Vendor Technology Manager

The Vendor Technology Manager is responsible for organizing, leading, and coordinating the vendor and technology management activities as they pertain to our clients, business partners, agents, operations and company strategic goals. They will support various teams, including Innovations, Solutions, Operations, and Engineering as needed.

Job Responsibilities

Vendor Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary contact point between the vendors and solutions teams; work with Product, Engineering, Operations groups to understand the current platform issues and future needs and communicate that to the vendor teams
• Support executive leadership on contracts, negotiations, financial impact decisions
• Ensures that expectations are set with the vendors regarding the SLAs and appropriate steps are taken if SLAs are not met; Provide metrics in support of Vendor SLA Management
• Schedule and facilitate negotiations, communications, testing, and releases between internal stakeholders and vendor support
• Support executive leadership on contracts, negotiations, financial impact decisions

Platform Support

• Partner with vendors to schedule/coordinate and monitor system work and releases
• Coordinate internal testing/validation of technology delivered by vendors
• Ensure vendor technology deliverables are met and escalate to the appropriate leaders when needed
• Validate actual system issue / request needs and communicate to vendor via designated tools and processes
• Intake and triage of day-to-day tactical issues / change requests from system users
• Classify issues from requests and prioritize both based on business needs/knowledge and ensure they clearly communicate the business problem to solve
• Track and monitor progress of issues and report status to key internal and external stakeholders on a recurring basis
• Facilitate/translate information exchange between system users and technology team to ensure the issues/requests are truly addressed

Strategic Leadership

• Support product, engineering, and operations teams on strategic alignment between business needs and technology platforms
• Build, manage, and promote system/platform roadmaps; identify platform specific initiatives to support future strategy
• Ensure business cases are completed and that resources are appropriately procured/allocated to deliver

Basic Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in external vendor relationship management
• 3+ years of experience in project management
• Excellent communication – able to articulate complex concepts into simple terms for broad audiences and able to communicate at all levels; active listening
• Effective time management, ability to prioritize from a wide array of tasks with a sense of urgency. Ability to work with frequent interruptions and under deadlines
• Experience with vendor management, including establishing contracts and negotiating terms
• Experience with software delivery lifecycle/processes – preferably release management or software project management; ability to elicit true user requirements and articulate them to technology teams effectively
• Ability to work under pressure and balance multiple projects/tasks at one time
• Ability to work collaboratively with others to generate ideas or resolve problems
• Ability to present a professional image and to encourage team members to do the same
• Ability to establish courses of action for self and staff to ensure efficient completion of work
• Leadership abilities to inspire and coach employees to accomplish strategic goals and related tasks
• Able to learn/absorb new information/processes/technologies quickly and effectively
• Ability to process complex time sensitive data and information from multiple sources, make decisions based on this data, and effectively communicate the related required actions to a broad audience
• Working knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite and project management tools

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• SAFe or other Agile certifications

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Pay Range:

Any posted pay range considers a wide range of compensation factors, including candidate background, experience and work location, while also allowing for salary growth within the position.

Expected application deadline is

If date is blank then this is a pipeline requisition, and we will continue to collect applications on an ongoing basis.

Helping People Thrive in a Connected World
Connect with us. Bring us your best work and your brightest ideas. And we’ll bring you a place where you can thrive. Learn more at jobs.assurant.com.

For U.S. benefit information, visit myassurantbenefits.com. For benefit information outside the U.S., please speak with your recruiter.

What’s the culture like at Assurant?
Our unique culture is a big reason why talented people choose Assurant. Named a Best/Great Place to Work in 13 countries and awarded the Fortune America’s Most Innovative Companies recognition in 2023, we bring together top talent around the world. Although we have a wide variety of skills and experiences, we share common characteristics that are uniquely Assurant. A passion for service. An ability to innovate in practical ways. And a willingness to take chances. We call our culture The Assurant Way.

Company Overview
Assurant is a leading global business services company that supports, protects, and connects major consumer purchases. A Fortune 500 company with a presence in 21 countries, Assurant supports the advancement of the connected world by partnering with the world’s leading brands to develop innovative solutions and deliver an enhanced customer experience through mobile device solutions, extended service contracts, vehicle protection services, renters insurance, lender-placed insurance products, and other specialty products.

Equal Opportunity Statement
Assurant is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not use or consider race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law in employment decisions.