Sr. Vendor Relations Specialist II

About the Role

Providing for loved ones, planning rewarding retirements, saving enough for whatever lies ahead – our policyholders count on us to be there when it matters most. It’s a big ask, but it’s one that we have the power to deliver when we work together. We collaborate and innovate – pushing one another to transform not just Pacific Life, but the entire industry for the better. This role is on-site at our Newport Beach, CA or Charlotte, NC office.

Responsibilities

Vendor Relationship Management

• Cultivate and nurture strong working relationships with vendors to foster productive and collaborative partnerships.
• Act as liaison between company and vendors, ensuring clear communication and mutual understanding as appropriate for the relationship.
• Drive moderately complex initiatives, bringing in new perspectives to solve business problems with a goal of improving customer experience and operational efficiency.
• Provide guidance for the documentation of procedural changes in partnership with the Knowledge Management team to support vendor processing and related Pacific Life processes as needed.
• Proficient knowledge in supporting Technology areas ranging from Incident Management, SaaS, Cloud and Hybrid Environments, Data Centers, IT Operations and more.

Performance Monitoring

• Lead vendor performance monitoring to identify trends and implement changes as appropriate.
• Identify areas for improvement and collaborate with vendors and senior team members to implement necessary changes.
• Collaborate with internal teams to identify and communicate vendor opportunity trends that support our strategic goals.
• Lead weekly/monthly vendor performance calls, as assigned to discuss performance metrics, improvements, and feedback, leading as necessary.
• Keep track of service level agreements (SLAs) and quality standards with vendors to ensure that commitments are met and exceeded when possible.
• Establish best practices, ensuring contract/invoicing compliance, maintain pricing oversight and adherence to fee approval limits.

Communication and Service Support

• Serve as primary point of contact for vendor inquiries, addressing questions and resolving day-to-day issues as appropriate with minimal guidance from senior team members.
• Foster open lines of communication to promote transparency and effective collaboration.
• Provide timely responses to vendor-related inquiries, maintaining a high level of professionalism and accuracy.
• Keep vendors informed about relevant initiatives, changes, and updates that impact the vendor relationship.
• Partner closely with internal teams to enhance the vendor experience and address any challenges collaboratively.
• Work closely with Data teams to leverage, interpret, and apply sound analytics to internal and external data sources to support informed decision making.
• Ensure all assigned initiatives adhere to Ops project oversight expectations; stakeholder needs and business requirements vetted and documented, business impacts evaluated, project outcomes/decisions tracked and communicated.
• Keep tasks in line with project scope through completion; collaborate effectively with business partners across enterprise to gain consensus and ensure long-term sustainability while meeting objectives.
• Seek and/or provide feedback to measure and evolve work quality.
• Serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Business Operations on assigned vendor relationships, driving outcomes and ensuring effective day-to-day operations.
• Actively participate in issues related to assigned vendor relationships, identifying and communicating ways to improve business operations efficiency within the vendor engagement.

Requirements

• 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Strong desire to deliver a superior customer service experience.
• Ability to work independently with minimal instruction, guidance, and direction from others.
• Ability to communicate moderately complex thoughts and ideas verbally and in writing.
• Proficient in Life insurance and Annuity operations activities with a strong understanding of various outsourcing pricing models.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office with aptitude for Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Solid understanding of project management processes/methodologies.
• Experience working in the IT sector and/or managing IT vendor relationships.
• Strong analytics and critical thinking skills.
• Proficient leadership skills—ability to prioritize and manage competing priorities.
• 4-year degree or equivalent experience.

Pay

The base pay range noted represents the company’s good faith minimum and maximum range for this role at the time of posting. The actual compensation offered to a candidate will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to experience, qualifications, and geographic location. Most employees are also eligible for additional incentive pay.

$124,830.00 - $152,570.00

Benefits

Your benefits start on day one, offering flexible options tailored to your needs:

• Prioritization of your health and well-being including Medical, Dental, Vision, and Wellbeing Reimbursement Account (usable for yourself or eligible dependents).
• Generous paid time off options: Paid Time Off, Holiday Schedules, and Financial Planning Time Off.
• Paid Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance Program.
• Competitive 401k savings plan with company match and an additional contribution regardless of participation.