Manager, IS Vendor & Contract

The Vendor and Contract Manager is responsible for building, maintaining, and enhancing solid relationships with IS Product/Service vendors, as well as internal business stakeholders across the organization.  This position is accountable for sourcing, contract negotiations, vendor performance management and relationship management in collaboration with Legal Counsel, Supply Chain, and IS and Business Leadership. The Vendor and Contract Manager will develop and implement standard vendor management processes and policies that protect ECU Health's financial, intellectual, and legal interests while maximizing our technology investments, minimizing cost, and ensuring alignment of such to ECU Health's immediate and long term strategies.  This role will assist IS and Business leaders to drive vendor performance best practices through scorecards, service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs).  This position reports to the Office of the CIO.

Strategic Sourcing and Contract Management:

• Demonstrates a commitment to supporting the business needs of ECU Health by collaborating with business stakeholders, legal counsel, supply chain and IS leaders to negotiate hardware, software and professional services agreements -
  • Develops and implements negotiating and sourcing strategies that drive adaptability of best-in-class software and hardware products and IS-related professional services at competitive prices.
  • Works closely with IS leaders and business owners to develop and implement sourcing strategies for IS related products and services that include, but are limited to, market scans, RFIs/RFPs, reference checks, site visits, and total cost of ownership analyses.
  • Serves as the IS Lead in contract negotiations and onboarding for assigned new vendors.  Act as internal consultant to stakeholders by acting as a subject matter expert in information technology software and hardware contracting and vendor management principles.
  • Tracks and manages contract status based on terms and conditions for rate increases, eligible discounts, renewals, options with expiration dates, and other important business terms.  Ensures existing vendor agreements are amended over time to reflect current regulatory and legal requirements such as confidentiality terms, business associate agreements, and compliance with Meaningful Use regulations.
  • Coordinates periodic true-ups and reconciliations for volume-based agreements.
  • In conjunction with Legal Counsel, develops standard terms and conditions for the different types of IS related contracts to facilitate negotiations and protect the interests of ECU health.

Vendor Management:

• Demonstrates a commitment to optimal operating and financial performance of ECU Health by ensuring that vendors deliver on contractual commitments and value added services over time - 
  • Develops and implements a common vendor management program including policies, processes, toolkits and balanced scorecards for evaluating, managing and reporting on external product/service providers to ECU Health.
  • Ensures vendors provide service, support, and quality products as outlined in contract terms and based on agreed upon performance goals.
  • Tracks annual spend, cost savings, and vendor financial health assisting IS managers with annual budget preparation and periodic validation of vendor value proposition.
  • Partners with internal stakeholders to develop and manage key performance metrics for strategically important third party vendors.  Coordinates regularly scheduled meetings with external product or service providers, in collaboration with internal product owners and IS Management, to review performance to service levels.

Talent Management:

• Demonstrates a commitment to employee professional development by providing opportunities for assuming new and varied responsibilities, training and development, and coaching and mentoring by management and staff - 
  • Recruits and develops IS leaders and staff to create a high-performing organization capable of supporting current systems while developing new skills needed to transform the IS organization and leverage next generation technologies.
  • Provides promotional and career development opportunities for IS employees within a system that includes career paths, succession plannng, and on-the-job training opportunities.
  • Conducts regular performance appraisals and recommends appropriate personnel actions.
  • Provides effective on-boarding and on-going coaching, mentoring, and feedback to improve performance, foster personal growth, and let employees know they are valued.
  • Creates a team-oriented, professional work environment providing the requisite challenges to retain talented IS professionals.
  • Contribues to the design of recognition systems that reward employees for their contributions.
  • Demonstrates a commitment to personal development by maintaining professional knowledge of current trends and developments in the information technology and health care industries through related seminars, independent study, professional associations, and conferences.

Universal Criteria:

• Ensures utilization of ECU Health's IS project management methodology to improve processes to select, prioritize and implement IS enabled business initiatives so they are delivered on-time, within budget and meet the stated business objectives.  Contributes to the on-going development of ECU Health's IS project management methodlology.
• Promotes the philosophical direction of ECU Health IS in the adoption of IT Service Management (ITSM) by managing team compliance with IS governance and ITSM processes and ensuring ITSM subject matter expertise within the team.
• Develops and maintains a culture that promotes service excellence and employee empowerment to act in the best interest of IS customers who are directly caring for our patients.
• Demonstrates commitment by promoting and adhering to the ECU Health Code of Conduct, which includes the objectives of ECU Health's compliance program, policies and procedures and ethichal business practices.  Promotes open, effective, and ongoing communication and the sharing of information among employees, and sets the expectation that matters of concern get reported immediately.
• Performs other duties as assigned by appropriate personnel.

Review of Agreements:

• Performs initial review of information technology agreements, including software license agreements, SaaS agreements, cloud service agreements, maintenance agreements, statements of work, business associate agreements, and vendor agreements.  Identifies and negotiates business, operational, privacy, security, cybersecurity, service level, data governance, and risk allocation provisions in collaboration with Legal, Supply Chain, Information Services, IT, Finance, Compliance, Risk Management, and operational stakeholders.

Contract Processes and Issues:

• Identifies contractual issues involving privacy, information security, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data use, reimbursement, and healthcare regulatory requirements and coordinates review with Legal, Compliance, Privacy, Finance, and Information Security leaders.
• Leads the administration and governance of the contract lifecycle management process for information services agreements, including contract intake, review, approval workflows, execution, amendments, renewals, terminations, and ongoing compliance monitoring.
• Develops and maintains contracting metrics, dashboards, and performance reports, including cycle times, renewal management, workload analysis, savings realization, compliance trends, and operational improvement opportunities.

• Bachelor's degree- or higher-  in business, healthcare administration, computer technology, information management or related field strongly desired.
• Three or more years of progressive experience with contract negotiation and management, procurement, spend forecasting, and support of product roadmaps in a healthcare IT environment.
• Direct experience with large vendor management of IT product and service providers.   Ideally with one or more of the following Cisco, EMC, HP, Dell, and Microsoft.
• Strong attention to detail as applied to contract language, software licensing, complex spreadsheets and statistical analysis as well as report generation.
• Developing strategy, negotiating partnerships and structuring agreements for a full range of products and services in the form of perpetual licenses, third party hosted (SaaS, cloud) solutions, hardware, and professional services.
• Experience with leasing arrangements for hardware purchases.
• Partnering with a wide variety of IT and business discipline experts in the establishment and enhancement of IT services and related technologies.
• Applying a strong understanding of ITIL frameworks and ITSM to the development and implementation of effective procurement and contracting with IT vendors and service providers.
• Acting as a single point of contact for other departments such IT, Legal, Procurement, Operational and Asset/Vendor Management resources on all portfolio matters.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively evaluate and negotiate strategic business partnerships.
• Knowledge of contemporary contract terms and conditions for IT related software, hardware and professional services including regulatory requirements, industry standards, payment terms, and performance commitments.
• Demonstrate knowledge of information technology contracting concepts, including software licensing, SaaS/cloud computing arrangements, data privacy and security requirements, business associate agreements, service level commitments, indemnification, limitation of liability, cybersecurity obligations, audit rights, intellectual property rights, and vendor risk management.
• Ability to influence, work with, and coordinate cross-functional teams of technical and non-technical staff to successfully achieve organizational goals and objectives.
• Ability to implement and continuously improve processes.
• Polished interpersonal skills to communicate tactfully, effectively and with discretion within all levels of management.
• Acute attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple assignments simultaneously.  Proven experience in maintaining schedules, documentation, communications, and meeting deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills.  A critical thinker who uses their expertise to make sound decisions.
• Ability to remain calm, helpful, and productive in all situations.  Is able to maintain composure under pressure.  Is seen as the voice of reason during difficult situations.
• Travel:
  • Frequency and duration of travel is dependent on organizational priorities and the need for face-to-face interaction with operating unit leadership and staff.  Travel to ECU Health Community Hospitals, Physician Practices and off-site locations.
  • Participation in vendor user groups, education forums and other professional associations may require out-of-town travel.

$96,824.00 - $141,123.84/year

• Hybrid role (based out of Greenville, NC)
• Monday - Friday full-time day shift
• Great Benefits

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About ECU Health

ECU Health is a mission-driven, 1,708-bed academic health care system serving more than 1.4 million people in 29 eastern North Carolina counties. The not-for-profit system is comprised of 13,000 team members, nine hospitals and a physician group that encompasses over 1,100 academic and community providers practicing in over 180 primary and specialty clinics located in more than 130 locations.

The flagship ECU Health Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center, and ECU Health Maynard Children’s Hospital serve as the primary teaching hospitals for the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine share a combined academic mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina through patient care, education and research.

It is the goal of ECU Health and its entities to employ the most qualified individual who best matches the requirements for the vacant position.

Offers of employment are subject to successful completion of all pre-employment screenings, which may include an occupational health screening, criminal record check, education, reference, and licensure verification.

We value diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Decisions of employment are made based on business needs, job requirements and applicant¿s qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, genetic information and testing, family and medical leave, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other status protected by law. We prohibit retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint.