Director -Infrastructure Technology Vendor Management

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. From delivering differentiated products to providing world-class customer service, we operate with a strong risk mindset, ensuring we continue to uphold our brand promise of trust, security, and service.

Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.

As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career. Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.

We are seeking a strategic, execution-focused leader to oversee governance, commercial management, and performance accountability across our strategic infrastructure vendor portfolio. This role will play a critical part in strengthening operational resilience, optimizing commercial outcomes, and elevating vendor partnerships across the Technology organization.

About Technology Vendor Management (TVM)

Technology Vendor Management partners across Technology and the enterprise to maximize value from our most critical third-party relationships. As we continue to evolve toward our vision, TVM is focused on advancing Strategic Partnership & Value Creation, Risk & Resilience Leadership, and operational excellence & performance transparency.

The Director of Technology Vendor Management, Infrastructure will operationalize these pillars across telecom, networking, server, storage, data center, and managed services providers.

About the Role

The role will lead a small team of Vendor Managers responsible for end-to-end governance and performance management of strategic infrastructure suppliers, with the opportunity for growth.

This leader will ensure vendor relationships evolve beyond transactional oversight toward performance-driven, accountable partnerships aligned to enterprise technology objectives. The role oversees the vendor lifecycle (from contract execution and due diligence through performance governance and ongoing optimization) ensuring regulatory alignment while driving measurable business outcomes.

This is a Phoenix-based role operating in a hybrid work model.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Partnership & Value Creation

• Own governance and relationship management for a portfolio of strategic infrastructure vendors, ensuring alignment to enterprise technology priorities.

• Partner with internal Technology stakeholders to align demand planning, service expectations, and vendor roadmaps.

• Support joint business planning efforts and identify opportunities for service innovation and operational improvement.

• Drive commercial optimization through benchmarking, contract adherence, demand alignment, and supplier consolidation opportunities.

• Translate vendor performance and financial data into actionable insights and executive-ready reporting.

• Risk & Resilience Leadership

• Embed risk-based vendor lifecycle management practices in alignment with the Interagency Guidelines on Third-Party Risk Management.

• Ensure infrastructure vendors meet regulatory, security, and operational resilience standards.

• Oversee structured performance governance, including scorecards, service-level monitoring, and escalation frameworks.

• Support supplier redundancy and diversification strategies to mitigate concentration and operational risk.

• Lead resolution of escalated vendor performance or contractual disputes through formal governance channels.

• Operational Excellence & Performance Management

• Oversee contract compliance and commercial governance across telecom, networking, data center, server, storage, and managed services providers.

• Partner with Global Supply Management (GSM), the General Counsel’s Office, Compliance, Risk, and Finance teams to support sourcing events and complex negotiations.

• Ensure vendor performance frameworks are consistently applied and aligned to contractual obligations and enterprise standards.

• Drive transparency through consistent metrics, reporting, and structured Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs).

• Leverage analytics and vendor performance data to identify efficiency gains and service improvement opportunities.

• Team Leadership & Enterprise Collaboration

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of Infrastructure Vendor Managers.

• Establish clear performance expectations and foster a culture of accountability, strategic thinking, and continuous improvement.

• Promote cross-functional collaboration across Technology, Risk, Legal, GSM, and Finance stakeholders.

• Champion a learning culture focused on regulatory fluency, commercial acumen, and infrastructure domain expertise.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required.

• 8-12 years of experience in technology infrastructure vendor management, contract management, sourcing, procurement, and/or third-party risk management.

• 5+ years of leadership experience, including building and developing diverse, high-performing teams.

• Deep knowledge of infrastructure supplier ecosystems, including telecom, networking, data center, server, storage, and managed services providers.

• Experience operating in regulated, availability-critical environments.

• Strong understanding of vendor lifecycle management and regulatory expectations, including the Interagency Guidelines.

• Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority in a matrixed organization.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and executive communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MBA or equivalent).

• Experience managing a broad spectrum of infrastructure contracts and large-scale vendor portfolios.

• Experience supporting complex sourcing events and commercial negotiations.

• Familiarity with performance analytics tools and vendor scorecard methodologies.

Salary Range: $123,000.00 to $215,250.00 annually + bonus + equity (if applicable) + benefits

The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we’ll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors.

We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

• Competitive base salaries
• Bonus incentives
• 6% Company Match on retirement savings plan
• Free financial coaching and financial well-being support
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
• 20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location)
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program
• Career development and training opportunities

For a full list of Team Amex benefits, visit our Colleague Benefits Site.

American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law. American Express will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest or conviction records, in accordance with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including, but not limited to, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. For positions covered by federal and/or state banking regulations, American Express will comply with such regulations as it relates to the consideration of applicants with criminal convictions.

We back our colleagues with the support they need to thrive, professionally and personally. That's why we have Amex Flex, our enterprise working model that provides greater flexibility to colleagues while ensuring we preserve the important aspects of our unique in-person culture. Depending on role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite, in a hybrid model (combination of in-office and virtual days) or fully virtually.

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Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the United States is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.