Lead, IT Vendor Management

Job Summary

The Lead, IT Vendor Management is responsible for supporting the oversight, governance, and ongoing management of Porter Airlines’ technology vendor portfolio. Reporting to the Managing Director, IT Systems and Delivery, this role helps ensure IT vendor relationships are well structured, commercially managed, performance-driven, and aligned to Porter’s business and technology objectives. A key priority for this role is to strengthen Porter IT’s approach to managing existing vendor relationships, with a focus on strategic renewals, vendor performance, governance, cost optimization, and long-term value realization. Working closely with IT leadership, Procurement, Finance, Legal, and business stakeholders, the Lead supports renewal planning, commercial analysis, vendor negotiations, and the management of vendor commitments, risks, and improvement actions. The Lead also plays an important role in maturing vendor management practices across the IT organization. This includes maintaining a clear view of the IT vendor landscape, supporting vendor tiering, coordinating governance forums such as MBRs, QBRs, and Executive Business Reviews, and contributing to tools and standards such as scorecards, contract repositories, reporting templates, governance frameworks, and the IT vendor management playbook. Working cross-functionally with IT leadership, Procurement, and business stakeholders, this role ensures vendor relationships are structured, transparent, and effectively managed, while contributing to the ongoing development of vendor management processes, tools, and standards. Duties & Responsibilities Manage day-to-day relationships between Porter IT and technology vendors, ensuring alignment with contractual obligations, service expectations, business needs, and long-term value Develop account strategies for key strategic vendors, including relationship objectives, commercial posture, renewal outlook, roadmap alignment, performance risks, and opportunities to increase value Maintain a multi-year renewal roadmap for strategic IT contracts, ensuring sufficient lead time for stakeholder review, commercial planning, negotiation, and decision-making Coordinate contract lifecycle activities, including renewals, amendments, terminations, and related vendor actions, in partnership with IT stakeholders, Procurement, Finance, Legal, and other internal teams as required Support vendor negotiations by preparing renewal strategies, commercial objectives, benchmarking, spend analysis, risk considerations, and recommended options Identify and drive vendor value opportunities, including cost optimization, license optimization, service improvements, consolidation, demand management, innovation proposals, and capability uplift beyond baseline contractual commitments Maintain a centralized vendor inventory and contract repository, including key commercial terms, SLAs, renewal dates, vendor contacts, spend information, and governance requirements Support the development and refinement of Porter IT’s vendor tiering model, ensuring governance, performance tracking, and engagement cadence are aligned to vendor criticality, spend, risk, and strategic importance Coordinate vendor governance activities, including MBRs, QBRs, Executive Business Reviews, scorecards, stakeholder feedback, action registers, and follow-up on vendor commitments Track vendor performance against SLAs, KPIs, contractual commitments, and business expectations, ensuring gaps, risks, remediation plans, internal owners, vendor actions, due dates, and escalation paths are documented and managed Partner with IT leadership, Procurement, and Finance to support budget planning, financial tracking, vendor-related decision-making, and renewal prioritization Identify opportunities to rationalize, consolidate, expand, or exit existing vendor relationships based on performance, cost, risk, duplication, business value, and strategic fit Contribute to the continuous improvement of vendor management processes, governance frameworks, scorecards, templates, reporting, and the IT vendor management playbook Ensure vendor management activities and documentation align with internal policies, audit requirements, risk management expectations, and governance standards Actively participate in Porter's Safety Management System (SMS), including reporting hazards and incidents encountered in daily operations; understand, comply with, and promote the Company Safety Policy. Perform other duties as assigned by IT leadership Behavioural Competencies Concern for Safety: Identifying hazardous or potentially hazardous situations and taking appropriate action to maintain a safe environment for self and others. Teamwork: Working collaboratively with others to achieve organizational goals. Passenger/Customer Service: Providing service excellence to internal and/or external customers (passengers). Initiative: Dealing with situations and issues proactively and persistently, seizing opportunities that arise. Results Focus: Focusing efforts on achieving high quality results consistent with the organization’s standards. Fostering Communication: Listening and communicating openly, honestly, and respectfully with different audiences, promoting dialogue and building consensus. Qualifications Post-secondary education in Business, Supply Chain, Technology, or a related field 4–6+ years of experience in vendor management, procurement, IT operations, or a related role supporting third-party services Demonstrated experience supporting contract management activities, including renewals, amendments, or vendor negotiations Exposure to vendor spend management, budgeting, or cost optimization initiatives Strong understanding of service level agreements (SLAs), KPIs, and vendor performance tracking Experience leading, coordinating, or participating in vendor governance activities (e.g., vendor reviews, performance discussions) Proficiency in Google Suite and Microsoft Office tools Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple vendors, contracts, and competing priorities Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with experience working across IT, Procurement, and business teams Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data and support decision-making Ability to balance operational execution with continuous improvement, including identifying opportunities to enhance processes or reduce costs Collaborative, proactive mindset with a focus on accountability and follow-through Familiarity with vendor scorecards, contract tracking tools, or governance frameworks is an asset Experience in a regulated or operationally complex environment (e.g., aviation, transportation, financial services) is an asset