Technology Vendor Manager - Software

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With the right backing, people and businesses have the power to progress in incredible ways. When you join Team Amex, you become part of a global and diverse community of colleagues with an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities and each other. Here, you’ll learn and grow as we help you create a career journey that’s unique and meaningful to you with benefits, programs, and flexibility that support you personally and professionally.

At American Express, you’ll be recognized for your contributions, leadership, and impact—every colleague has the opportunity to share in the company’s success. Together, we’ll win as a team, striving to uphold our company values and powerful backing promise to provide the world’s best customer experience every day. And we’ll do it with the utmost integrity, and in an environment where everyone is seen, heard and feels like they belong.

Join Team Amex and let's lead the way together.

As part of our diverse tech team, you can architect, code and ship software that makes us an essential part of our customers’ digital lives.Here, you can work alongside talented engineers in an open, supportive, inclusive environment where your voice is valued, and you make your own decisions on what tech to use to solve challenging problems.American Express offers a range of opportunities to work with the latest technologies and encourages you to back the broader engineering community through open source.And because we understand the importance of keeping your skills fresh and relevant, we give you dedicated time to invest in your professional development.Find your place in technology on #TeamAmex.

How will you make an impact in this role?

Looking to join a team in Technology that is dynamic, fast paced and forward looking? Establish a new foundation in Business & Vendor Management in the Technology organization as a Vendor Manager supporting Software.

This is a newly established role, based in New York. This role is part of a larger Business & Vendor Management organization that is responsible for the ongoing governance and oversight of strategic third parties covering a broad spectrum of Technology products. We are looking for a candidate with a strong background in vendor management, sourcing, or third-party risk management (specifically focused on technology) to develop effective strategies to engage with external software vendors with the objective of achieving optimal performance and value.

This role will be a key relationship position and primary liaison between our vendor partners, our engineering teams and our product delivery teams within Technology.  The successful candidate will help develop negotiation strategies, team with internal business partners to negotiate contracts, partner with individual business units to develop a demand forecast, monitor actuals against forecast, monitor vendor performance, and drive cost optimization while maintaining strong vendor relationships.   

Responsibilities:

• Design and execute RFPs; draft, validate, and help negotiate Order Forms/Statements of Work (SoWs) as applicable in support of American Express Technology Business Unit strategies. Articulate business requirements in support of desired contractual or commercial terms and negotiate favorable outcomes.  

• Support ongoing relationship management of key vendor partners in the program, including taking on responsibility for Third-Party Lifecycle Management (TLM).

• Lead Quarterly Business reviews with our key partnerships and provide ongoing relationship updates and executive briefing presentations to senior leaders at American Express.  

• Provide your expertise and engage with external research companies to understand trends in the industry and create a point of view on competitive pricing, delivery locations, and emerging opportunities/risks.  

• Interpret contractual language to support stakeholder requests and issue/dispute resolution. 

• Responsible for providing initial drafts of contractual terms & conditions, in accordance with AXP’s global supplier management standards.  

• Develop a framework to assess capability/strengths of existing and potential vendor partners to support sourcing decisions.

• Complete analysis, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions.

• Provide proactive guidance to technology teams across their entire portfolio, including assessment of the competitive landscape, performance measures and other key performance indicators. 

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

• 5-7 years of experience with software vendor engagements (procurement, sourcing, vendor relationship management, or third-party vendor risk management).

• Proven experience building strong relationships and connecting with senior leaders.  

• Familiarity with software development processes and technologies.

• Understanding of the software vendor landscape and competitive dynamics. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Program management experience to build strategic roadmaps, facilitate delivery transformation etc. 

• Ability to thrive in a hybrid office (3x a week) work setting.  

• People leadership and strong interpersonal skills.  

• Ability to be assertive and challenge the status quo, while still maintaining strong and effective partnerships. 
• Experience with SaaS and cloud services (certification a plus).

Salary Range: $110,000.00 to $190,000.00 annually + bonus + benefits

The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we’ll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors.

We back our colleagues and their loved ones with benefits and programs that support their holistic well-being. That means we prioritize their physical, financial, and mental health through each stage of life. Benefits include:

• Competitive base salaries
• Bonus incentives
• 6% Company Match on retirement savings plan
• Free financial coaching and financial well-being support
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
• 20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location)
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program
• Career development and training opportunities

For a full list of Team Amex benefits, visit our Colleague Benefits Site.

American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law. American Express will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest or conviction records, in accordance with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including, but not limited to, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. For positions covered by federal and/or state banking regulations, American Express will comply with such regulations as it relates to the consideration of applicants with criminal convictions.

We back our colleagues with the support they need to thrive, professionally and personally. That's why we have Amex Flex, our enterprise working model that provides greater flexibility to colleagues while ensuring we preserve the important aspects of our unique in-person culture. Depending on role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite, in a hybrid model (combination of in-office and virtual days) or fully virtually.

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Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the United States is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.