IT Vendor & Contract Analyst

About Ascent Ascent Global Logistics, headquartered in Belleville, Michigan, is a leading global provider of expedited, time-critical logistics solutions and other direct transportation services. The company connects customers to its extensive carrier network, internal ground fleet and airline via its proprietary, digital PEAK freight marketplace, which provides robust carrier capacity and transparent pricing, backed by 24/7/365 logistics experts. Ascent’s offerings include air charter and ground expedited solutions as well as truckload, less-than-truckload, global forwarding, brokerage, and managed transportation services. The experienced Ascent team solves customers’ most challenging logistics needs by providing industry-leading service and top-tier satisfaction. Our Guiding Principles At the core of Ascent's culture is a strong commitment to excellence, driven by the passion and dedication of every team member. We're equally dedicated to going above and beyond for our customers, ensuring this commitment extends beyond our team and brings exceptional value to those we serve. We aim for perfect execution in everything we do and ‘play hard’ by creating an environment where tasks are performed with a can-do attitude from start to finish. We ‘play smart’ by delivering on our commitments in an honest, fair, and ethical manner. We treat every person with whom we interface with the utmost dignity and respect. We understand that our teammates are our most valuable assets, so we ‘play together’ by making every effort to provide a professional and enjoyable experience, enabling careers to flourish and personal growth to be achieved. What You’ll Do The IT Vendor & Contract Analyst supports the PMO and IT delivery teams by managing the end-to-end intake, coordination, and governance process for third-party vendor engagements. This role ensures vendor requests are appropriate, aligned to approved projects, and routed through the correct procurement, security, and contract review pathways. The analyst drafts and refines SOW documentation, manages contract workflows, and maintains portfolio visibility into vendor engagements, renewals, and project dependencies. This role also supports commercial negotiations within established guidelines, especially for staffing and recurring services, and partners with Procurement and IT leadership to negotiate non-standard terms or higher-risk agreements. Vendor Intake and Portfolio Alignment • Serve as the PMO point of contact for new vendor requests, renewals, SOW changes, and extensions supporting IT projects. • Validate intake requests for completeness and alignment to approved initiatives, including scope summary, vendor justification, timeline, funding/charge codes, and internal owner. • Maintain vendor-to-project traceability across the portfolio: vendor name, service type, project/program, start/end dates, SOW value, renewal dates, and accountable IT owner. • Coordinate vendor onboarding requirements (as applicable), including security intake, access needs, and required documentation. SOW Development and Contract Workflow Coordination • Draft, assemble, and refine Statements of Work (SOWs) and supporting exhibits to ensure clear: • scope, deliverables, milestones, assumptions, acceptance criteria, and roles/responsibilities • governance expectations (status cadence, escalation path, change control) • Coordinate routing of SOWs/contracts through the appropriate review and approval steps (Procurement, Legal/Contract team, InfoSec, Finance), ensuring packages are complete and minimizing rework. • Manage change orders, extensions, and amendments by collecting scope/cost impacts, ensuring approvals are obtained, and maintaining documentation integrity. Commercial Support and Negotiation (within guardrails) • Support and execute negotiations within approved standards, primarily for staffing and recurring services, including: rate cards, markups, discounts, extension terms, not-to-exceed caps, and payment terms • Prepare negotiation inputs: rate benchmarking (internal history), option comparisons, and recommendation summaries for IT/Procurement leaders. • Escalate non-standard terms, high-dollar agreements, or elevated-risk vendors to Procurement/Legal/IT leadership for final negotiation and approval. Vendor Governance and Delivery Support • Track vendor performance issues and work with PMs to document impacts, capture issues/risks, and facilitate escalation to vendor leadership when needed. • Ensure vendor commitments are integrated into project governance (kickoff readiness, milestones, resourcing commitments, renewals that impact schedule). • Support vendor offboarding steps, including end dates, knowledge transfer expectations, and access removal coordination (as applicable). Reporting and Visibility • Provide reporting to PMO and IT leadership such as: • vendor/contract pipeline and aging • renewals calendar and upcoming decision points • vendor engagement inventory by project/program • change order log and common contracting bottlenecks • Maintain standardized templates and checklists (SOW minimum requirements, intake form, renewal readiness checklist, contract routing checklist). What You’ll Bring • 3+ years of experience in vendor management coordination, procurement support, contract operations, PMO operations, or IT project support. • Experience in an IT delivery environment supporting project/program teams (Agile or hybrid). • Working knowledge of SOW structures and contract lifecycle steps, including cross-functional approval workflows. • Experience supporting or participating in rate/term negotiations, particularly for staffing or professional services. • Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple vendor workflows simultaneously and meet deadlines. • Strong written communication skills and attention to detail (able to produce clear, complete, executive-ready summaries). • Familiarity with vendor risk/security intake steps (InfoSec questionnaires, data handling, confidentiality requirements). • Ability to leverage AI tools responsibly for contract/SOW analysis and documentation (with strong judgment around confidentiality, data handling, and human review). • Ability to build templates/playbooks and improve operational workflows. Ascent’s Competitive Benefits • 401(k) and employer matching • Life Insurance • Health, Dental, Vision Insurance • Short- & Long-Term Disability • Paid Time Off (PTO) • Employee Assistance Program • Paid Parental Leave • Employee Wellness Program • Paid Holidays • Employee Recognition Programs • Flexible Spending Account (FSA) • Tuition Reimbursement • Health Savings Account (HSA) • Overtime, Differential & Bonus Pay #LI-Remote Salary Range: $85,000 - $100,000 Apply tot his job Apply To this Job