Strategic Technology Negotiations Manager

Location/s: London or Newcastle, UK
Recruiter contact: Erinda Hazizi

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. 

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual. 

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

Overview of the role

We are seeking an exceptional Strategic Technology Negotiations Manager to oversee and execute high-value IT commercial negotiations and shape the organisation’s technology contracting landscape. You will lead complex, business-critical negotiations, high value, or high-risk, including cloud contracts, software licensing, digital services, and IT transformation programmes. 

This role will ensure alignment of IT costs with Mott MacDonald’s business operations and strategic goals ensuring that our ongoing investment is aligned to business value and commercial sustainability.

You will report into the Procurement Manager – IT and will act as the organisation’s expert in IT contract drafting, legal-commercial interpretation, and negotiation strategy, supporting Category Managers, elevating overall capability, and working hand-in-hand with Legal and IT stakeholders.

This role is ideal for someone who is commercially sharp, legally literate, deeply knowledgeable about IT contracting, and confident navigating fast-moving technical and risk environments.

Key responsibilities and duties include:

• Own negotiation of major IT commercial contracts across SaaS, cloud, security, software licensing, data services, infrastructure, networks, and managed services alongside the relevant Category Manager
• Develop and establish common negotiation strategies balancing commercial, legal, technical, and operational considerations across all IT contracts. Lead supplier negotiations, driving best in class outcomes on price, risk, SLAs, performance, and flexibility
• Conduct detailed reviews of complex IT agreements and, where applicable, Statements of Work to support the Category Managers
• Draft and negotiate key clauses in partnership with Legal (e.g., IP, data protection, liability, cyber, exit). Translate legal positions into pragmatic commercial options for business stakeholders
• Support and coach Category Managers during IT negotiations whilst stepping in to lead negotiations where commercial, legal, or technical complexity requires senior expertise
• Develop negotiation playbooks, contracting templates, and clause libraries specific to IT
• Identify and mitigate commercial, legal, cyber, and operational risks across all major IT deals whilst ensuring compliance with internal governance, information security, and data protection requirements
• Build strong relationships across IT, Digital, Practices, Functions, Excellence, Legal, Finance, and other senior business stakeholders
• Represent Procurement at senior level supplier negotiations. Communicate negotiation strategies, risks, and outcomes clearly and confidently

Candidate specification

Essential:

• Extensive experience negotiating high value IT contracts (software, cloud, SaaS, managed services, infrastructure, networks), preferably within a global organisation
• Skilled in building negotiation strategies, managing multi round negotiations, and navigating commercial impasses
• Deep understanding of IT commercial models including subscription licensing, cloud consumption, perpetual licensing, and service-based pricing
• Strong familiarity with and negotiating complex IT contract law fundamentals (IP licensing, data protection and data processing, information security requirements, limitation of liability, warranties, indemnities, escrow, SLAs and service credits, software audit rights)
• Comfortable negotiating directly with senior supplier executives
• Ability to work effectively with Legal teams to balance risk and commercial value
• Strong ability to influence senior stakeholders at the board level, and cross functional teams
• Experience supporting non contract specialists through complex commercial discussions 

Desirable:

• Background across multiple IT subcategories (e.g., engineering applications, cyber security, enterprise software, cloud transformation)
• Experience in technology procurement, commercial management, or IT vendor management
• Understanding of information security frameworks and data privacy obligations
• Exposure to agile delivery environments or digital transformation programmes
• Professional qualifications (e.g., MCIPS, ITIL)

Personal attributes: 

• Ability to translate legal/technical concepts into clear commercial advice
• Able to anticipate risks, opportunities, and leverage points in negotiations
• Builds trust quickly with senior stakeholders and suppliers
• Comfortable making recommendations to senior stakeholders and suppliers
• Strong attention to contractual nuance and risk
• Resilient during critical negotiations or escalations
• Works seamlessly with Procurement, IT, Legal, Digital, InfoSec, and Finance
• Balances risk with commercial pragmatism and operational realities
• Committed to raising capability across the wider procurement team

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working  

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion 

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

 Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.