Associate Director, Patient Support - Vendor Management

Vendor Strategy and Oversight

Lead day-to-day and strategic oversight of vendors supporting patient support programs.
Develop and maintain strong vendor governance models, including business reviews, performance scorecards, escalation pathways, and service-level expectations.
Ensure vendors are operating in alignment with contractual obligations, business requirements, quality standards, and compliance expectations.
Partner with internal stakeholders to evaluate vendor capabilities and support vendor selection, onboarding, and transition activities.

Performance Management

Define, monitor, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs), service-level agreements (SLAs), and operational metrics.
Identify performance gaps, risks, and process inefficiencies, and lead corrective and preventive action plans with vendors.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance patient experience, operational efficiency, and program effectiveness.
Conduct regular business reviews and present vendor performance insights and recommendations to leadership.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Serve as a primary liaison between internal teams and external vendors to ensure alignment on program objectives, timelines, and deliverables.
Collaborate with Patient Services, Market Access, Commercial, Legal, Compliance, Privacy, Procurement, and Finance to support vendor-related initiatives.
Translate business needs into clear vendor requirements and operational expectations.
Support implementation of new programs, enhancements, and process changes impacting vendor operations.

Contract and Financial Management

Partner with Procurement, Legal, and Finance to support contract development, amendments, renewals, and statement-of-work management.
Monitor vendor budgets, invoices, and financial performance to ensure accurate forecasting and cost control.
Assess vendor proposals and business cases to support investment decisions and operational planning.

Project Management and Implementation

Lead cross-functional projects related to vendor operations, patient support program enhancements, and new service implementations.
Develop project plans, timelines, milestones, and stakeholder communication plans to ensure successful execution.
Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to manage deliverables, dependencies, risks, and issue resolution.
Track project progress against scope, timeline, and budget, and provide regular status updates to leadership.
Support change management activities associated with vendor transitions, new program launches, and process improvements.
Drive accountability for project deliverables and ensure timely completion of action items across teams.

Compliance and Risk Management

Ensure vendor activities comply with all applicable healthcare, privacy, legal, and regulatory requirements, as well as company policies and procedures.
Support audit readiness and participate in vendor audits, inspections, and risk assessments as needed.
Escalate issues appropriately and drive timely resolution of compliance, operational, or service-related concerns.
Maintain documentation and governance practices required for effective oversight.