Sumitra Devaraj

Program Manager with 3+ years of dedicated vendor management experience and over a decade of cross-functional program, budget, and process leadership at Adobe, NetApp, and Symantec. Skilled in cross-functional facilitating on master service agreements (MSAs) and work orders, leading RFQ/RFP processes end-to-end, and developing vendor engagement strategies that improve service delivery and reduce risk. Trusted partner to senior stakeholders, known for translating ambiguous requirements into clear plans, building repeatable processes, and driving strong follow-through across finance, procurement, and vendor operations.

Vendor Manager - Adobe Inc. - San Jose, CA

(2024-08)

• Authored and co-led end-to-end RFx initiatives for new, renewed, and expanded vendor engagements, translating business unit requirements into sourcing strategies and delivering bid normalization analyses that informed executive decision-making.
• Led and managed an end-to-end RFQ process — from requirements gathering through vendor evaluation, scoring, and selection.
• Negotiated and finalized a new Master Service Agreement (MSA) between Adobe and vendor Search Agency, aligning contract terms with business, legal, and risk requirements.
• Refined work order/statement-of-work language with vendor by facilitating, clarifying scope, deliverables, and cost terms to reduce ambiguity and risk.
• Identified and implemented solutions to strengthen vendor engagement (e.g., 3PPP), improving service delivery and cost efficiency.
• Apply AI tools (Claude, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT) to accelerate vendor research, RFQ drafting, and data analysis; currently developing an AI agent to auto-generate RFX/RFQ questions and build a scorecard library spanning Talent/HR, Benefits, Background Check, and other business-unit requirements.

Senior Program Manager (Budget/Finance) - Adobe Inc. - San Jose, CA

(2023-01 - 2024-08)

• Partner with stakeholders overseeing >$200M in annual discretionary budget, advising on vendor and cost optimization strategy (OPEX vs. CAPEX).
• Facilitated cross-functional strategic planning sessions, driving accountability and vendor/cost optimization recommendations.
• Delivered executive-ready insights on year-over-year variances and multi-year trends to support stakeholder decision-making.
• Designed scalable budget and process solutions, monitoring adoption and optimization across business units.

Program Manager/Senior Program Manager (Budget/Finance) - Adobe Inc. - San Jose, CA

(2016-08 - 2023-01)

• Redesigned the end-to-end Quarterly Rolling Forecast (QRF) review cycle — timeline, roles, and meeting governance — standardizing practices across teams and locations.
• Spearheaded automation of recurring request workflows (Cost Center Add/Change, Internal Order/Project Number).
• Built a self-service SharePoint resource hub and reporting dashboards in partnership with Finance and Business Analysis teams.
• Trained and coached stakeholders to drive adoption of finance and program management best practices.

Workplace Resources Program Manager / Operation Analyst / Financial Coordinator - NetApp, Inc. - Sunnyvale, CA

(2010-10 - 2016-08)

• Managed Americas Workplace Resources annual operating budget and forecast (>$100M); tracked and reported construction project costs and commitments to corporate FP&A.
• Served as vendor integration point of contact during an acquisition transition, partnering closely with Procurement.
• Partnered with external vendors on KPI requirements, meeting quarterly to review performance; supported Facilities Management Optimization (FMO) vendor selection and transition.
• Created annual budget and multi-year cash flow templates; ensured compliance with state job-incentive grant reporting (North Carolina, Kansas).

Financial Analyst - Symantec Corporation - Mountain View, CA

(2007-08 - 2010-06)

Partnered with global R&D teams across the U.S. and Asia on annual operating budgets; led P&L modeling and supported integration of two acquisitions into Finance/HR systems.

Corporate Cost Accountant, Contract - Advanced Micro Devices - Mountain View, CA

(2005-11 - 2007-08)

Compiled general ledger entries and analyzed variance templates for SOX compliance; improved Cost Center request processes.

Budget & Operations Analyst, Contract - NASA Ames Research Center - Moffett Field, CA

(2004-04 - 2005-11)

Managed budget analysis and allocations for a $20M annual innovative technology transfer partnership program.

B.A. - Political Science, Minor in Psychology - University of California, Davis (1998-06)

Certificate - Project Management - Cornell University (2022-10)