3rd Party Vendor Manager

Job Overview

We are seeking a strategic and operationally strong Manager, 3rd Party Vendor Management to oversee the end-to-day management of trading card printing and manufacturing vendors.

Key Responsibilities

• Vendor Strategy & Relationship Management
• Oversee bid evaluation processes, ensuring competitive pricing, capacity alignment, and quality standards.
• Manage vendor scope of work, service expectations, and contract adherence.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key production partners and act as the primary escalation point for vendor issues.
• Support vendor segmentation and strategic partner development.
• Production Oversight & Operational Governance
• Oversee production planning and vendor capacity across trading card manufacturing partners.
• Ensure production timelines are achievable and risks are proactively managed.
• Provide escalation support for timing, quality, or operational issues that impact delivery.
• Vendor Performance Management
• Own vendor KPI frameworks including quality, on-time and in-full (OTIF) performance, responsiveness, and cost efficiency.
• Create quarterly business reviews (QBRs) materials with vendors.
• Drive accountability and improvement plans for underperforming vendors.
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Partner with Product, Project Management, Procurement, Quality Assurance, and Logistics teams to align production planning and delivery expectations.
• Ensure cross-functional dependencies are proactively managed across the production lifecycle.
• Support strategic planning for upcoming releases, volume forecasting, and capacity planning.
• Process Improvement & Vendor Operations
• Identify operational inefficiencies and implement scalable vendor management processes.
• Develop tools, dashboards, and reporting frameworks to track vendor performance and operational health.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives related to manufacturing, vendor operations, and production workflows.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or related field.
• 3-6+ years of experience in vendor management, print production, supply chain, or manufacturing environments.
• Experience managing third-party manufacturing or production vendors required.
• Strong analytical and operational problem-solving skills with advanced Excel or data analysis capabilities.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional initiatives and vendor performance management.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills.
• Experience in trading cards, collectibles, or CPG production environments is a plus.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed (up to ~25%).

About the Team

Backed by world-class investors, operators, and sports & entertainment partners, we are building the global leader in next-generation collectibles. As part of the broader Fanatics ecosystem, we leverage a digital sports platform that spans over 900 sports properties and engages more than 81 million fans. Together, we are reimagining every part of the collectibles experience for fans, partners, and creators.