IT Communications and Vendor Specialist

Wilson Sonsini is the premier legal advisor to technology, life sciences, and other growth enterprises worldwide. We represent companies at every stage of development, from entrepreneurial start-ups to multibillion-dollar global corporations, as well as the venture firms, private equity firms, and investment banks that finance and advise them. The firm has approximately 1,100 attorneys in 17 offices: 13 in the U.S., two in China, and two in Europe. Our broad spectrum of practices and entrepreneurial spirit allow exceptional opportunities for professional achievement and career growth.

The IT Communications & Vendor Specialist, under the direction of the Sr. Manager of Programs and Projects, is responsible for developing, executing, and managing internal IT communications strategies that support technology initiatives, service delivery, and organizational change and overseeing the vendor

management lifecycle for all IT vendors. This role serves as the bridge between the Information Technology Department and the broader firm, ensuring that all firm employees are informed, engaged, and prepared throughout technology deployments, system transitions, and ongoing IT service updates.

The IT Communications and Vendor Specialist creates clear, compelling, and audience-appropriate communications across multiple channels, supports change management efforts and is also responsible for the management of the department’s vendor service catalog and related vendor activities.

This position is available as a fully remote opportunity.

Responsibilities

Internal IT Communications

• Develop and execute comprehensive internal IT communications plans for technology projects, software rollouts, and system upgrades.

• Draft, edit, and distribute IT announcements, service advisories, maintenance and outage notifications, and executive briefings.

• Manage and maintain IT communication channels, including intranet pages, email distributions, and collaboration platforms.

• Partner with IT stakeholders to craft clear, audience-appropriate messaging for all levels of the organization.

• Collaborate with the IT management and project teams to align communications with change management strategies and timelines.

• Assess stakeholder communications needs and develop targeted messaging to drive awareness, adoption, and engagement for technology changes.

• Support the development and delivery of change impact assessments, stakeholder analyses, and readiness reviews.

• Coordinate with department heads, practice group leaders, and other stakeholders to ensure communications align with operational needs.

• Monitor feedback, adoption metrics, and sentiment following IT communications, and adjust messaging strategies accordingly.

• Maintain a consistent IT communications voice, tone, and brand identity aligned with Wilson Sonsini's standards.

• Manage an IT communications calendar to proactively plan and schedule communications across all department needs.

• Leverage data and feedback to continuously refine communications effectiveness and improve stakeholder experience.

• Utilize AI communication tools and platforms to enhance content creation, distribution, and analytics.

Vendor Management

• Maintain the vendor inventory, including contacts, contract dates, and service descriptions.
• Facilitate monthly vendor business reviews.
• Track contract renewals, notice periods, and expirations, and alert stakeholders in advance.

• Coordinate vendor onboarding, including intake forms, security questionnaires, W-9s, and certificates of insurance.

• Support vendor offboarding, including access removal and return or destruction of firm data.

• Maintain a centralized repository of contracts, SOWs, amendments, and related documentation.

• Serve as the day-to-day point of contact for vendor management questions and requests.
• Track license counts, entitlements, usage, and renewal timelines.
• Coordinate with IT teams on product roadmaps, release notes, and change notifications.
• Track license counts, entitlements, usage, and renewal timelines.

• Document vendor management procedures, templates, and checklists.

Requirements

• Exceptional written communication skills with the ability to produce polished, professional content under deadline pressure.

• Strong prioritization skills, including the ability to manage multiple communications workstreams simultaneously.

• Experience with intranet content management and digital communications platforms.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including IT leadership, attorneys, and firm administration.

• Analytical mindset with the ability to evaluate communications effectiveness and recommend data-driven improvements.

• High degree of organizational agility and ability to adapt messaging quickly in response to evolving technology landscapes or business priorities.

• Discretion and professionalism in handling confidential or sensitive information consistent with law firm standards.

• Exceptional attention to detail with an eye for continuous improvement.

• Demonstrated experience supporting organizational change management initiatives, ideally within a law firm or similarly complex professional services organization.

• High degree of proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, with emphasis on Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

• Working knowledge of Microsoft SharePoint and Teams for content management and communications distribution.

• Experience with enterprise level change management.

• Proven ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, concise language for non-technical audiences.

• Familiarity with contract lifecycle basics, including renewals, SOWs, SLAs, and amendments.

Education & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in English, information technology, business administration, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

• 5+ years of professional communications experience in a technology or professional services environment.

• Experience with using AI productivity tools (e.g., Claude.ai, generative AI platforms) preferred.

• Advanced Smartsheet experience preferred.

• Law firm experience preferred.

The primary location for this job posting is in Palo Alto, but other locations may be listed. The actual base pay offered will depend upon a variety of factors, including but not limited to the selected candidate’s qualifications, years of relevant experience, level of education, professional certifications and licenses, and work location. The anticipated pay range for this position is as follows: Palo Alto, New York, San Francisco: $29.83 - $40.36 per hour.
Austin, Boston, Boulder, Century City, Delaware, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Seattle, and all other locations: $26.97 - $36.49 per hour.

The compensation for this position may include overtime and a discretionary year-end merit bonus based on performance. We offer a highly competitive salary and benefits package.

Benefits information can be found here. Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).