IT Manager - Business Relationship Management

BDO USA, LLP; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 135,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP

Total Rewards benefits

Career development opportunities

Job summary

BDO USA, LLP is seeking an IT Manager - Business Relationship Management to lead the intake and governance of project demand, software and contractor requests. You will advise business leaders, translate requests into precise requirements, and guide reviews across security, governance, legal, procurement, IAM, and architecture.

You’ll supervise Relationship Managers and Business Analysts, set service standards, and drive continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Six (6) or more years of experience in business relationship management, business analysis, IT portfolio management, PMO operations, program management, or technology operations.
• Two or more years of experience supervising, leading, or mentoring employees.
• Experience managing request intake and governance processes involving security, architecture, legal, procurement, and portfolio management reviews.
• Experience working in a professional services organization, preferred
• Experience with software onboarding, contractor onboarding, SaaS procurement, or vendor contract review, preferred

Responsibilities

• Leads the business relationship management function from request intake through approval and handoff for delivery.
• Builds and maintains relationships with business leaders and executive stakeholders.
• Serves as a primary contact for business technology requests and stakeholder concerns.
• Anticipates business technology demand and aligns requests with firm priorities.
• Establishes service standards for request acknowledgment, communication, status updates, and escalation management.
• Educates business units about IT capabilities, processes, governance requirements, and service constraints.
• Directs team activities that convert initial request information into complete and accurate business, technical, financial, and operational details.
• Coordinates required reviews and approvals across security, governance, legal, procurement, identity and access, architecture, and portfolio management functions.
• Directs Business Analysts in requirements gathering, business-case development, process documentation, and project charter preparation.
• Provides cost-benefit and business-case analysis that supports request prioritization.
• Supports annual IT planning and budgeting for assigned business areas.
• Tracks request-related spending and communicates financial information to stakeholders.
• Reviews and improves request intake, discovery, requirements-gathering, governance, documentation, and handoff processes.
• Tracks request cycle time, request aging, approval status, and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Uses performance data to identify process improvements and service risks.
• Coordinates handoffs with delivery, security, procurement, legal, identity and access, architecture, and other IT teams.
• Escalates conflicts, delays, risks, and unresolved stakeholder concerns to the Director of Enterprise Portfolio Management
• Other duties as required

Skills

Relationship management

Stakeholder engagement

IT portfolio management

PMO operations

Program management

Business analysis

Security governance knowledge

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, Computer Science, or Information Technology

High school diploma or GED

Tools

ServiceNow

Microsoft Office

Portfolio management tools

Job description

Job Summary:

The IT Manager - Business Relationship Management leads National IT's customer-facing intake and governance process for project demand, software and contractor requests. The position serves as a trusted advisor to business leaders, translates initial requests into complete and accurate requirements, and guides requests through security, governance, legal, procurement, identity and access, and other required reviews. The Manager leads Relationship Managers and Business Analysts, establishes service standards, monitors request performance, and coordinates effective handoffs to delivery teams. The position also supports demand planning, prioritization, budgeting, stakeholder communication, and continuous improvement across the business relationship management function.

Job Duties:

• Leads the business relationship management function from request intake through approval and handoff for delivery
• Builds and maintains relationships with business leaders and executive stakeholders
• Serves as a primary contact for business technology requests and stakeholder concerns
• Anticipates business technology demand and aligns requests with firm priorities
• Establishes service standards for request acknowledgment, communication, status updates, and escalation management
• Educates business units about IT capabilities, processes, governance requirements, and service constraints
• Directs team activities that convert initial request information into complete and accurate business, technical, financial, and operational details
• Coordinates required reviews and approvals across security, governance, legal, procurement, identity and access, architecture, and portfolio management functions
• Directs Business Analysts in requirements gathering, business-case development, process documentation, and project charter preparation
• Provides cost-benefit and business-case analysis that supports request prioritization
• Supports annual IT planning and budgeting for assigned business areas
• Tracks request-related spending and communicates financial information to stakeholders
• Reviews and improves request intake, discovery, requirements-gathering, governance, documentation, and handoff processes
• Tracks request cycle time, request aging, approval status, and stakeholder satisfaction
• Uses performance data to identify process improvements and service risks
• Coordinates handoffs with delivery, security, procurement, legal, identity and access, architecture, and other IT teams
• Escalates conflicts, delays, risks, and unresolved stakeholder concerns to the Director of Enterprise Portfolio Management
• Other duties as required

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Supervises Relationship Managers and Business Analysts, including hiring, onboarding, goal setting, performance management, and career development
• Allocates team capacity and assigns work across relationship management and business analysis activities
• Establishes standards for request intake, discovery, requirements documentation, stakeholder communication, and governance coordination
• Provides coaching, mentoring, and functional leadership to support consistent team performance
• Monitors team workload, service quality, request completion, and stakeholder communication

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Education:

• High school diploma or GED, required
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, Computer Science, or Information Technology, required

Experience:

• Six (6) or more years of experience in business relationship management, business analysis, IT portfolio management, PMO operations, program management, or technology operations, required
• Two or more years of experience supervising, leading, or mentoring employees, required
• Experience managing request intake and governance processes involving security, architecture, legal, procurement, and portfolio management reviews, preferred
• Experience working in a professional services organization, preferred
• Experience with software onboarding, contractor onboarding, SaaS procurement, or vendor contract review, preferred Previous experience working in a professional services firm, preferred

License/Certifications:

• Business Relationship Management Professional certification, preferred
• ITIL Foundation or ITIL 4 Business Relationship Management certification, preferred
• Certified Business Analysis Professional certification, preferred
• Project Management Professional certification, preferred

Software:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, required
• Experience using workflow, reporting, dashboard, or project portfolio management tools, preferred
• Experience using an enterprise request intake or IT service management platform, such as ServiceNow, preferred

Other Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal, stakeholder engagement, and customer service skills
• Translates incomplete business input into clear requirements, documented decisions, and actionable next steps
• Establishes clear expectations with senior stakeholders and business leaders
• Maintains strong attention to detail and promotes accurate request documentation
• Demonstrates team-building, coaching, delegation, and people leadership skills
• Manages multiple complex requests, competing priorities, and time-sensitive reviews
• Facilitates meetings that produce clear decisions, owners, deadlines, and follow-up actions
• Communicates clearly and professionally in written and verbal formats
• Analyzes request data, service metrics, business cases, and process performance
• Resolves conflicts through collaboration, escalation, and structured decision-making

Individual salaries that are offered to a candidate are determined after consideration of numerous factors including but not limited to the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and geography.

National Range: $135,000 - $165,000
Maryland Range: $135,000 - $165,000
NYC/Long Island/Westchester Range: $135,000 - $165,000

At BDO, how we show up matters. We build strong relationships by supporting one another, our clients, and our communities with care, curiosity, and a commitment to helping one another grow and succeed. Here, you'll find meaningful work, leaders invested in your success, and opportunities to build a career around what matters most to you.

Our purpose is to be the people our clients count on to grow with confidence and achieve what matters most. Our values guide how we bring that purpose to life each day. Together, they shape how we work with one another, serve our clients, and create meaningful impact.

BDO provides assurance, tax, and advisory services to clients across the U.S. and around the world. No matter your role, you'll be part of a team helping clients navigate complexity and move forward with clarity.

As technology continues to shape how we work, BDO values the ability to apply generative and agentic AI solutions to develop work products, improve workflows and identify potential risks. Across our firm, we emphasize professional judgment in validating AI-generated outputs for accuracy, quality, and compliance.

We are proud to be an ESOP company, offering participants a stake in the firm's success through beneficial ownership and a unique opportunity to enhance their financial well-being. As a qualified retirement plan, the ESOP is a meaningful addition to our comprehensive compensation and Total Rewards benefits* offerings. It also reinforces an ownership mindset that strengthens our connection to one another, our clients, and the future we're building together.

Learn more about our benefits: BDO Total Rewards encompass more than traditional benefits.

*Benefits may be subject to eligibility requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/vets