Description
Summary
Purpose:
This role is accountable for ensuring the successful management and assurance of a number of key technology suppliers underpinning the execution of daily operations or transformational change activities that are operated from the technology functions (Enterprise and Assessment Technology) within AQA Education.
You will maintain an enterprise-wide view of key supplier deliveries enabling AQA to determine operational benefit, delivery against performance and quality metrics and overall value for money against agreed standards and industry benchmarks ensuring AQA continues to benefit from its investments with 3rd party partnerships.Landscape:
The Enterprise Technology Division sits within the Group Corporate Services Division enabling the centralised delivery of core corporate services. In addition, Enterprise Technology operates in close partnership with Assessment Technology and Programme Management collectively delivering the full IT service portfolio of current operations to future change programmes.
This is a standalone role that reports to the Director of Enterprise Technology with a dotted reporting line to Chief Assessment Technology officer representing Assessment Technology.
The technology suppliers you will be engaged with represent multi-million per annum engagements covering managed services, development services and core technology commodity provisions.
Due to this role and function accountabilities, regular stakeholder engagement across all levels and all AQA UK locations is required with infrequent international travel where required.
Key relationships
Key internal AQA Education relationships:
AQA Divisional Heads / Cx Levels
Enterprise Technology functions
AQA Assessment Technology & Programme Management Leadership / Functions
AQA Commercial services teams
Procurement and finance teams
Key external relationships:
Third party technology providers - incorporating strategic, account and operational levels.
Activities:
Proactive management of key 3rd party strategic technology suppliers, ensuring delivery of services to required level of quality and achievement against defined SLA’s, KPIs and other captured supplier responsibilities / obligations
Define operational performance standards and monitor and report on the performance and quality of service provision to internal stakeholders, proactively managing identified issues and risks to service performance
Active stakeholder management to collaboratively engage and also challenge stakeholders/ suppliers of all levels, both internal and 3rd party
Active internal stakeholder management, incorporating supplier performance reporting to ensure internal AQA visibility and alignment to supplier performance realities, providing balanced analysis highlighting areas for concern or exceeding performance
Act as escalation point for supplier issues, including any major incidents if the need arises
Support the embedding of continuous service improvements, balanced scorecards, risk / reward approaches to further strengthen supplier partnerships where feasible / advised
Oversight of strategic supplier service delivery against technology strategy and defined outcomes incorporating service levels and technology roadmap execution, to determine supplier quality and value for money on behalf of both Assessment technology, and Enterprise Technology functions
In partnership with Procurement teams, input to sourcing activities, RFI / RFP projects, contracts, supplier agreements and Technology Category planning to deliver AQA with products and services to agreed timescales, quality and standards
Managing supplier accounts effectively ensuring that objectives are delivered and inform the budget process, whilst enabling effective review of return on investment
Establish strong partnership links with suppliers to ensure continued operational success and overall benefit for AQA
Perform assurance reviews to contractual performance, including benchmarking activities to ensure continued supplier competitiveness and value for money
Advise and shape the optimum supplier strategy, landscape and roadmap, optimising technology outcomes via a mix of internal and supplier based capabilities
Advise and guide technology teams and leaders to optimal or recommended actions to supplier related challenges as the need arise, increasing the overall supplier mgmt. maturity across both Enterprise and Assessment technology divisions.
To be successful in this role, you will need to demonstrate:
Essential Criteria
Strong and proven expertise of supplier relationship / account management and working with 3rd party delivery partners to ensure optimal outcomes
Proven expertise in managing technology suppliers including the appreciation of technology centric commercial agreements
Excellent communication and negotiation skills, able to challenge, negotiate with and influence stakeholders at all levels to achieve desired outcomes
Able to resolve issues proactively and pragmatically through cross organisational working
Strong Financial analysis and budgeting
Business case management incorporating, creation, sponsoring and lobbying
Strong Contract management, oversight and reporting
Responsive to short-term challenges/priorities whilst holding to clear strategy and direction
Organises and plans effectively whilst retaining focus on the bigger picture
Proven expertise in identifying and improving high level processes and ways of working
Aptitude for sharing and embedding best practice
Excellent delivery credentials, with a flexible, pragmatic “can do” attitude
Desirable Criteria
Knowledge of AQA suite of products, customer and market influences, and the environment in which AQA operates