Senior Manager, Software Asset Management

When you join Verizon You want more out of a career. A place to share your ideas freely — even if they’re daring or different. Where the true you can learn, grow, and thrive. At Verizon, we power and empower how people live, work and play by connecting them to what brings them joy. We do what we love — driving innovation, creativity, and impact in the world.

Our V Team is a community of people who anticipate, lead, and believe that listening is where learning begins. In crisis and in celebration, we come together — lifting our communities and building trust in how we show up, everywhere & always. Want in? Join the #VTeamLife.

What you’ll be doing ...You will lead and develop Verizon’s Software Asset Management (SAM) team, building a high-performing organization that runs and matures an enterprise-wide SAM governance program. You will set direction, develop talent, and drive accountability across internal staff and third-party partners. You will also personally own Verizon’s IBM SAM function as its accountable leader and subject matter expert, responsible for the IBM entitlement position, compliance, audit readiness, renewal strategy, and spend optimization.

You will lead a team of SAM analysts and specialists, direct third-party SAM managed service providers (MSPs), and partner with senior stakeholders across Technology, Finance, Sourcing, and Vendor Management. Under your leadership, the team will provide transparency into software assets used across Verizon, maintain a consolidated view of entitlements, reduce compliance and audit exposure, deliver savings projects to completion, and shape short- and long-term publisher roadmaps.

The results include lower costs, better security and data governance, and more leverage in commercial negotiations.

Team Leadership & Talent Development:
Lead, coach, and grow a team of SAM professionals. Hire and retain strong talent, set clear priorities and performance goals, and build deep publisher expertise and succession depth across the team.

Organizational Vision & Operating Model:
Define the SAM team’s mission, operating model, and roadmap. Establish team structure, roles, and KPIs that scale with Verizon’s software portfolio and maturity goals.

Culture & Accountability:
Foster a culture of ownership, data-driven decision making, and continuous improvement. Hold the team and partners accountable for measurable outcomes in savings, compliance, and risk reduction.

Cross-Functional Leadership:
Influence and align IT, Finance, Vendor Management, Sourcing, Security, Supply Chain, and business unit partners on strategic SAM programs and software spend direction.

MSP Strategy & Performance Management:
Direct third-party SAM MSP partners. Set service expectations, hold partners accountable to KPIs, drive continuous improvement, and ensure reporting meets Verizon’s needs.

IBM SAM Function Ownership:
Personally own Verizon’s IBM SAM function and licensing position end to end, including Passport Advantage, ELA and CVA program structures, PVU/RVU/VPC metrics, sub-capacity eligibility, and IBM Cloud Paks. Serve as Verizon’s IBM licensing subject matter expert and primary advisor to executives on IBM entitlement, compliance, and commercial strategy.

IBM Renewal & Negotiation Support:
Own the effective license position (ELP) and usage baseline that support our licensing agreements, CVA, and S&S renewals. Build and validate true-up and quantity-adjustment scenarios, challenge vendor usage claims with defensible data, and partner with Sourcing to improve commercial outcomes.

Audit Defense & Risk Mitigation:
Serve as the SAM lead on the internal team for software vendor audits, and as the IBM licensing authority for IBM audits and license reviews. Help define audit…