Director, IT Process & Integration

Schwarz Partners has an exciting opportunity for a Director, IT Process & Integration to join our team in Carmel, IN. The Director, IT Process & Integration is responsible for establishing, leading, and continuously improving enterprise-wide vendor governance and core IT operating processes across SPtech. Reporting directly to the CIO, this role provides strategic oversight of IT vendor relationships, cost management, financial transparency, and process discipline to ensure technology services are delivered efficiently, predictably, and in alignment with business priorities.

This leader serves as the primary authority for IT vendor management strategy, contract governance, financial oversight, and process standardization. The role partners closely with ITLT, Finance, Procurement, and business stakeholders to strengthen vendor accountability, improve cost visibility, and ensure scalable operating processes that support both ongoing operations and growth initiatives, including acquisitions and integrations across Schwarz Partners and affiliated organizations.

The Director operates at both strategic and operational levels, defining standards, driving accountability, improving financial rigor, and enabling continuous improvement across the IT organization.

About Schwarz Partners

Schwarz Partners is one of the largest independent manufacturers of corrugated sheets and packaging materials in the U.S. Through our family of companies, we continuously build and strengthen our capabilities. You’ll find our products wherever goods are packaged, shipped, and sold—from innovative retail packaging to colorful in-store displays at pharmacies and grocers. You may also recognize our trucks on the highway.

Schwarz Partners is built on the belief that independence and innovation go hand in hand. Our decentralized structure allows us to adapt quickly, bring new ideas to life, and thrive in a competitive marketplace. Our people are empowered to develop their skills, take ownership of their work, and grow with the organization.

Essential Job Functions:

• Establish and lead the enterprise IT vendor management framework, including governance standards, lifecycle management, performance monitoring, and risk oversight.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for strategic vendor relationships and contractual matters.
• Oversee contract review coordination, renewal strategy, service performance tracking, and accountability frameworks.
• Provide leadership over IT cost management practices, including spend transparency, forecasting inputs, and budget alignment.
• Partner with IT and Finance to improve financial reporting, vendor spend analytics, and cost optimization initiatives.
• Lead enterprise-wide IT process improvement initiatives focused on service quality, operational maturity, and measurable outcomes.
• Establish clear process ownership models and performance metrics across IT domains.
• Promote a culture of productive change, continuous improvement, and disciplined execution.
• Partner with IT leaders to identify inefficiencies, risks, and improvement opportunities across service delivery models.
• Maintain awareness of acquisition and technology integration activities across Schwarz Partners and affiliated organizations.
• Support due diligence efforts by providing vendor, contract, financial, and process transparency as needed.
• Provide executive-level reporting and insights to the CIO and senior leadership regarding vendor risk, financial exposure, and process maturity.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships to ensure vendor and process strategies support broader business objectives.
• Mentor and influence IT leaders in strengthening governance, financial accountability, and process discipline.
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task between duties at any given time.
• Strong executive communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple enterprise-level initiatives simultaneously.
• Comply with company policies and procedures and all applicable laws and regulations.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Required Education / Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Business, Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10 years of progressive IT experience with at least 5 years in vendor management, procurement leadership, IT operations governance, or comparable enterprise-level roles.
• Demonstrated experience leading vendor governance frameworks and cost management initiatives.
• Experience partnering with Finance and Procurement on budgeting, contract strategy, and spend optimization.
• ServiceNow hands-on platform experience supporting ITSM processes, reporting, and workflow enablement.
• Proven ability to operate at a Director or senior leadership level with cross-functional influence.
• Experience supporting or participating in acquisition and integration activities.

Preferred Education / Experience:

• Experience within a multi-site manufacturing or distributed operating environment.
• Experience supporting enterprise integrations or post-acquisition transitions.
• Familiarity with IT governance frameworks and operating model design.
• Bachelor's Degree in IT or Business.

Required Skills and Competencies:

• Strong strategic vendor management and negotiation oversight capability.
• Deep understanding of IT financial management, budgeting, and cost transparency practices.
• Ability to build governance models that balance operational efficiency with risk mitigation.
• Strong analytical capability with experience leveraging data to drive executive decisions.
• High level of judgment, discretion, and trustworthiness.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document vendor-related processes, communicate expectations clearly, and provide concise executive-level summaries.
• Ability to operate as a self-directed individual contributor, managing multiple initiatives simultaneously while building trusted, collaborative relationships with service owners, vendors, and business stakeholders.

PREFERRED SKILLS

• Experience designing and implementing enterprise vendor governance frameworks, including performance scorecards, risk assessment models, and executive reporting routines.
• Strong understanding of IT financial management practices, including budgeting cycles, cost allocation models, spend analytics, and cost optimization strategies.
• Familiarity with contract structures, commercial terms, renewal strategies, and negotiation support within enterprise IT environments.
• Experience supporting acquisition due diligence and post-acquisition IT integration efforts, including vendor rationalization and contract harmonization.
• Understanding of IT operating model design, including role clarity, accountability frameworks, and cross-functional governance structures.
• Experience building executive-level dashboards and financial or operational reporting to support CIO and leadership decision-making.
• Exposure to process maturity frameworks (e.g., COBIT, ITIL, Lean, or similar governance models), applied pragmatically rather than theoretically.