Director, Technology Vendor Management

Definity is the parent company to some of Canada’s most long-standing and innovative insurance brands, including Economical Insurance, Sonnet Insurance, Family Insurance Solutions, and Petline Insurance. Our ambition is to be one of Canada’s leading and most innovative property and casualty insurers. We can’t do that without our people, so we embrace and encourage a culture that’s collaborative, ambitious, rewarding, and empowering.

We offer a flexible, hybrid work experience where employees work from the office and virtually depending on the type of work they are doing and who they are working with. Bring your true self and be a part of our journey. It’s better here.

The Director, Technology of Vendor Management is accountable for the long-term oversight, governance, planning, and continuous improvement of the TS vendor governance function. The Director is a key contributor to the TS Senior Leadership Team and plays a crucial role in the Enterprise strategy as we increasingly build business capabilities through SaaS / PaaS / IaaS-based technology; maintaining strong relationships with these critical providers will be essential for delivering business growth at scale. In particular, the Director will be expected to closely engage with our strategic vendors to support senior technology leadership and Enterprise governance functions with ensuring long-term value and benefit realization from these partnerships. 

Leading a team of Vendor Managers, the Director will also be responsible for defining and executing operational initiatives to mature existing TS vendor management practices and implement a strategic governance framework to respond to new and emerging regulatory requirements. 

Strategy & Planning:

• Lead TS vendor strategy in partnership with Enterprise Procurement (EP), ERM, and TS Security.
• Incorporate industry trends and best practices into TS partnership practices.
• Identify opportunities to reduce / streamline the TS vendor landscape and realize expense savings.
• Provide strategic analysis of TS OPEX to inform annual portfolio planning and business planning.
• Partner with EP to refine TS vendor management lifecycle to meet regulatory requirements.
• Where required, support business case development for strategic changes to vendor landscape.

Execution and Delivery Leadership:

• Partner with EP, Vendor Operations, and TS Business Management to ensure contracts are completed in alignment with Definity policies and TS strategy / funding.
• Oversee CTO approval process, ensuring that new deals and renewals are reviewed prior to deadlines.
• Senior TS point of contact with Enterprise Procurement, escalating blockers / issues back to TS sponsors.
• Senior TS point of contact for third-party risk and TS cyber and information security functions.
• Participate and support TS SLT sponsors during tier 1 and tier 2 contracts negotiations.
• Promote continuous improvement within TS and EP teams; support the internal teams to resolve issues / risks in upcoming new deals, renewals, or external staff onboarding.
• Directly engage and partner with procurement leaders to coordinate upcoming critical renewals / new deals.
• Where required, ensure that critical vendor agreements are supported by a business case / CTO approval.
• Support ad-hoc requests, reporting (e.g., SLAs), and analysis from TS Senior Leadership

Governance:

• With EP, coordinate and facilitate quarterly business reviews with tier 1 and tier 2 vendors, and on an on-going basis, re-evaluate QBR governance process and cadence with senior leadership.
• Lead monthly and weekly operational reviews with TS Leaders, ensuring that Leaders are aware of key upcoming renewals and existing new deals in the EP pipeline.
• With TS Leadership, define and implement governance structure for TS strategic partners.

Financial Management:

• Senior TS point of contact for Tier 1 and 2 vendor financial management
• Partnering with TS Business Management team, support vendor financial disputes, quarterly and year-end accrual submissions, financial approvals and business case development, and long-term forecasting.
• Support annual TS OPEX business planning; input into FY outer year planning and forecasting by vendor.

People Management & Development:

• Lead and support a matrix function of Vendor Managers and Vendor Analysts to support day-to-day activities and long-term objectives of Definity’s TS organization.
• Develops, coaches / mentors, and manages team and direct-report performance, ensuring achievement of both individual development goals and TS objectives.
• Responsible for the professional growth of team members in the tradition of Definity’s employee culture of diversity, inclusiveness, wellness, and job-satisfaction
• Provides leadership to attract and retain high-quality talent.
• Promotes and supports an environment that encourages productivity, collaboration, teamwork, and a high level of professionalism.
• Promotes Definity’s Code of Business Conduct and values, and models behaviours that align to these principles.

WHAT DO YOU BRING TO THIS ROLE?

• University degree or college diploma in business administration, engineering, computer science, information systems, or a related discipline
• 10+ years of experience in vendor management or IT procurement
• 5+ years of experience in people management and team development
• Experience in applying vendor management principles in financial services IT domains
• Deep, practical understanding of contract lifecycle management in financials service 
• Experience in Canadian P&C insurance is considered an asset
• Experience engaging and negotiating with senior vendor partners and leaders
• Experience in partnering with procurement teams in a technology / application development domain
• Experience leading a change mgmt. agenda, with ability to influence at multiple levels of the organization
• Demonstrated outcomes articulating and delivering on Vendor Management strategies
• First-hand experience leading, developing and implementing vendor management practices and frameworks
• Experience in independently driving change within complex matrix organizations
• Experience in supporting business and technology teams in RFPs and RFIs
• Ability to work closely with both business and technical resources at all levels
• Ability to document, analyze and recommend contracting and vendor management approaches that improve overall business profitability and business/technology operating effectiveness
• Strong analytical thinking and planning skills with the ability to work in a dynamic, complex, fast-paced environment, to adapt quickly and to manage changing priorities
• Self-motivated and proactive, with respect to both managing workload and professional development
• Demonstrated leadership ability and initiative, where independent thinking and action is a constant
• Strong business and consultative skills to bridge the dialogue between long-term business decisions and technology architecture direction
• Collaborate across all levels while respectful to opinions
• Ability to influence and effectively negotiate with stakeholders
• Strong people management, change management, and leadership skills with the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with business partners, vendors, and TS teams
• Demonstrated ability to effectively lead a team in delivering timely and high-quality outputs

Interested in this role, but don't meet every requirement? We encourage you to apply! We know from experience that a candidate doesn't need 100% of the qualifications listed to bring incredible value to our team. We're actively seeking diverse backgrounds and perspectives to help us make insurance better. At Definity, inclusion, diversity, and equity aren't just "nice to have" — they're essential to our success.

What's in it for you?

• Hybrid work schedule for most roles
• Company share ownership program
• Pension and savings programs, with company-matched RRSP contributions
• Paid volunteer days and company matching on charitable donations
• Educational resources, tuition assistance, and paid time off to study for exams
• Focus on inclusion with employee groups, support for gender affirmation surgery, access to BIPOC counsellors, access to programs for working parents
• Wellness and recognition programs
• Discounts on products and services

Actual salary for the role may vary depending on work location of the successful candidate and other factors including but not limited to, skills, education, experience, working conditions and the local labour market.  In addition to base pay, eligible employees may participate in various incentive plans which are paid out at the discretion of the company and subject to individual and company performance.

Go ahead and expect a lot — you deserve it.
It's better here — but don't take our word for it. Definity was named by Great Place to Work® as one of the Best Workplaces™ in Canada for women, for youth, and for inclusion.

Our inclusive work environment welcomes diversity and supports accessibility. If you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process, please let us know by contacting [email protected].

Background checks
This role requires successful clearance of background checks (including criminal checks and leadership references).

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