Description
Overview
The IT Procurement Specialist is a liaison between third-party vendors and Grinnell Mutual’s internal Business Owners, stakeholders and end users that ensures the efficient acquisition of technology products, services, and solutions. This role is responsible for negotiating, processing, and managing vendor contracts, building, and maintaining vendor relationships, and developing sourcing strategies in order to optimize costs, mitigate risks, and ensure the organization has access to high quality technology solutions that drive the business forward.
This position qualifies for our flexible workplace options. Work at our Grinnell, Iowa, headquarters or from a home office in any of the following states:
Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Please note that candidates must be eligible to work in the U.S. without Grinnell Mutual sponsorship.
Responsibilities
- Acts as a liaison and subject matter expert regarding procurement and contract negotiation processes through collaboration with internal stakeholders (such as IT teams, finance, legal, project managers and business owner) while being Grinnell Mutual’s point of contact for third-party vendors.
- Performs vendor due diligence as member of internal stakeholder group that identifies, evaluates, and analyzes technology needs and requirements, as well as applicable vendors and solutions.
- Manages the end-to-end procurement process, from requirement gathering and RFP creation to vendor selection, contract negotiation and execution, and post-contract relationship management. This includes the identification and evaluation of potential vendors and solutions, coordinating key vendor interactions, negotiating pricing and contractual terms & conditions, facilitating contract execution, and ongoing contract management and vendor relationship management.
- Develops negotiation strategies with business owners and other internal stakeholders.
- Leads pricing and contract negotiations with vendors on behalf of Grinnell Mutual for the purchase of IT hardware and software solutions as well as other products and services.
- Maintains database of vendor information, vendor contracts, software licenses (including serial numbers, registration keys, etc.), and proof of purchase of technology solutions to ensure compliance with contracts and vendor requirements that enables uninterrupted use, avoids costly penalties, and mitigates third-party risk to Grinnell Mutual.
- Coordinates with internal Legal and Business Owner resources to ensure thorough review and approval of vendor contracts, such as Master Service Agreements, Terms of Service, EULAs, Statements of Work, Orders, and NDA’s. Ensures required agreements, signatures, and compliance language are in place prior to purchase, installation, and use of acquired technologies. Maintains and destroys contractual documents per Grinnell Mutual’s records retention policies.
- Mitigates third-party risks, such as penalties and service interruptions, related to technology usage by ensuring Grinnell Mutual’s compliance with software licensing and contractual obligations.
- Maintains understanding of industry trends, best practices, emerging technologies, and cyber security awareness in order to inform procurement decisions and ensure relevant contractual clauses are incorporated in Grinnell Mutual’s vendor contracts.
- Develops business-to-business purchasing relationships with vendors, and manages the relationships with various key vendors. Administers the accounts of several key vendors, which includes tracking product licensing, subscription terms, and usage.
- Monitors and assesses vendor performance, coordinates with internal stakeholders to identify and address issues that arise, and enforces vendor compliance with contractual obligations in order to mitigate risk and to foster strong, long-term vendor relationships.
- Manages timely renewals of subscription, maintenance, support, and service contracts to ensure continuous coverage and uninterrupted service, and handles non-renewals, terminations, and cancellations of contracts based on contractual terms, usage needs, vendor performance, or business decisions.
- Reviews and reconciles vendor invoices to ensure accuracy and consistency with applicable contracts and submits approved invoices for payment. Disputes inaccurate billing and seeks resolution from vendors. Tracks budget codes for software and technology products to ensure budgets are maintained.
- Assists Enterprise Solutions division with development and planning of annual budgets. Coordinates with Finance on cost allocations and show-back billing. Provides budget projections and analysis to stakeholders.
- Assists departments in obtaining necessary information to complete budget requests that include technology by researching and analyzing product solutions and pricing to fit the business need. Maintains documentation related to products in anticipation of future requests.
- Coordinates yearly true-up with key vendors, to ensure compliance and accurate accounting of licenses and the avoidance of legal penalties.
- Develops and maintains library of preferred contractual clauses through collaboration with Legal and Cyber Security teams.
- Research licensing inquiries to verify and ensure sufficient and appropriate licenses are in place for all software utilized by Grinnell Mutual.
- The team manages a total portfolio of approximately 250+ vendors and 300+ vendor contracts. An individual in this role manages an assigned portfolio of approximately 60-75 vendors and 80-100 vendor contracts.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Requirements
Qualifications
- Bachelors’ degree from an accredited college/university in business, insurance, information technology, or related field of study; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Three to five years’ experience managing enterprise IT hardware, software, and professional services contracts, statements of work and developing requests for proposals (RFPs) preferred. One to three years’ experience of corporate purchasing or IT procurement preferred.
- Negotiation experience and skills required. Demonstrated experience of basic procurement/purchasing, contract management, and vendor management principles preferred. Understanding of purchase, licensing, support/maintenance, and professional services contracts required.
- Professional certifications, such as Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and Associate in Information Technology (AIT), are a plus.
- Experience with various software licensing models, specifically SaaS, required.
- Proficient in Windows environment using Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint. Experience using Atlassian Jira Service Management or Jira Software applications is preferred.
- Thorough knowledge of Microsoft enterprise licensing structure preferred.
- Working knowledge of cloud computing technologies, VDI, IBM, Adobe licensing, insurance software solutions preferred.
- Experience in reading, redlining, and negotiating contracts. Must have ability to understand contractual language and communicate implications to stakeholders and maintain a very high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Ability to think logically and to continually use personal judgment, experience, known facts and figures to make decisions and address problems. Possesses sound analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work with customers and build relationships to evaluate business needs and potential technology solutions. Acts with diplomacy and consideration when evaluating requests and providing solutions.
- Excellent interpersonal verbal and written communication skills. Interacts positively with vendor representatives and internal personnel. Demonstrated interpersonal skills include active listening, customer service, relationship building skills to manage vendors and internal clients, familiarity with facts, accurate documentation, patience, resistance to stress, and persistence.
- Ability to present clear and concise information and respond to questions in one-on-one or group settings. Communication may be via the telephone phone, in person, electronic online meetings including collaboration apps, or in written correspondence.
- Ability to work independently and complete tasks in an unstructured environment with minimal supervision and frequent interruptions. Must be able to prioritize and balance multiple projects, business needs, and tasks that occasionally conflict.
- Ability to organize and manage multiple deadlines with multiple stakeholders and frequent interruptions.
- Strong math skills required including ability to calculate figures and amounts such as interest, proportions, and percentages.
- Requires regular and predictable attendance to meet the customer needs of the position.
- Must be able to maintain confidentiality and propriety information.
- Demonstrated ability to adhere to all Grinnell Mutual policies.
- Demonstrated ability to incorporate Grinnell Mutual core values in all areas work.
Working conditions and physical efforts
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each job duty and responsibility satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform job duties and responsibilities.
- Physically located in a remote office or at one of Grinnell Mutual’s campuses with a work environment of a typical office setting; work environment of a typical office setting; noise level is relatively quiet. All work arrangements must put the business needs of the organization first and ensure the coverage of all job duties.
- The position requires an individual to sit for long periods of time, use repetitive motion, and possess visual acuity demanded by work with computer and other LCD screen devices.
- Strong multi-tasking skills are essential for this position. Must be able to manage multiple deadlines at once and be able to operate with frequent interruptions.
This job description is not intended to describe, in detail, the multitude of tasks that may be assigned, but rather to give the employee a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of his/her position. As the nature of the business demands change, so too may the job duties and responsibilities.
