Who we are
Headquartered in Singapore, SATS Ltd. is one of the world’s largest providers of air cargo handling services and Asia’s leading airline caterer. SATS Gateway Services provides airfreight and ground handling services including passenger services, ramp and baggage handling, aviation security services, aircraft cleaning and aviation laundry. SATS Food Solutions serves airlines, institutions, and operates central kitchens with large-scale food production and distribution capabilities for a wide range of cuisines. SATS is present in the Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, powering an interconnected world of trade, travel and taste. Following the acquisition of Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) in 2023, the combined SATS and WFS network operates over 215 stations in 27 countries. These cover trade routes responsible for more than 50% of global air cargo volume. SATS has been listed on the Singapore Exchange since May 2000. For more information, please visit www.sats.com.sg
The Role
The AVP/Director, TDX Vendor & Commercial Governance is responsible for establishing and leading the global vendor strategy, commercial governance framework, and financial discipline across Technology, Data and Operational Excellence initiatives within SATS.
This role serves as the central authority for TDX vendor management, contract governance, licensing compliance, and technology spend optimization, ensuring that external partnerships deliver maximum value while minimizing commercial and operational risk.
Reporting to the SVP, Global Portfolio and Governance, the role drives disciplined oversight of vendor performance, contractual obligations (including EULA compliance), and cost-to-value optimization across the enterprise technology ecosystem. The position partners closely with procurement, legal, finance, technology leaders, and regional stakeholders to ensure that vendor relationships are strategically aligned, commercially sound, and operationally effective.
The role ensures that vendor engagements are structured to deliver measurable outcomes, that licensing and contractual risks are actively managed, and that technology investments are optimized for efficiency, scalability, and value realization.
Through strong governance, performance management, and financial oversight, this role protects enterprise value while enhancing execution capability and resource readiness across global operations.
Key Responsibilities
Vendor Strategy & Governance
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Define and implement a global vendor strategy aligned with enterprise technology and transformation objectives
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Establish governance frameworks for vendor selection, onboarding, performance management, and renewal decisions
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Act as the central control point for vendor governance across TDX initiatives
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Ensure strategic alignment between vendor capabilities and business priorities across regions
Contracts & Compliance
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Oversee contract lifecycle management including negotiation support, execution, and renewals
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Ensure compliance with contractual terms, including service level agreements (SLAs), KPIs, and EULA requirements
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Partner with legal and procurement teams to standardize contract structures and governance practices
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Identify and mitigate commercial, contractual, and compliance risks across vendor engagements
License Management
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Establish enterprise-wide license management frameworks to ensure compliance and optimization
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Monitor software usage, entitlements, and renewals to prevent over-licensing or non-compliance risks
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Drive transparency and accountability in license utilization across regions and functions
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Collaborate with technology teams to align licensing models with evolving architecture and business needs
Spend Optimization & Value Realization
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Lead initiatives to optimize technology spend and improve cost-to-value ratios across vendor portfolios
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Identify cost-saving opportunities through consolidation, renegotiation, and demand management
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Ensure vendor investments are aligned with expected business outcomes and financial targets
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Partner with finance to track spend, validate savings, and improve forecasting accuracy
Vendor Performance Management
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Establish and monitor vendor performance frameworks with standardized KPIs and scorecards
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Evaluate vendor delivery against contractual commitments and business expectations
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Drive accountability for performance issues and lead remediation or escalation processes
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Ensure continuous improvement and value delivery from strategic vendor partnerships
Commercial Risk Management
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Proactively identify and manage commercial risks related to vendor dependencies, contract exposure, and licensing compliance
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Develop mitigation strategies to protect business continuity and enterprise value
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Ensure governance processes are in place to support informed decision-making on vendor investments
Executive Reporting & Insights
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Develop dashboards and reporting frameworks providing visibility into vendor performance, spend, and risk
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Deliver insights to senior leadership on vendor effectiveness, cost optimization, and commercial exposure
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Support executive and Board-level discussions on vendor strategy and investment decisions
Continuous Improvement
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Drive standardization and best practices in vendor and commercial governance globally
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Identify opportunities to enhance processes, tools, and operating models
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Balance global consistency with regional flexibility where required
Job Requirements
Educational Qualifications:
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Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Procurement, Information Technology, or a related field
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Ongoing professional development in commercial management, vendor governance, contract law, or financial management
Relevant Skills and Experience:
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12+ years of experience in vendor management, commercial governance, procurement, or technology financial management
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Proven experience managing global vendor portfolios and complex supplier ecosystems
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Strong expertise in contract management, licensing (including EULA), and compliance frameworks
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Experience in technology spend management, cost optimization, and financial governance
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Strong analytical and financial acumen with experience in ROI tracking and cost modelling
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Experience with vendor management tools, procurement platforms, and financial/BI systems
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Ability to assess vendor performance and drive accountability across large-scale engagements
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Experience working in global, matrixed organizations
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Knowledge of commercial risk management and governance best practices
Personal Characteristics & Behaviours
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Service-orientated mindset
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Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills
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Detail-oriented with strong governance discipline
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Proactive and results-driven
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Collaborative, adaptable, and resilient
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Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
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Strategic mindset with a focus on value optimization
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High level of accountability and ownership
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Ability to communicate complex commercial insights clearly and concisely
Travel Requirements:
Occasional travel within the region or internationally may be required to support transformation initiatives, stakeholder engagement, and performance reviews.
Core Values
We have 5 core People Values at SATS.
Safety: Safety – its ingrained in our DNA
Customer Focus: Every smile is a win for us
Respect: We strive to listen, understand and respect.
Excellence: Excellence isn’t just a goal, it’s the SATS way.
Teamwork: We don’t just collaborate. We amplify each other’s strengths.