Strategic Vendor & Contract Manager – Data Centers

nLighten; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

nLighten is seeking a Vendor & Contract Manager to own repair, maintenance and cleaning costs across 34 data-centre sites in 7 countries. You will build the cost baseline, challenge procurement, consolidate contracts and implement governance to drive cost reductions without compromising reliability.

You will combine technical understanding of critical environments with strong commercial discipline, negotiating independently and reviewing scopes to defend positions with vendors and the business.

Qualifications

• 5+ years managing multi-country hard and soft Facilities Management contracts, ideally in data centres or other mission-critical environments.
• Experience negotiating contracts and delivering measurable commercial savings.
• Experience implementing supplier KPI and governance frameworks that changed vendor behaviour, not just reporting.

Responsibilities

• Own all hard and soft Facilities Management, statutory compliance and cleaning contracts across the portfolio, including mechanical and electrical maintenance, HVAC, UPS, generators, fire systems, BMS, water treatment, cleaning and security.
• Lead contract renewals, competitive tenders and supplier negotiations to deliver commercial value and operational improvement.
• Consolidate fragmented country-level contracts into pan-European agreements where consolidation is commercially justified.
• Standardise scopes of work, contract terms and KPI frameworks across all countries.
• Maintain a complete and accurate contract register covering cost, notice period, expiry and renewal status.
• Implement supplier governance including KPI scorecards across safety, quality, responsiveness and commercial performance, periodic reviews, corrective action plans and clear escalation levels.
• Develop category strategies and portfolio framework agreements for standard data‑centre products such as racks, PDUs and cages.

Skills

Multi-country contract management

Vendor negotiations

KPI governance frameworks

Data centre knowledge

Commercial acumen

Contract structure & terms

HSE & compliance

Documentation & process

Clear communication

Stakeholder influence

Job description

nLighten is seeking a Vendor & Contract Manager to own repair, maintenance and cleaning costs across 34 data-centre sites in 7 countries. You will build the cost baseline, challenge procurement, consolidate contracts and implement governance to drive cost reductions without compromising reliability.

You will combine technical understanding of critical environments with strong commercial discipline, negotiating independently and reviewing scopes to defend positions with vendors and the business.