IT Contracts and Vendor Relations Manager

Arizona Public Service Company; Phoenix (AZ); Remote; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Arizona Public Service Company is seeking an IT Contracts and Vendor Relations Manager to maximize value from technology investments by managing vendor agreements and governance. You will build trusted relationships with IT vendors, negotiate services to meet business needs, and collaborate with stakeholders across the organization to ensure compliant, cost-effective technology engagements.

This role combines contract leadership with strategic vendor oversight and requires influencing without

Qualifications

• Experience negotiating, contracting, and managing IT vendor contracts including SaaS, PaaS, or cloud services.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills across business units and external partners.
• Proven ability to lead discussions on performance, accountability, and service levels.

Responsibilities

• Build strong relationships with IT vendors and act as a partner for internal business teams.
• Negotiate vendor services aligned with business needs and resolve service gaps.
• Lead vendor discussions on performance, expectations, and issue resolution.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain to ensure proper legal frameworks for technology engagements.
• Develop IT vendor management processes aligned with Supply Chain practices.
• Develop and implement IT strategic vendor strategies and multi-million dollar contracts.
• Monitor SLAs and drive governance with vendors to meet objectives.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities through vendor resource utilization.

Skills

Vendor management

Contract negotiation

IT vendor contracts

Stakeholder management

Budgeting

SOW writing

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, information systems administration or related field

Job description

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IT Contracts and Vendor Relations Manager

Our present and future success depends on the creative and dedicated people of our company who demonstrate the principles outlined in the APS Promise: Design for Tomorrow, Empower Each Other and Succeed Together.

Summary

IT Contracts and Vendor Relations Manager

The IT Contracts and Vendor Relations Manager helps APS maximize value from technology investments by managing critical vendor agreements and contractual relationships, including contract review, redlining, negotiation support, compliance oversight, and vendor governance activities.

What Your Day Would Be Like:

• Build strong, trusted relationships with IT vendors while serving as a go‑to partner for internal business teams
• Collaborate with stakeholders to negotiate vendor services with business needs and resolve service gaps
• Lead vendor conversations around performance, expectations, and issue resolution
• Partner with Supply Chain to ensure the appropriate legal framework is in place to support technology engagements with contracted vendors
• Navigate complex, multiple stakeholder challenges amid changing priorities to deliver solutions that balance stakeholder expectations and IT budgets.

Who We’re Looking For:

• Experienced in negotiating, contracting, and the management of IT vendor contracts including SaaS, PaaS, or other cloud‑based services
• A strategic, relationship focused professional with strong collaboration and communication skills with the the ability to work across business units and external partners
• Comfortable leading conversations around performance, accountability, and service expectations
• Problem‑solving and assertive mindset with the ability to resolve complex issues involving multiple stakeholders around budgeting challenges, performance, and service expectations
• Proven track record in the negotiation and management of application managed services focusing on incident management and cost reduction over time
• Ability to author and negotiate waterfall and agile scopes of work for complex system integration activities from design, build, testing, hypercare and warranty phases of new software implementation projects and programs
• Bachelor's degree in business, information systems administration or related field
• PLUS 8 years' experience managing vendor and supplier relationships in the area of licensing, software (especially vendor relationships involving Saas, PaaS and other cloud type software services), IT application, development and maintenance services, or related experience.
• Prior experience working with and negotiating with suppliers and strategic vendor initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with key suppliers and liaise between vendor and internal organizations to resolve conflicts.
• Demonstrated ability to track and negotiate contract requirements includingService Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Ability to lead using informal authority to driver organizational objectives.

Preferred Specialist Skills and Knowledge

• Full knowledge and experience with IT vendor relationship management as a discipline
• Ability to maintain composure in critical negotiations, communicating effectively with both internal and external clients.
• Perform advanced business and financial analysis of vendor engagements.
• Build strong relationships with key vendors and the internal IT organization to ensure delivery of IT services.
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems; Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of overall vendor relationships across the IT organization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead using informal authority and personal influence to drive organizational objectives.

Major Accountabilities

• Develop, implement, and manage IT vendor management processes aligned with Supply Chain best practices.
• Develop, implement IT strategic vendor strategies or programs necessary to meet IT operational goals.
• Act as business area representative and partner with Supply Chain and IT stakeholders to develop complex, multi-million dollar contracts; recommend and implement specific courses of action to meet internal and external customer needs.
• Establish and maintain strong partnerships with business units and vendors, participating in IT contract development and evaluations to identify potential issues and risks.
• Partner with Supply Chain and key IT stakeholders to deliver contracts in line with regulatory, risk, and strategic level requirements.
• Maintain the strategic relationship with key vendors. Serve as the IT primary escalation point for Development and Operations groups for ongoing or significant issues.
• Hold vendors accountable to providing continuous improvement opportunities that meet the needs of the Development and Operations groups.
• Ensure contract SLAs are well defined and monitored for strategic partners.
• Partner with Supply Chain to ensure the procurement of IT products and services align to Supply Chain best practices.
• Drive achievement of IT governance by tracking current progress toward goals and ensuring that IT is meeting its obligation and that vendors are meeting expectations.
• Define and lead opportunities for improvements and cost savings through better utilization and engagement of vendor resources.

Export Compliance / EEO Statement

This position may require access to and/or use of information subject to control under the Department of Energy's Part 810 Regulations (10 CFR Part 810), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (15 CFR Parts 730 through 774), or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) (22 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter M Part 120) (collectively, 'U.S. Export Control Laws'). Therefore, some positions may require applicants to be a U.S. person, which is defined as a U.S. Citizen, a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (i.e. 'Green Card Holder'), a Political Asylee, or a Refugee under the U.S. Export Control Laws. All applicants will be required to confirm their U.S. person or non-US person status. All information collected in this regard will only be used to ensure compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws, and will be used in full compliance with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of national origin and other factors. For positions at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Stations (PVNGS) all openings will require applicants to be a U.S. person.
Pinnacle West Capital Corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates ('Pinnacle West') maintain a continuing policy of nondiscrimination in employment. It is our policy to provide equal opportunity in all phases of the employment process and in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. This policy of nondiscrimination shall include, but not be limited to, recruiting, hiring, promoting, compensating, reassigning, demoting, transferring, laying off, recalling, terminating employment, and training for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, disability, age, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, protected veteran status, or any other classification or characteristic protected by law.
For more information on applicable equal employment regulations, please refer to EEO is the Law poster. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of every person hired to work in the United States, refer to E-Verify poster. View the employee rights and responsibilities under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Arizona Public Service is a smoke free workplace.

Home based:Home based employees primarily work from their home offices and come into an APS facility on an as-needed basis.

*Employees are expected to reside in Arizona (or New Mexico for Four Corners-based employees).

*Working from a home office requires adequate technology and an appropriate ergonomic set up.

*Role types are subject to change based on business need.