IT Analyst – Vendor Coordination Lead

Awarded a Healthiest Employer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona aims to fulfill its mission to inspire health and make it easy. AZ Blue offers a variety of health insurance products and services to meet the diverse needs of individuals, families, and small and large businesses as well as providing information and tools to help individuals make better health decisions.

We are hiring for a future start date of 1/1/2025.

This position is hybrid within the state of AZ only.  This hybrid work opportunity requires residency, and work to be performed, within the State of Arizona.

• Develop an intake form and process to work with teams for contractor/vendor onboard requests. (Requests for Proposals (RFP) requests) 
  • Host monthly meetings to present available work/RFP requests for vendors
  • Develop and Maintain technical understanding of requests to coordinate communication between vendors and IT managers and Senior Leadership
• Work with Vendors to collaborate on the best skill set​ needed for RFP
  • Work with internal (e.g. development) teams to assess the skill set of the contractor and model for onshore vs offshore​
  • Work with our procurement organization to collaborate on RFPs and other work solicitation  
• Initiate Statements of Work (SOW), gather key information, drive approvals​ and track signatures.  Use and improve our existing workflows.
• Onboard contractors and initial access requests to ensure timely prodcutivity​  
• Own invoicing to project budget –  Work with our financial partner and our vendor management Sr. Analyst
  • Drive Invoice Approve, work with IT purchase team on PO and payment approvals.
  • Track and maintain understanding of open invoices to avoid 
• Collaborate with our vendor manager on our relationship with our vendors
  • Attend all key vendor meetings (e.g. Quarterly Business Reviews (QBR))
  • Handle escalations and contractor quality issues
• Develop keen understanding of our vendor environment.
• Measure and drive continuous improvement across our vendor related processes
• Work with IT leaders and Managers to improve or vendor management and outcomes.
• Drive a transparent view of current performance, status, monitoring and reporting key indicators and leading the resolution of issues.
  • Create Executive appropriate reporting to show progress and results
• Jointly Establish, drive and evolve regular Vendor reviews including monthly (performance and financial), Quarterly (Performance tending, roadmaps, contractual)
• Work with IT management to track, review, and deploy new demands for work
• Complete Regular assessments as part of our Risk Management activities including periodic reports, audits, etc
• Drive integrated teams to deliver business process and technology solutions in support of key internal initiatives by working closely with stakeholders, architects, developers and vendors.
• Establish Vendor onboarding practices, templates, policies, tools and partnerships to expand and mature these capabilities for the organization in an agile and scalable fashion.
• Employ strong experience presenting to executive sponsors and demonstrate communication skills; both written and oral with technical and non-technical staff, all levels of management.
• Influence and gain buy-in from executive sponsors, IT managers, vendor executives, team members, stakeholders and peers.
• Assist leadership with annual budget and monthly forecast cycles.
• Coach, mentor, motivate vendors to achieve maximum results

OVERALL

• Manage use of corporate funds including budgeting, financial management, and reporting. Identify opportunities to achieve administrative efficiencies while maintaining service.
• Maintain effective working relationships to ensure teamwork in achieving corporate goals.
• Participate in strategic planning activities and contribute to departmental and cross-functional teams to achieve BCBSAZ goals and ensure future success.
• Support BCBSAZ’s Core Value of maintaining a heritage of service by volunteering within the community.
• The position requires a full-time work schedule. Full-time is defined as working at least 40 hours per week, plus any additional hours as requested or as needed to meet business requirements.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Required Job Skills

• Strong written and verbal communications.
• Intermediate PC proficiency.
• Intermediate skill in use of office equipment, including copiers, fax machines, scanner and telephones.
• Intermediate skill in word processing, spreadsheet and database software.
• Demonstrated ability to conceptualize and contribute to the delivery of multiple technology projects.
• Experience working with high volume, transactional, large capacity systems in a 24x7 environment.
• Familiarity with SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) Methodologies, Agile, SCRUM, Waterfall and Lean Six Sigma
• Experience with Project Management (PM), Project Portfolio Management (PPM) and Collaboration tools; MS Teams, MS Project, SharePoint Online
• Strong Business Acumen across multiple practices including, IT hardware/Asset Management, Vendor Management, Financial Management, Contracts Management (SLAs) and Operational Risk Management 
• Proven analytical skills and strategic thinking

Required Professional Competencies

• Management skills in an operationally changing environment, with drive for results and success based on planned objectives.
• Lead effectively in the midst of ambiguity, while providing clarity for the path forward. Drive cultural and operational change that results best practice, efficient enterprise project portfolio management, strategic planning technology roadmaps, and system development lifecycle execution. 
• Strong customer service skills.
• Interpersonal skills that allow for harmonious relationships with providers, members and coworkers.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and creative problem solving techniques in a highly complex environment using leading-edge technology and or/integrating diverse technology applications.
• Strong business acumen and experience communicating, networking, and influencing at all levels of the organization.
• Excellent communication skills. Ability to present and translate highly technical capabilities to business leaders in a way to gain understanding and to conceptualize business value.
• Recognize strategic opportunities and use data to make timely and sound decisions.
• Flexibility and willingness to adjust to shifting demands/priorities.
• High degree of comfort with business and technology language
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to communicate effectively at multiple levels of an organization (verbal and written) 

Required Leadership Experience and Competencies

• High standard of performance while pursuing aggressive goals
• Principled leadership and sound business ethics
• Self-motivated/directed person to embrace role and drive change 
• Comfortable interacting with multiple teams and leaders on a regular basis
• Ownership mentality with a deep sense of accountability over results
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to coach and mentor vendors to drive continuous improvement

PREFERRED COMPETENCIES

Preferred Job Skills

• Familiarity with Archer and other vendor management tools

Preferred Professional Competencies

• N/A    

Preferred Leadership Experience and Competencies

• N/A

Our Commitment

AZ Blue does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected group.

Thank you for your interest in Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.  For more information on our company, see azblue.com.  If interested in this position, please apply.