About the Role
The IT Vendor Relationship Manager manages the full lifecycle of vendor engagements within specialist categories and leads Strategic Sourcing engagements, collaborating with business leaders, finance and technical staff to identify requirements, financial analysis, manages vendor selection. This role negotiates contracts, statements of work, deliverables and rates and monitors vendor performance against contracts and SLAs, escalations and vendor offboarding.
What You’ll Be Doing
Lead RFx processes (RFI/RFP/RFQ), supplier evaluations, and award decisions
Analyze market trends, supplier cost structures, and total cost of ownership (TCO)
Partner with stakeholders to align sourcing plans with business needs and budgets
Deliver cost savings, service level improvements, and risk reduction
Lead commercial negotiations in partnership with Legal and Finance
Own contract lifecycle: redlines, renewals, amendments, and performance obligations
Ensure contract terms reflect business, compliance, and risk requirements
Maintain awareness of renewal timelines and proactively initiate renegotiations
Act as the primary relationship owner for strategic and high-impact vendors
Develop and track vendor scorecards, SLAs, and KPIs
Lead regular business reviews and escalations
Identify vendor consolidation, innovation, or restructuring opportunities
Collaborate with Cyber, Legal, and Compliance teams to assess and manage third-party risk
Ensure adherence to internal sourcing policies and external regulatory requirements
Requirements
- 5+ years of experience in procurement, sourcing or vendor management, preferably in a SaaS organization
- Proven experience leading contract negotiations and supplier governance
- Strong understanding of sourcing methodology and cost modeling
- Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, and analytical skills
- Familiarity with ERP/procurement systems and contract lifecycle platforms
- Broad working knowledge of compute, storage and networking components
- Strong results-focused approach, with the ability to achieve and exceed goals while maintaining high standards of quality and efficiency.
- Excellent organization and planning abilities, effectively managing multiple projects and priorities to ensure timely and successful completion.
- Skilled in negotiation and conflict management, adept at resolving issues and fostering positive relationships with stakeholders.
- Proficient in risk and issue management, identifying potential challenges and implementing strategies to mitigate risks and address issues promptly.
- Committed to process management and improvement, continuously seeking opportunities to enhance workflows and optimize performance.
- Utilizes metrics and analysis to drive decision-making, leveraging data to inform strategies and measure success.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, advanced excel skills, and strong interpersonal and relationship skills
- Able to work flexible hours as required by business priorities
About the Company
Blackbaud is the world’s leading provider of AI-powered solutions for social impact.
We empower the people and institutions changing the world—accelerating human progress and building a future where resources move at the speed of need.
We serve nonprofits, K–12 schools, higher education, arts and cultural organizations, healthcare, corporate impact teams, and individual changemakers with intelligent solutions for giving, connecting, and engaging.
Our responsible, purpose-built AI engine is fueled by the world’s largest philanthropic dataset and embedded directly into the workflows teams rely on, from fundraising and nonprofit financial management to digital giving, grantmaking, and education management.
With the deepest expertise, the most connected solutions, and the largest impact network, Blackbaud helps organizations achieve what wouldn’t be possible alone. We bring clarity to complex decisions and scale to the flow of resources between organizations and the millions of individuals who support them through donations, workplace giving, and more.
Trusted by millions of users, Blackbaud technologies, including YourCause® and JustGiving, help power more than $100 billion in donations, grants, and investments each year, helping the people and institutions doing mission‑driven work build momentum with confidence.
Learn more at www.blackbaud.com