Role Purpose: Are you looking for a unique, truly innovative role? What if it could be with one of the most impactful Tech companies in the world? Then we have the right opportunity for you! We are looking for a Principal Manager - Vendor Management, who will manage relations with the main vendors in the IT area of Vodafone, address the issues with vendor performances, organise & lead the Management reviews with the vendors, work on the main contracts to get the most efficient outcome and support Vodafone IT teams on all vendor related questions. You will be responsible for managing the strategic vendors and 3rd parties across our Global Data Centres, Vendor Manager will be responsible for all the contractual, commercial and operational performance aspects of 3rd party relationship. This includes tracking 3rd party performance and SLA compliance, supplier governance, contractual negotiations and driving strategic initiatives. You will define GDC’s asset and license strategy and governance jointly with GDC and TSO stakeholders, supported by Finance and Supply Chain Management. You will manage and control software assets in order to assure and optimize their utilization, and to continually improve the evolution, delivery and operations of software assets from license perspective You will be the owner of the hardware asset lifecycle process, assuring proper provisioning and documentation therefore optimizing hardware reuse and disposal through the HW Lifecycle Management process. As Vendor Manager will also be accountable for driving the execution of key improvement actions and will explore creative way to drive operational efficiency, reduce cost and improve quality. The position is open for the following countries: Italy, UK Key accountabilities and decision ownership: - Vendor Governance - Manage outsourced partners and vendors through effective governance and ensure the delivery of performance targets - Performance Management - Accountable for the delivery of relevant contractual SLAs and KPIs, analyse supplier performance and drive actions for further improvements - Contract Management - Optimise and standardise contracts for value and quality - Sourcing Management - Engage with internal teams to build technical requirements and work with VPC to implement the best sourcing strategy - Leadership - Influence and drive strategic decisions to align with capabilities, challenges and opportunities Key performance indicators: - Vendor -related CAPEX and OPEx savings - Vendor-related SLA performance - Optimised Vendor contracts Core competencies, knowledge and experience: - Proven experience of managing 3rd party commercial and operational relationship - Ability to analyse complex situations in detail and operate with clarity - Influencer & good communicator, able to drive diverse stakeholders - Understanding of operational processes and KPIs - Good team player, international exposure Must have technical / professional qualifications: - ITIL Qualification - Expertise in financial valuation of IT initiatives - Preferably detailed knowledge of ITIL and TCO Models