Consulting Ltd seeks an experienced IT Legal & Sourcing Manager to lead end-to-end procurement programs for software and IT services in a multi-vendor environment in Belgium.

You will define acquisition strategies, govern RFP lifecycles, draft specs, negotiate contracts, and ensure compliance with public procurement regulations while partnering with IT and procurement stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years as IT Legal & Sourcing Manager with IT software project focus.
• At least 2 years in public sector software/IT services procurement.
• Experience across IT legal aspects in all RFP lifecycle stages and procurement processes.
• Experience drafting procurement documents including RFPs and specs with stakeholder input.
• Strong commercial, legal and negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage complex contracts with significant financial/operational impact.
• Fluent English; Dutch and French at C1, other at least B2.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex IT procurement files end-to-end and define acquisition strategies aligned with the digital roadmap.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to define business needs and specifications.
• Define purchasing strategies and oversee drafting of technical specifications.
• Work with internal procurement and IT departments/SMEs.
• Lead or coordinate complex public procurement procedures for goods and services.
• Govern evaluation process and procurement strategy; negotiate contracts with internal teams.
• Ensure compliance with public procurement legislation and governance of IT contracts.
• Monitor SLAs and KPIs for contract performance in a multi-vendor setup.
• Identify risks and implement actions to ensure service continuity and value creation.
• Conceptualize contractual solutions, pricing mechanisms, and service monitoring with clients.
• Manage relationships with strategic suppliers, including escalations and senior-level negotiations.
• Oversee portfolio visibility on deadlines, risks, and financial impacts.
• Contribute to cost control and contract value optimization; act as business partner to management.
• Manage multiple files with direct IT service continuity impact; on-site presence: up to five days/week.

Skills

IT law & sourcing

Public sector procurement

RFP lifecycle

Contract negotiations

Stakeholder management

Vendor governance

English fluency

Dutch proficiency

French proficiency

Job description

Job Responsibilities

• Lead complex IT procurement files end-to-end and define acquisition strategies in line with the digital roadmap.
• Drive the definition of business needs in collaboration with internal stakeholders.
• Define purchasing strategies and oversee the drafting of technical specifications.
• Work closely with the internal Procurement department and the relevant IT departments/SMEs.
• Lead or coordinate complex public procurement procedures for goods and services.
• Define the procurement strategy and govern the evaluation process.
• Conduct technical and contractual negotiations in collaboration with internal procurement departments responsible for ensuring compliance with public procurement legislation.
• Ensure complete governance of strategic IT contracts in a multi-vendor environment.
• Monitor contract performance through SLAs and KPIs.
• Identify risks proactively and implement corrective actions to ensure service continuity and value creation.
• Understand internal clients’ needs and conceptualize appropriate contractual solutions, pricing mechanisms, and service monitoring and evaluation systems, including KPIs.
• Manage relationships with strategic suppliers, including escalation management, complex disputes and negotiations up to C-level.
• Manage a portfolio of critical IT contracts and ensure visibility on deadlines, risks, optimization opportunities and associated financial impacts.
• Contribute directly to cost control, contract value optimization, and the management of contractual, financial and regulatory risks.
• Act as a business partner and advisor to the business and management by challenging requirements and guiding strategic decisions.
• Manage multiple complex files and contracts simultaneously, with a direct impact on IT service continuity.
• Be present at the client office up to five days per week, with the required on-site presence subject to change and communication during the assignment.

Must Have Skills

• Minimum 10 years of experience as an IT Legal & Sourcing Manager, specifically in IT legal advisory within Sourcing or Contract Management for IT software-related projects, demonstrated in the CV.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in public sector procurement of software and/or IT services, demonstrated in the CV.
• Experience with IT legal aspects across all stages of the RFP lifecycle and procurement processes, including contract execution.
• Experience drafting procurement documents such as RFPs and specifications, including scope definition, complexity management and stakeholder interaction.
• Experience in project coordination, including timelines, stakeholders and deliverables.
• Strong commercial, legal and negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage complex contracts with significant financial and operational impact.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Fluent in English, Dutch and French, with Dutch or French at C1 level and the other languages at least B2 level.

Nice to have

• Experience managing vendor performance frameworks, including SLAs, KPIs, scorecards and remediation plans.
• Experience managing escalations, disputes and senior-level negotiations with strategic suppliers.
• Experience identifying and managing contractual, financial, operational and regulatory risks.
• Experience contributing to cost control and contract value optimization.
• Experience working in a multi-vendor IT environment.
• Experience supporting contract renewals, renegotiations and post-award changes.

What's great in the job?

• Great team of smart people, in a friendly and open culture
• No dumb managers, no stupid tools to use, no rigid working hours
• No waste of time in enterprise processes, real responsibilities and autonomy
• Expand your knowledge of various business industries
• Create content that will help our users on a daily basis
• Real responsibilities and challenges in a fast evolving company