Vendor Relations Manager

About the role

The Vendor Relations Manager leads the governance, performance management, and strategic oversight of the organization's third-party vendor portfolio. This role serves as the primary relationship manager for critical and strategic vendor partners, ensuring vendors consistently deliver against business objectives, service expectations, contractual commitments, and regulatory requirements.

You will work closely with business leaders, Risk Management, Legal, Compliance, Information Security, and Procurement teams to ensure effective third-party oversight and alignment with organizational priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead governance and relationship management activities for strategic and critical vendor partners.
• Develop, build, and manage vendor scorecards, performance metrics, and executive reporting using automation.
• Conduct regular business reviews and ensure vendor performance meets contractual commitments and SLAs.
• Lead vendor issue escalations, corrective action plans, and remediation efforts to drive accountability.
• Monitor vendor risks including operational, financial, cybersecurity, concentration, and compliance risks.
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, Risk, Information Security, and business stakeholders to support effective third-party oversight.
• Coordinate audit, regulatory, and examination support activities, ensuring documentation is complete and audit ready.
• Analyze vendor portfolio trends, spending, and dependencies to support risk management and executive decision making.
• Oversee complex or high-impact vendor relationships, ensuring consistent delivery of services aligned with organizational standards and objectives.
• Lead negotiation and management of service level agreements, performance metrics, and operational expectations.
• Analyze vendor performance trends, identify risks or inefficiencies, and develop actionable improvement strategies.
• Resolve complex vendor issues and service gaps by leading cross-functional problem-solving efforts.
• Ensure adherence to contractual obligations, regulatory requirements, and organizational policies.
• Influence vendor strategy and decision-making by providing insights on performance, cost, and service delivery outcomes.
• Lead vendor-related initiatives, including onboarding, integration, optimization, and process improvements.
• Partner with stakeholders across the organization to align vendor services with business needs and priorities.
• Support contract renewals and strategic planning by preparing performance analyses and recommendations.
• Provide guidance or mentorship to less experienced team members on vendor management practices.

Requirements

• 6 to 8 years of experience in vendor governance, SLA management, and escalation frameworks.
• Experience developing multi-dimensional vendor scorecards and QBR programs.
• Working knowledge of third-party risk management (TPRM) frameworks, including NCUA third-party guidance.
• Proficiency in vendor performance management platforms and GRC tools.
• Strong executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in a field relevant to the role (or 4 additional years of relevant experience in lieu of a degree).

Location

Hillsboro Corporate Office | Hillsboro, OR 97124
Marlborough Corporate Office | Marlborough, MA

Pay

Target compensation: $116,500.00 to $140,000.00 plus annual bonus.

Benefits

• Traditional medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Generous 401(k) match.
• Paid Time Off: You'll accrue up to 15 days in your first year. In addition, you'll receive 40 hours of sick time and 3 personal days, which refresh annually.
• Paid federal holidays.
• Special employee pricing on lending products such as mortgage, auto, and personal loans (eligibility subject to standard account requirements and underwriting criteria).