Vendor Governance Manager

About the role

The Innovation & Technology organization at Orion180 relies on dedicated partner resources across engineering, architecture, quality, and delivery functions. This role ensures those partners deliver on their commitments by defining Service Level Agreements (SLAs), publishing performance scorecards, conducting operational reviews, and managing escalations.

Responsibilities

• SLA Framework: Define, negotiate, and manage Service Level Agreements with strategic delivery partners. Ensure SLAs cover resource quality, retention, delivery performance, response times, and escalation procedures.
• Scorecard Management: Design and publish monthly vendor performance scorecards. Track metrics including sprint commitment rates, defect escape rates, resource retention, knowledge transfer milestones, and SLA compliance. Make performance visible to leadership.
• Operational Reviews: Conduct monthly operational reviews with each delivery partner. Review scorecard results, address performance trends, resolve open issues, and align on upcoming capacity needs.
• Escalation Management: Serve as the primary escalation point for vendor performance issues. When a delivery partner is underperforming, drive corrective action plans with clear timelines and accountability. Escalate to the Director of Delivery Governance and VP I&T when issues cannot be resolved at the operational level.
• Contract Compliance: Monitor delivery partner compliance with contractual obligations including dedicated resource commitments, non-rotation requirements, and security/compliance standards. Partner with legal on contract interpretation and enforcement when needed.
• Resource Quality: Track the quality and readiness of partner resources. Monitor onboarding milestones (30/60/90 day readiness), knowledge transfer validation, and resource substitution requests. Ensure replacement resources meet the same quality bar as the original assignment.
• Multi-Partner Coordination: Manage governance across multiple strategic partners simultaneously. Make sure all partners are held to the same standards, SLAs, and quality expectations regardless of their scope or size. Maintain fairness and consistency in how partners are evaluated.
• Risk Management: Identify and track vendor-related risks - resource retention concerns, capability gaps, contractual disputes, performance degradation trends. Maintain a vendor risk register and present risk status to leadership monthly.
• Reporting: Provide regular vendor performance reporting to the Director of Delivery Governance and VP I&T. Translate complex vendor data into clear, actionable insights for executive decision-making.
• Continuous Improvement: Analyze vendor performance trends over time. Identify systemic issues and work with delivery partners to implement process improvements. Benchmark partner performance against industry standards.

Qualifications

• Education and Work Authorization: Bachelor’s degree in business, Information Systems, Supply Chain Management, or related field, or equivalent experience. Must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship (U.S. Citizen or Green Card Holder).
• Experience: Minimum 5+ years in vendor management, supplier governance, strategic partnership management, or IT outsourcing management roles. Demonstrated experience defining SLAs, building vendor scorecards, and conducting formal operational reviews with technology delivery partners. Experience managing multiple vendor relationships simultaneously with clear performance frameworks.
• Skills: Strong analytical skills - you can build scorecards, interpret performance data, and translate metrics into actionable recommendations. Excellent negotiation and conflict resolution skills - you can hold partners accountable while maintaining productive working relationships. Strong communication skills at all organizational levels - comfortable presenting vendor performance to executives and having tough conversations with partner leadership. Experience with technology delivery models including dedicated resource teams, staff augmentation, and blended delivery approaches. Familiarity with contract management, SOW structures, and SLA frameworks in technology services. Demonstrated player/coach leadership style - you set the strategy AND roll up your sleeves to execute. You’re comfortable building the first version of a scorecard, process, or report yourself rather than waiting for your team to be in place.

Benefits

Competitive base pay and performance bonuses. Mentorship, growth tracks, and professional development. Medical, dental, vision, 401k, paid holidays, PTO and more!