Engineering and IT Vendor Manager

CentralSquare Technologies; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

CentralSquare Technologies is seeking a procurement leader to own the full vendor lifecycle for Cloud, IT, Security, Dev, and Product spend. You will translate vendor complexity into clear procurement actions, collaborating with Engineering and Security to evaluate proposals and mitigate risk.

You’ll drive cost optimization, negotiate contracts, and enforce governance processes across multi‑stakeholder teams, ensuring alignment with architecture and strategic objectives.

Qualifications

• 5–8+ years in procurement/vendor management in a technical environment.
• Experience managing multi-category vendor portfolios: SaaS, cloud, developer tooling, security, or AI platforms.
• Direct experience with Engineering, IT, or Product stakeholders.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms and associated certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end vendor management for Cloud, IT, Security, Dev, and Product from intake to offboarding.
• Challenge cost, scope, and justification; drive savings across the portfolio.
• Maintain renewal calendar and engage business owners six months out.
• Review vendor proposals with Spend Management Lead and prepare for negotiations.
• Engage with Engineering, IT, and Security stakeholders; assess platform risk and vendor claims.

Skills

Vendor management

Procurement

Technical collaboration

Stakeholder management

Contract negotiation

Cost analysis / TCO

Tools

Smartsheet

NetSuite

CLM tools

Job description

CentralSquare Technologies is Hero-Grade. As the trusted provider of public sector software in North America, more than 8,000 agencies rely on our comprehensive, cloud-based platform to manage critical operations - from dispatch to records, permitting to payroll. We serve with purpose and stand together with our heroes, committed to supporting the public sector with software built for impact.

This role owns the full vendor lifecycle for Cloud, IT, Security, Dev, and Product spend - and serves as a technical advisor to the Spend Management Lead, translating vendor complexity into clear commercial decisions. It requires equal strength in procurement and technology: someone who can negotiate contracts and challenge spend, and who can evaluate vendor proposals, assess platform risk, and hold their own in a room with Engineering or IT stakeholders

Vendor Lifecycle & Commercial Governance

• Own end-to-end vendor management for Cloud, IT, Security, Dev, and Product - intake through offboarding.
• Challenge stakeholders and vendors on cost, scope, and business justification for all new requests and renewals; drive consolidation and savings across the portfolio.
• Manage the renewal calendar with Procurement; initiate business owner outreach six months out.
• Help maintain CLM documentation and PO records.

Technical Advisory

• Review vendor proposals and roadmaps with the Spend Management Lead - flag technical risks, assess vendor claims, and translate findings into procurement recommendations.
• Engage directly with Engineering, IT, and Security stakeholders; prepare the Spend Management Lead for vendor negotiations and technical conversations.
• Evaluate AI/ML platforms, cloud tooling, and security products for fit, lock-in risk, and alignment with CentralSquare's architecture.

Intake & Governance

• Triage all IT and engineering vendor requests. Flag all AI tool requests for AI Council review.
• Enforce the single front door - no vendor spend proceeds via email or verbal channels.
• Review reporting with other members of Procurement, Finance, and key business partners on portfolio performance, renewal pipeline, and spend trends.

Experience

• 5-8+ years across procurement/vendor management and a technical environment - cloud, infrastructure, engineering, or security.
• Track record managing multi-category vendor portfolios: SaaS, cloud, developer tooling, security, or AI platforms.
• Prior direct experience with Engineering, IT, or Product stakeholders - either embedded in a technical org or through a prior technical role.

Technical

• Working knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) sufficient to evaluate proposals and assess dependencies. Associate-level certification strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with developer tooling, enterprise security categories (endpoint, IAM, SIEM), and AI/ML commercial models and governance requirements.
• Can read and critically evaluate vendor technical proposals - knows what to challenge and where the risks are.

Procurement & Commercial

• Fluent in SaaS, cloud, and AI vendor pricing models; able to build TCO analyses and lead negotiations independently.
• Experience with Smartsheet, NetSuite, and CLM tools. CPSM, CIPS, or equivalent certification a plus.

Attributes

• Technically credible with Engineering; commercially assertive with vendors - effective in both contexts.
• Translates complex vendor proposals into concise executive summaries; discusses architecture trade-offs with solutions engineers in the same meeting.
• Proactive and a close working partner to the Spend Management Lead - keeps them informed and well-prepared.