IT Business Relationship Manager - Marketing Technology

firstPRO is seeking an experienced IT Business Engagement Manager to serve as a strategic technology partner to senior Marketing and Sales leaders. This role will translate business priorities into technology roadmaps, develop compelling investment cases, evaluate solutions, and prepare initiatives for successful delivery.

The position has a strong emphasis on marketing technology and requires someone who can take an early-stage business idea, define the opportunity, challenge assumptions, and build the alignment needed to move it forward.

Key Responsibilities

• Build trusted relationships with senior business leaders and serve as their primary strategic partner within IT.
• Translate business strategies into technology capability roadmaps spanning three to five years.
• Identify opportunities to improve business performance through technology, with particular attention to revenue growth, efficiency, and measurable value.
• Work with stakeholders to clarify business problems, desired outcomes, requirements, and priorities.
• Constructively challenge requests to ensure proposed investments address meaningful needs and support long-term objectives.
• Develop business cases that quantify expected benefits, implementation costs, ongoing expenses, and return on investment.
• Lead functional vendor evaluations and solution selection, partnering with Procurement on RFP activities.
• Collaborate with Architecture, Business Analysis, Delivery, Finance, and business teams to define scope, costs, resources, and high-level timelines.
• Coordinate vendor agreements, statements of work, and licensing requirements with Procurement and delivery partners.
• Prepare investment proposals and executive presentations to secure sponsorship, funding, and resources.
• Manage the technology investment portfolio, maintain project roadmaps and budgets, and facilitate business reviews.
• Support change planning, stakeholder engagement, and the transition of approved initiatives to delivery teams.

Initial Priorities

• Finalize business scope and contracting for an initiative targeted to begin in January 2027.
• Develop a multiyear technology roadmap aligned with Marketing and Sales priorities.
• Build business cases and funding recommendations for upcoming technology initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• 10 years of experience in IT or related technology leadership roles.
• Demonstrated experience in IT business engagement, business relationship management, technology strategy, or a comparable strategic business partnership role.
• Relevant marketing technology experience, such as digital asset management (DAM), product information management (PIM), content management systems (CMS), or customer relationship management (CRM).
• Experience shaping technology initiatives from an initial business concept through solution evaluation, business case approval, and preparation for implementation.
• Strong background in capability roadmap development, strategic planning, portfolio management, budgeting, and vendor management.
• Proven ability to partner with senior executives, influence decisions, and challenge assumptions diplomatically.
• Experience developing financial justifications that connect technology investments to measurable business outcomes.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience leading cross-functional collaboration within a matrixed organization.
• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting both Marketing and Sales technology portfolios.
• Graduate degree in a related discipline.
• Familiarity with portfolio and financial management platforms such as Planview or Apptio; experience with comparable tools is equally relevant.