Job Summary

The Head, Contract Management Markets Technology role is accountable for end-to-end ownership of vendor contracts and commercial management across Markets Technology. The role will drive disciplined contract lifecycle management, commercial optimisation, third-party governance, and robust control over vendor spend,ensuring vendor arrangements are commercially effective, operationally resilient, auditable, and aligned to Group standards, regulatory expectations and Markets Technology priorities.

As a senior member of the Business Management Office, the role provides leadership across vendor commercial governance, partnering with CIO teams, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Legal, Risk, VMO and business stakeholders to ensure contracts deliver value, transparency, service accountability and effective risk outcomes.

Key scope and capabilities include:
• Contract lifecycle ownership – oversee negotiation, onboarding, renewals, amendments, extensions, exits and contract close-out for Markets Technology vendor arrangements.
• Commercial management – drive cost optimisation, rate-card discipline, demand governance, contract value tracking and commercial transparency across technology vendor spend.
• Vendor governance – establish effective service, performance and commercial governance through SLAs, KPIs, scorecards, escalation paths, regular service performance review and management reporting.
• Third-party risk and control – ensure vendor arrangements comply with Group sourcing, outsourcing, information security, resilience, data, legal, regulatory and audit requirements.
• Stakeholder partnership – provide commercial advice and decision support to Markets Technology leadership, platform owners and programme teams to enable strategic delivery and disciplined vendor outcomes.

Partner with Supply Chain Management as the Markets Technology contract owner, ensuring sourcing strategies, negotiations, contract structures and supplier governance support both Group policy requirements and business objectives. Act as the primary business owner for strategic technology contracts, maintaining accountability for commercial performance whilst leveraging SCM expertise in sourcing and procurement processes. 

Key Responsibilities

Strategy
• Define and execute the Markets Technology vendor commercial management strategy, aligned to technology priorities, transformation objectives, cost discipline and risk appetite.
• Drive standardisation of commercial constructs, pricing models, rate cards, sourcing models, contract standards and vendor governance practices across the portfolio.
• Support long-term operating model evolution, including global hub strategy, managed services, partner consolidation, vendor rationalisation and improved commercial leverage.

Business
• Lead vendor and third-party commercial relationships across Markets Technology, securing appropriate commercial, service, resilience and control outcomes across the full contract lifecycle.
• Own contract lifecycle management, including commercial negotiation support, onboarding,renewals, extensions, amendments, termination, exit planning and obligation tracking. 
• Partner with CIO leadership, platform owners, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Legal, Risk and VMO to align commercial outcomes with business priorities, budget constraints and control requirements.
• Provide commercial insights, management reporting and decision support to senior stakeholders, including spend analysis, vendor performance, renewal pipeline, contractual risks and cost optimisation opportunities.
• Support major Markets Technology programmes by ensuring vendor contracts, commercials and third-party dependencies are structured to enable delivery, resilience and sustainable value.

Processes
• Establish and maintain the contract and vendor governance framework, including SLAs, KPIs, service credits, scorecards, escalation routes and evidence-based performance management.
• Maintain accurate contract repositories, renewal calendars, obligation trackers, commercial records and audit trails to support transparency, accountability and timely decision-making.
• Ensure commercial controls, approvals, governance checkpoints and sourcing processes are consistently applied across new contracts, renewals, amendments and exits.
• Drive continuous improvement in vendor management processes, including simplification, standardisation, automation and stronger management information for senior forums.
• Operate within established T&O quality, risk and control frameworks, partnering proactively with control functions to sustain strong compliance outcomes across Markets Technology.

People & Talent
• Build and develop a high-performing vendor contract and commercial management capability, with clear standards, disciplined execution and strong partnership across technology, finance,legal, procurement, risk and control teams.
• Promote a culture of cost discipline, accountability, commercial awareness and proactive ownership of vendor outcomes.
• Develop capability in contract governance, commercial negotiation, vendor performance management and third-party risk awareness across relevant teams.
• Build and sustain a team environment that balances delivery pace with accuracy, auditability, stability, resilience and control.
• Build a diverse and inclusive organisation through inclusive hiring, objective talent decisions and an environment where different perspectives are heard and people can thrive.
• Lead by example, setting the tone for accountability, collaboration, constructive challenge and strong partnership with business, technology and control functions.

Risk Management
• Seek regular assurance that vendor contract management activities operate to an acceptable risk and control standard, taking prompt action to address weaknesses and ensuring timely remediation and escalation.
• Act quickly and decisively when contract, commercial, vendor or third-party risk issues become apparent, ensuring root-cause resolution, clear accountability and appropriate governance engagement.
• Act, where required, as a designated risk control owner under the Group’s risk management framework at the appropriate level.
• Ensure legal, regulatory, information security, resilience, data, outsourcing and third-party risk requirements are embedded in vendor contracts, governance and lifecycle processes.

Governance
• Ensure compliance with the highest standards of regulatory and business conduct and compliance practices as defined by internal and external requirements. This includes compliance with local banking laws and anti-money laundering regulations and guidelines.
• Be accountable for effective governance, including constructive challenge of peers and transparent engagement with internal oversight functions and, where relevant, local regulators.
• Ensure strong adherence to Group governance and control frameworks
• Maintain transparency in commercial decisions and vendor performance
• Support governance forums with accurate and timely reporting

Regulatory & Business Conduct
• Display exemplary conduct and live by the Group’s Values and Code of Conduct. 
• Take personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, including regulatory and business conduct, across Standard Chartered Bank. This includes understanding and ensuring compliance with, in letter and spirit, all applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and the Group Code of Conduct.
• Effectively and collaboratively identify, escalate, mitigate and resolve risk, conduct and compliance matters.

Key stakeholders
• Global Markets Technology Management Team and senior Global Technology leadership
• Senior Markets business and product stakeholders
• Finance and Regulatory Reporting partners
• Operations, Risk & Control, Regulatory Compliance, Legal
• SCM
• VMO
• Relevant platform owners, programme leads, internal audit, external partners, vendors and thirdparty providers

Other Responsibilities
• Embed Here for good and the Group’s brand, values and valued behaviours across Markets Technology vendor, contract and commercial management activities.
• Perform other responsibilities assigned under Group, Country, Business or Functional policies and procedures, consistent with the scale and accountability of the role.

Skills and Experience

•    Vendor Management

•    3rd Party Risk Management
•    Business Strategy and Model
•    IT Standards, Procedures & Policies
•    Contract Governance
•    Commercial Negotiation
•    Financial Analysis
•    Risk Management

Qualifications

Education
•    Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Law, Technology, Supply Chain, Commercial Management or equivalent practical experience.
Training
•    Extensive experience in vendor contract management, commercial management, procurement, supplier governance or technology business management within banking or financial services. Strong understanding of contract lifecycle management, third-party risk, outsourcing governance, technology services, commercial negotiation, financial analysis and senior stakeholder management.
Membership
•    Relevant procurement, commercial, legal, finance, technology or vendor management professional memberships desirable.
Certifications
•    Relevant certifications in contract management, procurement, supplier management, third-party risk, finance or technology governance are desirable but not mandatory.
Languages
•    Strong written and verbal English communication skills required.

About Standard Chartered

We're an international bank, nimble enough to act, big enough for impact. For more than 170 years, we've worked to make a positive difference for our clients, communities, and each other. We question the status quo, love a challenge and enjoy finding new opportunities to grow and do better than before. If you're looking for a career with purpose and you want to work for a bank making a difference, we want to hear from you. You can count on us to celebrate your unique talents and we can't wait to see the talents you can bring us.

Our purpose, to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, together with our brand promise, to be here for good are achieved by how we each live our valued behaviours. When you work with us, you'll see how we value difference and advocate inclusion.

Together we:

• Do the right thing and are assertive, challenge one another, and live with integrity, while putting the client at the heart of what we do
• Never settle, continuously striving to improve and innovate, keeping things simple and learning from doing well, and not so well
• Are better together, we can be ourselves, be inclusive, see more good in others, and work collectively to build for the long term

What we offer

In line with our Fair Pay Charter, we offer a competitive salary and benefits to support your mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing.

• Core bank funding for retirement savings, medical and life insurance, with flexible and voluntary benefits available in some locations.
• Time-off including annual leave, parental/maternity (20 weeks), sabbatical (12 months maximum) and volunteering leave (3 days), along with minimum global standards for annual and public holiday, which is combined to 30 days minimum.
• Flexible working options based around home and office locations, with flexible working patterns.
• Proactive wellbeing support through Unmind, a market-leading digital wellbeing platform, development courses for resilience and other human skills, global Employee Assistance Programme, sick leave, mental health first-aiders and all sorts of self-help toolkits
• A continuous learning culture to support your growth, with opportunities to reskill and upskill and access to physical, virtual and digital learning.
• Being part of an inclusive and values driven organisation, one that embraces and celebrates our unique diversity, across our teams, business functions and geographies - everyone feels respected and can realise their full potential.