Manager, IS Vendor & Contract

ECU Health

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.

Position Summary

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).

Responsibilities

• 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.
  • Reviews contract terms and conditions to mitigate risk.
  • Develops and implements negotiating and sourcing strategies that drive availability 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 & services that include, but are limited to, market scans, RFIs/RFPs, reference checks, site visits, and total cost of ownership analyses.
  • Assists in contract negotiations and on-boarding for assigned new vendors. Act as internal consultant to internal 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.
  • 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.

Minimum Requirements

• 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.
• 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.

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.

Other Information

Location - Greenville, NC - Hybrid 20% onsite

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General Statement

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.