About the Job
The Vendor Management and Strategic Sourcing Manager is accountable for shaping and executing our third-party strategy, covering sourcing, contracting, performance and risk management of key vendors across Group IT. The role partners with Business, IT, Risk, Compliance, Legal and Finance to optimise cost, strengthen vendor performance and ensure regulatory-compliant third-party risk management.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Sourcing and Category Management
- Develop and own multi-year category strategies (e.g. IT Operations, Infrastructure, Security, Professional Services) aligned to business and technology roadmaps and cost targets.
- Lead end-to-end sourcing initiatives – opportunity pipeline, market analysis, RFI/RFP, evaluation, negotiation, recommendation, and transition.
- Drive spend analysis and benchmarking to identify consolidation, standardisation and savings/value-creation opportunities across entities and markets.
- Act as lead negotiator for high-value, complex contracts, securing optimal pricing, SLAs, service credits and exit provisions.
Vendor Management & Performance
- Oversee the full vendor lifecycle from selection and onboarding through performance management, renewal, and exit.
- Establish and maintain vendor scorecards (KPIs, SLAs, risk, compliance, innovation), driving corrective action and remediation where required.
- Partner with Business and IT Owners to run Quarterly Business Reviews with strategic and critical vendors, to maximise value from key vendors, including innovation, service quality, and commercial optimisation.
Third-party Risk, Compliance & Governance
- Support due diligence, risk assessments and ongoing monitoring for material, critical and high-risk vendors in collaboration with Risk, Compliance, Information Security and Legal.
- Work with Risk and Compliance to ensure all third-party arrangements comply with internal policies, regulatory guidelines, audit requirements, and data/privacy obligations.
- Prepare metrics and reports (KPIs/KRIs, incidents, remediation status) for Sourcing Lead to present to senior GIT management and governance forums/committees.
Stakeholder & Change Leadership
- Act as the trusted advisor to IT Owners on make-vs-buy decisions, sourcing strategies, and vendor choices.
- Execute standardised sourcing and vendor management processes, tools and templates across entities and markets.
- Influence culture towards disciplined demand management, responsible outsourcing, and value-driven vendor relationships.
We are looking for people who
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Law, IT, Supply Chain or related disciplines.
- 8 to 10 years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, operations and/or vendor management, with significant experience in banking, insurance, or other highly regulated financial services.
- Proven track record of leading large, complex sourcing programmes and multi-year strategic vendor contracts, with measurable savings, value delivery, and risk reduction.
- Deep understanding of third-party risk and outsourcing frameworks, including due diligence, ongoing monitoring, remediation and exit planning.
- Professional certifications in procurement or third-party risk management is highly desirable.
- Strong team player with attention to detail, resilience under pressure and an adaptable and resourceful mindset.
- Ability to work autonomously and effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities.
- Strong communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
- Structured, data-driven, outcome-focused with high integrity and resilience.
How you succeed
- Champion and embody our Core Values in everyday tasks and interactions.
- Demonstrate high level of integrity and accountability.
- Take initiative to drive improvements and embrace change.
- Take accountability of business and regulatory compliance risks, implementing measures to mitigate them effectively.
- Keep abreast with industry trends, regulatory compliance, and emerging threats and technologies to understand and highlight potential concerns/ risks to safeguard our company proactively.
Who we are
Founded in 1908, Great Eastern is a well-established market leader and trusted brand in Singapore and Malaysia. With over S$100 billion in assets and more than 16 million policyholders, including 12.5 million from government schemes, it provides insurance solutions to customers through three successful distribution channels – a tied agency force, bancassurance, and financial advisory firm Great Eastern Financial Advisers. The Group also operates in Indonesia and Brunei.
The Great Eastern Life Assurance Company Limited and Great Eastern General Insurance Limited have been assigned the financial strength and counterparty credit ratings of AA- by S&P Global Ratings since 2010, one of the highest among Asian life insurance companies. Great Eastern's asset management subsidiary, Lion Global Investors Limited, is one of the leading asset management companies in Southeast Asia.
Great Eastern is a subsidiary of OCBC, the longest established Singapore bank, formed in 1932. It is the second largest financial services group in Southeast Asia by assets and one of the world's most highly-rated banks, with an Aa1 rating from Moody's and AA- by both Fitch and S&P. Recognised for its financial strength and stability, OCBC is consistently ranked among the World's Top 50 Safest Banks by Global Finance and has been named Best Managed Bank in Singapore by The Asian Banker.
To all recruitment agencies: Great Eastern does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our email or our employees. We will not be responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.
