About Barilla

At Barilla, we believe that every great journey begins with passion and a bold vision. From our humble beginnings in 1877 in a small shop in Parma, Italy, we’ve blossomed into a global leader in the food industry, guided by our commitment to progress and excellence.

Today, Barilla is an international group present in more than 100 countries and we are proud to be recognized as the world’s top food company by reputation. With 22 beloved brands in our portfolio, we are world leader for pasta, the number one choice for ready-made sauces in Europe, leader for bakery products in Italy, and for crispbread across Scandinavia with Wasa.

Our success story is written by a passionate team of almost 9,000 dedicated employees across 30 plants and offices worldwide, all united by a shared mission to nourish the future with purpose and passion.

Are you ready to add your unique flavor to our journey?

Job description

We are looking for a IT Vendor Manager, within the GD&BT Strategy, Performance & Capabilities unit. The role reports to the IT Strategy, Performance & Capabilities Director and it is based in Parma.

Job purpose

Manage the governance of the IT vendor ecosystem to ensure third-party services align with business priorities, IT strategy, architecture, risk/compliance, and financial goals. Drive measurable, sustainable value from vendors through strong governance, service quality, risk management, and cost control across the full lifecycle.
Act as the key interface between IT and functions like Purchasing, Legal, Security, Privacy, and Finance to ensure vendors are not just contractually compliant, but operationally effective and value-generating.

Key Responsibilities

1. Contract Governance & Coordination

• Define and validate IT contract requirements (cybersecurity, cloud, data protection, continuity).
• Ensure contracts include clear, enforceable SLAs, security controls, and cloud responsibilities.
• Translate technical, architectural, and risk needs into contractual terms.
• Ensure contracts reflect real service delivery (e.g., multi-vendor, hybrid cloud).
• Maintain alignment between contracts, security requirements, and actual delivery.
• Support intercompany IT service frameworks and group-wide vendor usage models.

2. Vendor Governance & Strategy

• Develop and improve IT vendor governance frameworks (policies, controls, forums).
• Align vendor strategy with business priorities, architecture, and operating model.
• Segment suppliers by criticality, risk, and strategic importance.

3. Supplier Performance & Lifecycle

• Oversee full vendor lifecycle (onboarding → performance → renewal/exit).
• Monitor performance vs SLAs and business outcomes.
• Drive reviews, issue resolution, and continuous improvement.
• Evaluate vendors on real value: quality, stability, responsiveness—not just contracts.

4. Risk, Cybersecurity & Compliance

• Manage vendor risks (cybersecurity, data protection, resilience).
• Ensure compliance with internal policies, GDPR, and regulations.
• Enforce security controls (access, incidents, vulnerabilities, continuity).
• Coordinate audits, certifications (e.g., ISO 27001), and remediation.
• Act as the central link between IT, Security, Privacy, and control functions.

5. Financial Governance & Value Control

• Ensure transparency between vendor costs, usage, and delivered value.
• Improve visibility into spend (Opex/Capex), consumption, and cost drivers.
• Identify inefficiencies and optimize vendor value and cost discipline.

6. Stakeholder Management

• Enable strong collaboration across IT and key functions.
• Guide IT teams on vendor governance, performance, and risk practices.
• Provide leadership with a clear view of vendor performance, risks, and priorities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Technology, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in IT vendor management, purchasing, or IT sourcing in a multinational or FMCG environment
• ITIL, CIPS, CTPRP certifications will be a plus
• Fluent in English and Italian
• Strong communication, negotiation, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Financial acumen

Additional Info

• Full time, permanent contract
• Location, Parma

At Barilla, we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace where diversity in all its forms is valued and embraced. Our employment policies and practices are designed to ensure equal employment opportunities for all, regardless of age, race, color, citizenship, faith, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or characteristics of expression, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, medical condition, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our commitment to equal employment stems from our unwavering belief that it is not only the right thing to do, but it is also a fundamental driver of innovation and business success.