Vendor Manager – IoT Technology
: Job Details :

At Aeris, we are at the forefront of the IoT revolution, connecting more than 70 million cellular IoT devices globally in our IoT Platform Services via our telecom operator partners and enterprise customers, providing cutting-edge SaaS solutions that enable businesses to harness the power of connected devices. Our largest industry segments are Automotive, Utilities and Transport & Logistics, using eSIM technologies. Headquartered in Chicago with offices around the world, Aeris is the preeminent IoT software company globally powering critical projects across energy, connected vehicles, transportation, retail, healthcare and more.

Aeris provides a SaaS based connectivity management platform for mobile operators and enterprises. It enables organizations to realize new revenue streams from a vast variety of devices while simplifying the process and reducing the cost of connecting them to benefit from economies of scale. The platform provides access to key functionality including subscription management, eSIM/eUICC management via world class APIs and operator and enterprise self-service portals. This is built on core tenants of cloud computing and intelligence (AI/ML). And thanks to our deep expertise and our extensive trusted partner network, we are the go-to destination for those wishing to roll-out high quality global IoT deployment.

We are seeking a highly skilled and driven Vendor Manager to join our Technology team. This individual will manage strategic relationships with technology vendors supporting our IoT infrastructure, data centers, and engineering initiatives. A key focus of the role is identifying opportunities to optimize costs by leveraging software solutions to reduce hardware dependency while ensuring access to cutting-edge technologies that maintain our competitive edge.

Key Responsibilities:

Vendor Selection and Onboarding

• Identify, evaluate, and select vendors for technology needs, including engineering resource, hardware, software, cloud services, and network infrastructure.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to source vendors that support product development and innovation goals.
• Negotiate contracts, SLAs, and pricing to maximize value and minimize risk.
• Ensure seamless onboarding of vendors, integrating them into existing systems and workflows.

Cost Optimization and Technology Strategy

• Partner with engineering and product teams to leverage software solutions that reduce hardware costs while maintaining system performance and scalability.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate vendor services and optimize the technology stack to drive cost efficiencies.
• Analyze total cost of ownership (TCO) and ROI for technology investments and recommend strategies for optimization.

Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong partnerships with key vendor contacts, fostering collaboration and accountability.
• Act as the primary point of contact for vendor-related communications, issue resolution, and escalations.
• Conduct regular business reviews to assess vendor performance, identify improvement areas, and align with business objectives.

Performance Monitoring and Optimization

• Track and report vendor performance against SLAs, contractual obligations, and key metrics.
• Analyze vendor performance data to identify risks, trends, and opportunities for improvement.
• Implement performance enhancement strategies and cost-saving initiatives.

Contract Management

• Oversee the lifecycle of vendor contracts, including renewals, amendments, and terminations.
• Ensure compliance with contractual terms and conditions, identifying and mitigating risks proactively.

Collaboration and Communication

• Collaborate with engineering, operations, and product teams to ensure vendor solutions align with technical and business requirements.
• Communicate vendor performance, risks, and updates to relevant stakeholders effectively.
• Review and coordinate with the finance team to align budgets, track spending, and ensure financial accountability for vendor contracts.

Minimum Requirements:

• Experience: 8+ years in technology vendor management, including experience with engineering vendor management or sourcing vendors for R&D.
• Technical Knowledge: Strong understanding of IT infrastructure, software-defined solutions, and IoT technologies. Proven ability to assess software solutions that reduce hardware dependency and costs.
• Negotiation Skills: Demonstrated success in negotiating favorable contracts and SLAs.
• Analytical Abilities: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to interpret data, assess vendor performance, and drive decision-making.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills to influence stakeholders and build relationships.
• Organizational Skills: Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration, IT, engineering, or a related field.

Preferred Requirements:

• Experience managing global vendors for both engineering and IT needs.
• Familiarity with software-defined networking (SDN) or virtualization technologies.
• Certifications in vendor management or procurement.

The below range reflects the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may also be modified in the future. An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, any collective bargaining agreements, and business or organizational needs.

The salary range for this role is $120,000 to $150,000.

Aeris walks the walk on diversity. We are a brilliant mix of varying ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages and professional / personal / military experiences – and that's by design. Different perspectives are essential to our culture, innovative process and competitive edge. Aeris is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.