Join the AO Foundation: Transforming Surgery–Changing Lives as an IT Vendor Management Specialist. In this role, you will be responsible for the strategic, operational, and financial management of all external IT partners, service providers, and technology vendors for the AO IT organization. You will ensure vendor services meet our high standards for quality, security, cost efficiency, compliance, and performance.

What You'll Do

Develop, implement, and continuously improve the AO's vendor management framework, including policies, governance, and lifecycle management.
Drive vendor consolidation and change vendor delivery methods from staff augmentation to a managed work approach.
Lead the full vendor lifecycle: sourcing, evaluation, onboarding, contracting, performance management, renewal, and offboarding.
Ensure compliance with AO information security and regulatory requirements, including periodic vendor audits and assessments.
Oversee contract negotiations in cooperation with procurement to secure cost-effective, high-quality services.
Manage vendor-related budgeting, financial forecasting, spend tracking, and cost optimization.
Define service levels, KPIs, OLAs, and performance measures for all external providers.
Conduct structured performance reviews with vendors, including escalations and corrective action plans.
Ensure all vendors adhere to AO's Information Security Policy, IAM requirements, data protection standards, and incident response expectations.
Work with the IT Security Manager to manage vendor-related risk assessments, security audits, and continuous improvement measures.
Act as the primary strategic contact for all key IT vendors and service providers.
Provide regular performance, financial, and risk reporting to IT Leadership and relevant governance bodies.

What We're Looking For

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field.
Minimum 4 years of experience in IT vendor management.
Proven experience managing complex vendor ecosystems, including cloud, managed services, workplace, and infrastructure providers.
Experience in audit-driven environments and security-sensitive operational contexts.
Fluency in English (written and spoken).
Required time in Davos AO Headquarters: minimum 3 full working days per week.
Strong expertise in IT vendor management, IT contract negotiation, and commercial governance.
Excellent knowledge of IT service management frameworks (ITIL), SLA models, and performance management.
Solid understanding of IT security, IAM, compliance standards, and risk management.
Strong communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret complex operational and commercial data.
Ability to manage multi-vendor environments and resolve escalations in a structured and collaborative manner.

Nice to Have

Additional training in negotiation, contract law, or financial management is an advantage.
German language skills are a strong asset.
Experience with Microsoft license models (Azure, MS365).

Team & Environment

You will collaborate closely with Procurement, Security, IT Architecture, Infrastructure, IT Business Applications, Service Desk, and key business stakeholders.