Vendor Manager Career Profile

Vendor Manager

Vendor Managers typically come from a strong operations background and require great relationship-building skills. A successful Vendor Manager will have excellent attention to detail and excel when dealing with metrics, processes and contracts. Vendor managers have strong strategic focus and are typically very good when looking at the bigger picture for the organisation. A strong Vendor manager will help develop processes that will result in regular and more predictable performance for the organisation.

Typical responsibilities and key skills of a Vendor Manager include

• Contract Management, RFP Development
• Vendor Selection
• Responsibility for contract documents, including service level Agreements, statements of work eg
• Financial and Quantitative Analysis
• Effective training on Vendor Operations to key stakeholders in the business where appropriate
• Through best-practice processes, measuring the quality and timeliness of delivery
• Core operations management to ensure effective delivery of services
• Relationship Management
• Proven experience in development of strategic relationship with vendors
• Strategic Planning
• Team Leadership Experience; while most Vendor Management roles will not have direct reports they will have a number of indirect reports with vendor companies
• Project Management Experience
• Set up and run where appropriate continuous improvement initiatives