About the team and the role
At Mencap, technology plays a vital role in enabling the organisation to deliver its mission and provide high-quality services and support. To do this effectively, we rely on a wide range of external technology partners who provide critical systems, cloud services, infrastructure, connectivity, software, cybersecurity services and specialist expertise.
We're looking for a Vendor & Contract Manager to join our Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) team. Reporting to the Head of Enterprise Governance, this is a strategic, high-impact role focused on ensuring that Mencap's technology suppliers deliver value, performance and resilience across our most business-critical services.
As the commercial and relationship lead for Mencap's key technology vendors, you'll be responsible for managing contracts and supplier governance across our Tier 1 technology estate. You'll build strong partnerships with suppliers, drive accountability for contractual performance, and help ensure our technology investments support organisational priorities while delivering value for money.
Working closely with colleagues across DDaT, Procurement, Finance, Legal, Information Security and Enterprise Governance, you'll lead technology procurement and contract activity throughout the entire supplier lifecycle, from market engagement and contract negotiation through to renewal, re-procurement and exit planning. You'll also play an important role in identifying opportunities to optimise costs, reduce supplier risk and strengthen governance, including across emerging technology and AI services.
This role sits within the Enterprise Governance function and provides a key link between technology, commercial management and organisational risk. While you will own supplier relationships and technology contracts, responsibility for day-to-day service delivery, technical assurance and product ownership remains with the relevant service and technology teams. This gives you the opportunity to focus on strategic supplier management, commercial value and governance while working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders across Mencap.
If you enjoy building trusted supplier relationships, negotiating commercial outcomes and ensuring technology partners help organisations succeed, this is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact at Mencap.
Do you have the skills and experience
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- Significant experience in IT contract management, technology procurement, vendor management or strategic supplier relationship management.
- Experience managing business-critical suppliers across enterprise SaaS, cloud, infrastructure, connectivity, telecommunications, security, licensing or professional services.
- Demonstrable experience managing the complete contract lifecycle, including sourcing, negotiation, mobilisation, performance, variation, renewal, dispute and exit.
- Strong commercial understanding of technology contracts, licensing, SLAs, KPIs, service credits, liabilities, assurance obligations and termination provisions.
- Experience leading procurement activity within organisational policies and guardrails, including evaluation and due-diligence processes.
- Ability to work effectively with Legal, recognising that Legal retains authority over contractual interpretation, terms and signature.
- Experience working with Finance and budget holders on affordability, commitments, forecasting, value for money and cost optimisation.
- Experience establishing contract-management plans and strategic supplier-governance arrangements.
- Ability to distinguish contract ownership, service ownership, delivery coordination and technical assurance.
- Experience addressing poor performance and using contractual and relationship-management mechanisms proportionately.
- Understanding of technology, information-security, data-protection, resilience and supplier-concentration risks.
- Strong negotiation, stakeholder-management and conflict-resolution skills, with the ability to explain commercial risk to senior decision-makers.
- Strong attention to contractual evidence, deadlines, obligations and decision records.
- Commitment to ethical, transparent and value-focused management of Mencap’s technology supply chain.
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We offer flexible working at Mencap, with a mixture of home and office-based working, the successful candidate will be based from our Peterborough office 2 times per week. The role may also require ad-hoc travel to other Mencap locations to support service delivery.
Application Closing Date / Interview Dates
This role will close on 18th October . Interviews will be conducted from the week commencing 26th October and 2nd November.
Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated.
Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high-street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest-free loans, and many more exciting offerings.
For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!
Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.
We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in.
At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues.
Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.
· Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation.
· Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes
· Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.
We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies.
We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.