Vendor Management Lead - Technology & Market Data

Coda Search; New York (NY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Coda Search is seeking a Vendor Management Lead in New York to own vendor relationships, renewals and purchasing across a portfolio of products and services, with initial focus on technology and market data.

You will manage intake, requirements, negotiations and contracting from start to finish, interfacing with trading desks, IT, Legal, Finance and senior stakeholders to scale the vendor program.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in vendor management, sourcing, procurement, or related commercial operations.
• Proven ability to manage a vendor portfolio and deliver renewals and workflows on time.
• Experience leading negotiations and evaluating proposals for cost or service improvements.
• Familiarity with software licensing, SaaS subscriptions or data services; market data preferred.
• Strong analytical and financial skills including pricing, commitments and usage data.
• Track record of coordinating with trading desks, IT, Legal, Finance and senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own contract intake, lifecycle management and renewal processes for 300–400 vendor agreements.
• Coordinate onboarding, renewals, terminations and pricing discussions with vendors.
• Lead commercial discussions within approved parameters and evaluate proposals.
• Ensure records, billing, accruals and cost allocations are accurate across systems.
• Provide vendor performance insights to budgeting, forecasting and spend reviews.
• Identify opportunities for automation, consolidation and license optimization.

Skills

Vendor management

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Financial acumen

Communication

Process improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Finance/IT/Supply Chain

Tools

LinkSquares CLM

FITS data platform

SAP

Job description

Our client is a leading global commodities merchant with physical and financial trading operations around the world. They want an experienced Vendor Management Lead to own vendor relationships, renewals and purchasing across a growing portfolio of products and services. The initial focus is technology and market data.

This is a hands-on role with real ownership. It reports to a senior technology business leader. You will take requests from first intake through requirements gathering, evaluation, negotiation, contracting, onboarding, renewal and termination. The portfolio covers roughly 300–400 agreements. You will be the first point of contact for each one and will work closely with trading desks, IT, Operations, Legal, Finance and senior stakeholders. This is a rare chance to shape operating practices and help build a vendor management function that can scale.

Key Responsibilities

Contract Intake & Lifecycle Management

• Act as the primary point of contact for contract intake across the portfolio. Gather business requirements, confirm stakeholders and identify priorities, deadlines and approvals.
• Review incoming requests, gather supporting documentation, raise open questions and recommend next steps.
• Keep a forward-looking renewal calendar that tracks notice periods and auto-renewals. Start reviews early so there is time to negotiate, evaluate alternatives and secure approvals.
• Coordinate vendor onboarding, service changes, renewals and terminations, and make sure records and operational handoffs are complete.
• Manage vendor relationships and lead routine renewal and commercial discussions within agreed parameters.
• Evaluate pricing proposals, licensing structures, service commitments, renewal terms and purchasing options.
• Support complex negotiations and sourcing initiatives by preparing commercial analysis, options and recommendations.
• Find ways to add value through competitive sourcing, subscription consolidation, license optimization and negotiation.
• Assess vendor performance with business and technical owners, and resolve service issues.
• Learn how vendor products and data are used across the business so commercial decisions reflect real needs.

Contracting & Purchasing Coordination

• Coordinate contract review with Legal and control functions, and move agreements through approval and execution.
• Clarify licensing and usage requirements, including user access, internal sharing and permitted use of data in analytical workflows.
• Manage purchase-order requests, approvals and the financial and administrative handoffs that go with them.
• Keep executed agreements, pricing, commitments and renewal dates accurately recorded. Support billing, accruals and cost allocation, and help resolve vendor discrepancies.

Portfolio Visibility & Process Improvement

• Maintain accurate vendor, contract, subscription and entitlement data in the relevant systems.
• Report clearly on upcoming renewals, open requests, commitments, risks and decisions that need attention.
• Contribute vendor and commercial insight to budgeting, forecasting and spend reviews.
• Improve intake, tracking and documentation processes. Look for opportunities to use automation and AI to reduce manual work.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in vendor management, sourcing, procurement, market data management or a related commercial operations role.
• A proven ability to manage a vendor portfolio on your own and deliver renewals and contract workflows on time.
• Experience leading vendor negotiations, evaluating commercial proposals and delivering cost or service improvements.
• Familiarity with software licensing, SaaS subscriptions or other subscription-based services. Market data experience is strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical and financial skills, including assessing pricing, commitments and usage data.
• A track record of working with trading desks, IT, Legal, Finance and senior stakeholders to move agreements forward and get decisions made.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills with technical, commercial and executive audiences.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with contract lifecycle, procurement or financial systems. Familiarity with CLM tools (e.g., LinkSquares), market data inventory platforms (e.g., FITS) or SAP is a plus.
• Experience in commodity trading, financial services, technology or another data-intensive business is preferred.
• A bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, IT, Supply Chain Management or a related field, or equivalent experience.