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Job description and skills for working with a managed services vendor?
We are moving to a hybrid environment where our network and data center operations will be supported through a managed services firm (i.e., a remote managed services model). Was looking for a job description for a point person or a staffing model for working with a managed services vendor.
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Some thoughts on the matter that you may find useful:
This sounds like a vendor relations management / services coordination position. Possible titles: IT Services Manager, IT Operations Manager. Duties include: requirements analysis; writing RFPs and conducting vendor search, evaluation and selection; negotiating and managing contracts and Service Level Agreements; budgeting, monitoring system and vendor performance.
Typically, this position is much more about risk management, vendor management and financial management than about technical expertise with the specific systems involved. It's a common mistake to focus on a candidate's specific capabilities with the technology, rather than his/her ability to manage projects and relationships and ROI. The Services Manager needs to understand what the systems are for and how they interrelate, but doesn't need to be able to step in and run them.
The Services Manager reports to the CIO, if the company has one. If there is no CIO, the Services Manager reports to the CFO, and works closely with any other IT Manager(s).
If this manager is the company's single point of contact for vendors engaged in development / deployment of systems, then the job description includes Project Management, and project management training and/or experience is a must. (Having projects executed out-of-house without meaningful in-house project oversight is a recipe for disaster.)
Business Continuity is a major consideration for anyone managing outside resources. The Services Manager needs to be able to find alternate providers for any service, in case a vendor disappears or otherwise fails to perform. A smooth transition from one provider to another - especially in the event of a system failure that the current vendor can't or won't handle - requires that systems in place be well documented, and that documentation be kept current. This position requires an appreciation of the value and importance of documentation, and the ability to produce and evaluate technical documents.
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