Director, Vendor & Process Management

At Forged Fiber, our mission is bold but simple: deliver fast, reliable, future-proof connectivity that builds the foundation for everything online. As we execute, we believe the right way to do something is the only way. This foundation guides how the company builds, operates, and maintains a state-of-the-art open-access fiber network platform that empowers millions. Forged Fiber is about more than building a network—it is about people. Every role matters. Every contribution counts. Together, employees create impact through teamwork, trust, and a shared commitment to excellence.

About the Role

The Director of Vendor & Process Management is a national Field Operations leadership role responsible for driving vendor performance, operational governance, process standardization, and continuous improvement across all Forged Fiber 37 markets. This leader will establish and maintain strategic partnerships with field service vendors, contractors, and operational support partners while ensuring consistent execution of company standards, customer commitments, safety requirements, and financial objectives. This position serves as a peer to the Regional Operations Directors and other Field Operations Directors, and plays a critical role in enabling operational scale, field execution consistency, and contractor performance excellence.

The successful candidate will serve as the primary Field Operations owner for contractor governance, vendor performance management, process optimization, operational compliance, and national best practice deployment.

Work Location: Strategic Forged Fiber Profit Centers; FL, CO, WA
Travel: 25–50% National Travel Required

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the national contractor and vendor management strategy.
• Establish performance standards, scorecards, service-level agreements (SLAs), and accountability frameworks for field vendors.
• Conduct recurring business reviews with partners to drive performance, compliance, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with Procurement, Legal, Finance, and Operations to support vendor selection, contract negotiations, and performance management.
• Identify opportunities to reduce operational costs while improving quality, productivity, and customer experience.
• Manage and govern high-level skill set work streams including buried service wire, Install & Repair, Locates, and Construction.
• Lead vendor escalation processes and drive timely issue resolution.
• Manage Enterprise Budget Strategy of $50 Million for Vendors across the company.
• Develop executive-level reporting and scorecards for vendor and operational performance.
• Monitor key performance indicators including:
  • Safety
  • Quality
  • Customer Experience
  • Same Day Completion
  • Interval Performance
  • Productivity
  • Repeat Rates
  • Contractor Utilization
  • Financial Performance
• Provide data-driven recommendations to improve outcomes and operational consistency.
• Lead root cause analysis efforts for systemic operational issues.
• Hyper focus on invoice and work validation across teams to streamline cost savings.
• Partner closely with Regional Operations, Dispatch, Workforce Management, Operational Excellence, Training, Safety, Customer Experience, Engineering, and Procurement teams.
• Support major operational initiatives, system deployments, and process transformation activities.
• Lead implementation of national operational programs and ensure successful adoption across markets.
• Facilitate collaboration between internal and external stakeholders to achieve company objectives.
• Demonstrate and reinforce Forged Fiber 37 leadership principles.
• Foster a culture of accountability, process discipline, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Influence leaders and teams without direct authority across multiple organizations.
• Mentor operational leaders in vendor management and process improvement best practices.

Skills

• Vendor Management Expertise
  • Strong experience managing large-scale contractor and vendor relationships.
  • Demonstrated ability to establish performance accountability and governance frameworks.
  • Experience conducting executive-level vendor business reviews.
  • Strong negotiation, conflict resolution, and relationship management capabilities.
• Operational Excellence
  • Deep understanding of field operations processes and workforce execution models.
  • Ability to identify operational inefficiencies and drive sustainable solutions.
  • Experience leading large-scale process improvement initiatives.
  • Strong project management and organizational skills.
  • Lead, develop, and inspire teams that impact the build, field, and support groups across strategic programs.
• Analytical & Business Acumen
  • Advanced data analysis and operational performance management skills.
  • Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets and vendor spend.
  • Ability to translate operational data into actionable business recommendations.
  • Experience building executive dashboards and performance reporting.
• Leadership & Communication
  • Exceptional communication and presentation skills.
  • Strong executive presence and ability to influence senior leaders.
  • Ability to lead through organizational change and ambiguity.
  • Proven ability to build alignment across diverse stakeholder groups.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Operations Management, Engineering, Telecommunications, or related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 10+ years of operational leadership experience.
• 5+ years of experience managing contractors, vendors, or strategic business partnerships.
• Experience leading multi-market or national operational programs.
• Demonstrated success driving operational performance improvements.
• Experience managing complex cross-functional initiatives.
• Ability to travel nationally as business needs require.

Preferred Qualifications

• Telecommunications, broadband, fiber, cable, or field service experience.
• Experience supporting large contractor workforces.
• Lean, Six Sigma, Project Management Professional (PMP), or Operational Excellence certification.
• Experience implementing workforce management, dispatch, or field service technologies.
• Experience supporting AT&T Experience, Quantum Fiber, or similar service delivery models.
• Experience in procurement governance or strategic sourcing environments.

What Success Looks Like

• Consistent execution of contractor performance standards across all FF37 markets.
• Measurable improvements in productivity, quality, customer experience, and operational consistency.
• Reduced operational variation through standardized processes and governance.
• Strong strategic partnerships with vendors and service providers.
• Improved visibility into contractor and operational performance through actionable scorecards.
• Sustainable cost efficiencies achieved without compromising safety, quality, or customer experience.
• Successful deployment of national operational improvements and transformation initiatives.

Leadership Expectations

• Safety
• Accountability
• Integrity
• Customer Focus
• Teamwork
• Continuous Improvement
• People Development

What We Look For In a Candidate

Forged Fiber’s culture is built on honesty, respect, trust, transparency, and a growth mindset. We strive to treat people as they want to be treated, and to operate with consistency, integrity, customer obsession, and courage. We’re looking for top-tier talent to join Forged Fiber that can help us bring this mindset to our everyday work and deliver meaningful results.

Pay

$175,000 - $255,000 annually. This information reflects the anticipated base salary range based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary by location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience, and other relevant factors.

Benefits

Forged Fiber offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits, and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional, and financial wellbeing.