Associate, Vendor Management

Job Description

About Us

Founded in 2014, Circles is a global technology company reimagining the telco industry with its SaaS platform - Circles X, helping telco operators launch and operate successful digital brands through its offerings.

Having pioneered a successful blueprint for disrupting the telco space in Singapore, Circles has since launched its own digital telco, Circles.Life, in Singapore, Taiwan and Australia. Circles has also partnered with other telco operators to launch digital services, enabling our partners to accelerate growth and capture market share within a short period of time.

Today, Circles is partnering with operators in 14 countries to deliver delightful digital experiences to millions of people through our businesses.

We are backed by global investors such as Sequoia, Warburg Pincus, EDBI Singapore and Founders Fund renowned backers of industry-shaking innovators.

Job Summary:

We are seeking a strategic and detail-oriented Vendor and Contract Manager with a specialization in Technology Spend Management. This role will be responsible for managing the lifecycle of vendor relationships, negotiating and administering IT-related contracts, and optimizing technology-related spend across the organization. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills, with a thorough understanding of IT procurement, SaaS contracts, and vendor performance management.

Key Responsibilities:

- Vendor Management

- Establish and maintain strategic relationships with technology vendors and service providers.

- Develop and implement vendor performance and risk management frameworks.

- Monitor vendor compliance with contract terms, SLAs, and KPIs.

- Facilitate regular vendor reviews and business reviews.

- Contract Lifecycle Management

- Lead contract negotiations and renewals, ensuring favorable terms and risk mitigation.

- Draft, review, and manage contracts for software, hardware, cloud services, consulting, and telecom.

- Coordinate with legal, compliance, and finance teams to ensure contract alignment with organizational policies.

- Maintain a centralized repository of vendor agreements and contract data.

- Technology Spend Optimization

- Analyze IT spending patterns to identify cost-saving opportunities.

- Support budgeting and forecasting for IT spend categories.

- Work with internal stakeholders (IT, Finance, Legal, etc.) to align purchasing strategies with business goals.

- Track software license usage to prevent overages and ensure compliance.

- Governance and Risk Management

- Ensure procurement practices adhere to regulatory, legal, and internal policy requirements.

- Conduct due diligence and risk assessments for new and existing vendors.

- Support audit requests and data analysis related to vendor and contract management.

Qualifications:Education and Experience

- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Information Technology, Supply Chain, or a related field.

- 5+ years of experience in vendor or contract management, preferably in IT or technology services.

- Strong understanding of SaaS, IaaS, PaaS licensing models, cloud services, and IT infrastructure.

Skills and Competencies

- Proven negotiation and contract management skills.

- Deep knowledge of technology procurement processes and tools.

- Ability to interpret complex contract terms and conditions.

- Experience with vendor management tools (e.g., SAP Ariba, Coupa, ServiceNow, or similar).

- Strong analytical skills and proficiency in Excel or other spend analytics tools.

- Excellent interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Professional certifications (e.g., CPM, CPSM, ITIL, or equivalent).

- Experience in global vendor management or working in a multinational environment.

- Familiarity with data privacy, cybersecurity, and third-party risk standards.