IT Operational Vendor Manager in Reading

Empower, Connect, Evolve, and Inspire – these are the values that drive us and make BMI a company where you can thrive and grow. The Operational IT Vendor Manager is responsible for ensuring the day‑to‑day value, compliance, and performance of our third‑party IT vendors and service providers. This role acts as the primary liaison between internal IT teams (e.g., Service Desk, Infrastructure, Application Support) and external partners, focusing on service delivery reliability, adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and the swift resolution of operational issues to maintain seamless IT services.

Key Operational Responsibilities

• Performance and Service Delivery Management: SLA & KPI Tracking – Establish, monitor, and report daily and weekly on vendor performance against contractual SLAs and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) (e.g., uptime, response time, resolution rates).
• Operational Governance – Plan and lead regular operational review meetings with key vendors, including weekly service review meetings and monthly performance deep dives.
• Issue Resolution & Escalation – Act as the first point of escalation for all critical vendor‑related operational issues and service disruptions, coordinating internal and external teams to drive timely resolution and root cause analysis (RCA).
• Vendor Scorecarding – Maintain detailed, data‑driven vendor performance scorecards and dashboards, proactively identifying trends and service gaps that require immediate attention.

Contract Compliance and Administration

• Contract Adherence – Ensure vendors comply with all operational terms and conditions outlined in executed contracts, Statement of Work (SOWs), and regulatory requirements (e.g., security, data protection).
• Invoice and Usage Validation – Review, validate, and process vendor invoices against agreed‑upon contract pricing, usage metrics, and license entitlements, working closely with the Finance team to manage spend accuracy.
• Documentation Management – Maintain an accurate and centralized repository of all operational vendor contracts, contact lists, performance reports, and compliance documentation.
• Change Management Oversight – Work with the IT Change Management team to monitor vendor‑driven changes to ensure they are properly scheduled, communicated, and pose minimal risk to the production environment.

Relationship and Value Management

• Communication Bridge – Serve as the hands‑on, daily point of contact for vendor managers and internal business owners, translating technical performance data into clear business insights.
• Continuous Improvement – Identify, champion, and track vendor‑led continuous service improvement (CSI) initiatives aimed at enhancing efficiency, quality, and cost‑effectiveness of delivered services.
• Risk Mitigation – Monitor vendor operational risk exposure (e.g., single point of failure, business continuity planning) and ensure all required audit and due diligence materials are up‑to‑date.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Experience – Minimum of 3‑5 years of direct experience in an IT role with a focus on vendor management, Service Delivery Management, or IT Operations.
• Technical Knowledge – Strong working knowledge of IT services, infrastructure (Cloud/SaaS, Networks, End‑User Computing), and common IT delivery models.
• Operational Proficiency – Demonstrated experience setting up and managing performance metrics (SLAs, KPIs) and leading formal service review meetings.
• Certification – ITIL Foundation certification (or equivalent) is highly desirable; deep understanding of IT Service Management processes (Incident, Problem, Change).
• Soft Skills – Exceptional communication, diplomatic negotiation, and conflict resolution skills to manage challenging operational discussions effectively.

Key Competencies

• Service Level Management – Expert ability to interpret, enforce, and report on Service Level Agreements (SLAs), ensuring service credits are accurately claimed when performance targets are missed.
• Operational Risk & Continuity – Proven capability to assess vendor risks that threaten daily service continuity (e.g., single points of failure, disaster recovery readiness) and ensure proper mitigation plans are in place.
• Data Analysis & Reporting – Strong analytical skills to gather raw performance data, translate it into actionable KPI dashboards, and identify trends indicating underlying service stability issues.
• Conflict Resolution & Escalation – Diplomatic yet firm approach to manage and resolve vendor disputes quickly and effectively, ensuring service restoration and holding vendors accountable to contractual obligations.
• IT Service Management (ITSM) – Deep practical understanding of ITIL principles (Incident, Problem, and Change Management) as they relate to and are executed by third‑party vendors.

Stakeholder Communication Ability to articulate complex vendor performance issues and their business impact to both technical teams and non‑technical senior leadership clearly and concisely.

A career with BMI Group is more than just a job. We help you to find work you enjoy, to use your skills, and support you to become the best you can be. Working together we can achieve great things. Come and join us.