Head of IT Vendor and Procurement Management Jobs in Midrand

Dis-Chem Pharmacies Limited is looking for a Head of IT Vendor and Procurement Management for its Midrand operation. This senior role owns how the group’s technology vendors are chosen, managed and held to account, and makes sure IT spending delivers real value. Applications close on 13 November 2026.

About the company and the work

Dis-Chem Pharmacies Limited is one of South Africa’s best-known pharmacy and healthcare retailers, and its technology estate underpins stores, supply chains and customer services across the country. The Head of IT Vendor and Procurement Management establishes and leads the enterprise capability that governs how IT vendors are selected, onboarded, managed, measured, renewed, exited and commercially optimised. Reporting to the Group CIO, the role acts as the single point of accountability within IT for vendor lifecycle management, IT procurement governance, technology sourcing discipline, commercial performance and vendor value realisation. It partners closely with IT Demand and Delivery, Enterprise Architecture, Group Procurement, Legal, Finance, Information Security, Risk and Compliance, and platform and service-unit leaders, so that sourcing decisions are transparent, compliant, commercially sound and strategically aligned.

Role details and duties

The role covers vendor strategy and lifecycle management: defining and leading the IT vendor management strategy, operating model, standards and governance practices; segmenting vendors by strategic importance, business criticality, spend, risk and operational dependency; establishing lifecycle practices covering selection, due diligence, onboarding, relationship management, renewal and exit; and keeping visibility of strategic, preferred, tactical and high-risk vendors while aligning vendor strategies to the enterprise architecture direction and platform roadmaps.

On vendor performance and relationship governance, the head establishes performance frameworks including service level agreements, key performance indicators, service credits and scorecards; manages strategic vendors through clear governance cadences with documented performance outcomes; monitors delivery, service quality, responsiveness, contractual adherence and value contribution; drives corrective action where vendors underperform; and acts as the senior IT escalation point for vendor performance, relationship, commercial and contractual matters.

On IT procurement and sourcing governance, the role leads sourcing activities in partnership with Group Procurement, ensuring compliance with procurement policy; plans and executes processes including requests for information, requests for proposals, tenders, market scans and proposal evaluations; ensures sourcing strategies are informed by prioritised demand, platform roadmaps and enterprise architecture; coordinates evaluation of vendor proposals balancing cost, capability, risk, delivery confidence and strategic fit; and prevents shadow procurement and fragmented vendor engagement by enforcing clear decision rights and processes.

On contract and commercial management, the role leads commercial negotiation for IT contracts, renewals, extensions, amendments and major sourcing initiatives; ensures contracts include appropriate service levels, performance measures, pricing structures and risk provisions; maintains oversight of the contract lifecycle including renewal dates, termination windows and commercial commitments; ensures total cost of ownership is understood, covering implementation, support, licence utilisation and exit costs; and drives cost transparency, cost optimisation, demand aggregation and licence rationalisation.

The role also covers third-party risk, compliance and dependency management, working with Information Security, Third Party Risk Management, Legal, Risk and Compliance to ensure vendor onboarding includes appropriate due diligence, security assessment and data protection review; maintaining visibility of vendor concentration risk, operational dependency and critical service exposure; ensuring engagements comply with Dis-Chem policies, contractual obligations and procurement controls; and supporting audit, assurance and risk reporting related to IT vendors, procurement decisions and third-party risk.

Finally, the role provides regular reporting to the CIO and relevant governance forums on vendor performance, spend, renewals and risk; develops dashboards and management information covering strategic vendors, contract lifecycle, service level performance and spend; and continuously improves vendor and procurement practices to rationalise suppliers, consolidate spend, improve licence utilisation and strengthen commercial discipline.

Requirements

Only the requirements stated in the original advert are listed here:

• A degree in Information Technology, Business Management, Finance, Supply Chain, Commerce, Law or a related field.
• 10 or more years’ experience in senior IT vendor management, IT procurement, strategic sourcing or commercial governance.
• Proven experience operating in large-scale, multi-vendor and regulated enterprise environments.
• Experience negotiating and managing complex technology contracts, software agreements and managed services.
• Experience working with Legal, Finance, Security, Enterprise Architecture, Risk and senior IT leaders.
• Strong leadership experience in IT vendor management, technology procurement and commercial governance.
• Deep understanding of enterprise IT operating models, multi-vendor ecosystems, managed services and software-as-a-service arrangements.
• Strong commercial acumen with a proven ability to negotiate complex IT contracts, renewals and sourcing deals.
• Strong understanding of vendor lifecycle management, performance management, sourcing governance and procurement controls.
• Ability to balance cost, risk, delivery confidence, strategic fit, security and architecture alignment.
• Strong stakeholder-management skills across IT, Group Procurement, Legal, Finance, Security and Risk.
• Strong analytical capability across spend, contract, supplier, performance and risk data.
• Executive-level communication skills, with the ability to present commercial risk and sourcing recommendations clearly.
• Relevant certifications in CIPS, ITIL, COBIT, contract management, vendor management, sourcing or procurement are listed as relevant, and therefore advantageous.

Where to find and apply safely

This opportunity is listed on Careers24, and the Apply button on this page links to the original listing. Use that link to read the full advert and submit your application through the official channel. The reference number for this vacancy is 205883.

Practical tips

• Lead with your most senior vendor management and procurement roles, and the scale of the vendor estates and budgets you have governed.
• Give concrete examples of contract negotiations, cost optimisation and licence rationalisation you have delivered.
• Show how you have handled underperforming vendors, escalations and corrective action, since vendor accountability is central to this role.
• Highlight your work with legal, finance, security and architecture teams, and any CIPS, ITIL or COBIT certification you hold.
• Be ready to discuss how you balance delivery speed with compliance and commercial control.

How the process works

Use the Apply button to reach the original Careers24 listing, then follow its instructions to submit your application. Shortlisted candidates can expect to be assessed on their senior vendor management and procurement track record, commercial judgement and stakeholder leadership.

Important information

This page is informational only. It summarises a third-party job advert and does not guarantee employment. Always confirm the closing date, requirements and application steps on the original advert before applying. Applications for this role close on 13 November 2026.

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