Software Asset Manager

Software Asset & Commercial Manager

Inside IR35 | Competitive Day Rate | 6 Month Contract | London 1 day per week

We are seeking an experienced Software Asset & Commercial Manager to join a newly established Software Asset Management function within a large organisation’s IT department.

This is a broad role combining Software Asset Management (SAM), software licensing, supplier and contract management, and commercial renewals. The successful candidate will play a key role in improving visibility and control of a substantial software estate, optimising licensing costs and managing the ongoing commercial lifecycle of major software suppliers.

Working across an estate comprising approximately 150 software contracts, 100 suppliers and annual software expenditure exceeding £30m, this is an opportunity to take ownership of a varied and commercially significant portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

Software Asset Management (SAM)

• Support the implementation of a new Software Asset Management (SAM) platform, contributing to implementation activities and helping establish effective processes and ways of working.
• Take responsibility for the ongoing administration, configuration and management of the SAM tool.
• Manage software licence entitlements, usage, compliance and reconciliation across the organisation’s software estate.
• Identify opportunities for licence optimisation, cost reduction and improved software utilisation.
• Support proactive and reactive software licence audits, ensuring accurate reporting and compliance.
• Develop reporting and insights to improve visibility of software usage, expenditure and licensing positions.
• Support the management and optimisation of SaaS and cloud software assets.

Software Supplier & Contract Management

• Take ownership of the post-signature commercial lifecycle of software supplier contracts, from ongoing management and renewals through to contract exit.
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 150 software contracts across suppliers.
• Lead software renewal activities, ensuring requirements are captured, contracts are renewed within agreed timescales and commercial value is maximised.
• Manage supplier negotiations, including pricing, licensing models, contractual terms and conditions.
• Oversee additional software purchasing and contract amendments, including increases in licence volumes and service requirements.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with major software and SaaS vendors.
• Monitor contract performance, expenditure, renewal dates and budgets, identifying risks and opportunities for cost savings.
• Work closely with internal procurement, finance, legal and technology stakeholders to ensure effective commercial governance.

Software Strategy & Commercial Optimisation

• Contribute to the development of software and SaaS category strategies, renewal roadmaps and longer-term plans.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate software suppliers, improve licensing arrangements and reduce unnecessary expenditure.
• Develop and maintain software management policies, processes and governance frameworks.
• Track commercial value, savings opportunities and software expenditure, providing clear reporting and recommendations to senior stakeholders.

Essential Experience

• Strong experience in Software Asset Management (SAM), IT Asset Management (ITAM), software licensing or IT software commercial management.
• Demonstrable experience managing software licensing, SaaS agreements and supplier contracts within a large or complex organisation.
• Experience administering and managing SAM tooling, with an understanding of licence entitlement, usage reconciliation, compliance and optimisation.
• Experience managing software contract renewals and post-signature contract management.
• Strong commercial negotiation skills, including experience negotiating software pricing, licensing agreements and contractual terms and conditions.
• Experience managing relationships with major software, SaaS and cloud suppliers.
• Strong understanding of software procurement and contract lifecycles, including contract variations, additional purchasing and renewals.
• Ability to identify opportunities for cost optimisation, improve commercial value and manage significant software expenditure.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication and analytical skills.

Desirable Experience

• Experience implementing or administering enterprise SAM platforms such as Flexera, ServiceNow SAM Pro, Snow Software / USU or similar.
• Experience working with major software vendors such as Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, ServiceNow and Adobe.
• Knowledge of cloud and SaaS licensing models and FinOps principles.
• Experience developing software category strategies and renewal roadmaps.
• Experience working within a large enterprise or complex IT environment.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced software asset or commercial management professional to join a developing function, take ownership of a significant software portfolio and make a tangible impact on software cost optimisation, supplier management and commercial governance.

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