Strategic IT Vendor Partner

Harvard University; Cambridge (MA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement plans

Tuition assistance

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Harvard University is seeking a skilled VMO Business Partner to manage a portfolio of IT vendors, lead negotiations, and advance vendor management excellence. The role reports to the Director, IT Vendor Management & Operations and requires collaboration with procurement, finance, security, and academic partners.

The position supports hybrid work with onsite presence in Massachusetts and requires strong analytical, negotiation, and relationship-building skills to optimize cost and performance

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Minimum 7+ years of relevant vendor management, procurement, IT contracting, or related experience
• MBA, Master’s degree, CPSM certification a plus

Responsibilities

• Lead and support negotiations for complex IT agreements including Software License Agreements, SaaS, SLAs, and Statements of Work.
• Structure, draft, and review contracts to ensure favorable pricing, strong terms, and risk mitigation.
• Serve as Harvard’s representative in discussions with external vendors regarding terms, conditions, and performance.
• Maintain accurate vendor documentation, contract records, SLAs, KPIs, and performance dashboards.
• Collaborate with service owners, business partners, and technical teams to align vendor support and define strategy.

Skills

Vendor management

Negotiation

Contracting

Excel

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

ITSM tools

Procurement systems

Contracting tools

Analytics platforms

Job description

Harvard University is seeking a skilled VMO Business Partner to manage a portfolio of IT vendors, lead negotiations, and advance vendor management excellence. The role reports to the Director, IT Vendor Management & Operations and requires collaboration with procurement, finance, security, and academic partners.

The position supports hybrid work with onsite presence in Massachusetts and requires strong analytical, negotiation, and relationship-building skills to optimize cost and performance