Senior IT Vendor Manager in Stratford-upon-Avon

Oversee major IT contracts, driving strong commercial outcomes and robust governance. Shape and deliver the supplier strategy for NFU Mutual's key strategic IT partners. Hybrid role with 80% homeworking and 20% in Stratford-upon-Avon.

As a Senior IT Vendor Manager at NFU Mutual, you will lead a team of Vendor Managers responsible for overseeing key strategic IT suppliers. You will drive supplier selection, evaluation, and ongoing performance to ensure they meet business needs and deliver strong commercial value. You will also ensure contracts, governance, and controls are effective and compliant with Group policies, regulatory requirements, and NFU Mutual's long-term objectives and IT Strategy.

You will manage medium to large IT contracts, negotiating and agreeing Terms and Conditions that deliver value, cost savings, and alignment with business needs. You will establish and maintain strong contract and relationship governance, ensuring effective controls, clear escalation routes, and full compliance with audit and regulatory requirements. You will oversee contract changes, track risks, and ensure these are accurately documented and managed throughout the contract lifecycle.

A key part of your role will be maintaining accurate, up-to-date contractual documentation and ensuring obligations are reviewed, monitored, and enforced. You will build and nurture strong relationships with IT suppliers and internal stakeholders, helping maximise the value and performance of key supplier partnerships. You will also provide expert advice to stakeholders on IT supply solutions, helping them understand contractual implications, mitigate risk, and improve commercial outcomes.

You will identify opportunities to reduce cost, streamline services, and improve supplier performance by working closely with operational teams, budget owners, and Group IT. You will shape and deliver the supplier strategy for key strategic IT suppliers, ensuring the organisation has the right sourcing approach to meet its objectives. Working alongside Group Procurement, you will research, evaluate, and recommend major IT supply solutions that support NFU Mutual's strategy, policies, and regulatory requirements.

In addition, you will produce regular MI and reporting for senior IT leaders, including vendor management dashboards, governance insights, and financial updates to support strategic planning. You will also lead and deliver one-off activities and projects as required.

You are an experienced IT vendor management leader with a strong track record in delivering commercial and operational results. You are confident negotiating complex IT contracts and bring deep knowledge across multiple IT categories. You work comfortably with senior stakeholders, legal teams, procurement, and strategic suppliers, and you know how to develop and motivate a high-performing team. You are influential, collaborative, and skilled at building trusted relationships at every level.

With excellent verbal communication, you simplify complexity, shape decisions, and bring people on the journey. You think strategically while staying close to the detail of supplier performance. A natural team player, you encourage shared ownership and strong cross-functional collaboration across IT and the wider business. Your ability to influence, engage, and work effectively with others enables you to deliver high-quality outcomes in a fast-moving environment.

You also bring:

• Strong coaching, mentoring, and people leadership experience.
• Significant experience managing senior-level IT contracts or outsourced service agreements.
• Deep market knowledge in at least two IT categories (e.g., software, hardware, services, communications).
• Strong understanding of procurement, vendor lifecycle management, licensing models, and contract performance frameworks.
• Excellent relationship building and stakeholder management skills.

At NFU Mutual, we support an inclusive workplace and value all the differences that make us unique. We celebrate the creativity and innovation that comes from diverse perspectives and experiences and share a common vision of doing the right thing for our customers and employees. We recognise that some candidates may experience barriers during the recruitment process. So, we encourage candidates to discuss any adjustments or accommodations they need to be the best they can be throughout our recruitment process. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, a Race at Work and Women in Finance Charter signatory and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, regardless of age, ethnicity, disability, neurodiversity, gender, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background.

When you join our team, you can expect a supportive culture and an attractive range of rewards and benefits including:

• Salary – £75,000 - £85,000 (depending on experience)
• Annual bonus (up to 25% of salary)
• Contributory pension scheme, up to 20%, including your 8% contribution
• 28 days annual leave +