Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Operations, or related field; MBA preferred.
Operations leadership experience in financial services, fintech, banking, or consumer credit.
Strong project and program management skills; PMP or Agile/Scrum/SAFe certification a plus.
Proven vendor management and negotiation experience with contracts and service levels.
Strong strategic and analytical skills, with experience in data-driven decision-making.
Demonstrated leadership in building and developing teams.
Exceptional executive communication skills and presence.
Responsibilities
Provide leadership and oversight of third-party vendor and BPO relationships.
Own vendor strategy from RFPs to transitions, ensuring optimal cost and quality.
Oversee operational execution in back-office and contact center environments.
Drive cost reduction initiatives while holding teams accountable to targets.
Lead the Operations Strategy & Analysis team, directing analytics and reporting.
Translate data into actionable proposals for performance improvement.
Establish metrics and reporting for executive visibility into performance.
Benefits
Opportunity to work closely with the Chief Operating Officer.
Leadership role with significant influence on operational strategy.
Engagement in cross-functional collaboration with various departments.
Potential for career growth into a Vice President-level position.
Access to structured project and program management methodologies.
Full Job Description
We are seeking an AVP, Operations Strategy & Vendor Management to help lead our Operations team. Position Overview Essential Functions:
Provide leadership and oversight of all third-party vendor and BPO relationships across back-office and contact center operations, including performance, service levels, quality, cost, and contractual governance.
Own vendor strategy end to end - including RFPs, vetting, selection, negotiation, and transitions - to secure the best combination of cost, quality, and flexibility for the Company.
Oversee back-office and contact center operational execution, ensuring work is completed accurately, on time, in compliance with policy, and with a focus on continuous improvement.
Drive reduction of servicing cost per account in support of the Department's and Company's cost goals, holding vendors and internal teams accountable to targets.
Lead the Operations Strategy & Analysis team, directing the analytics, reporting, forecasting, and insights that inform operational and strategic decisions across Operations.
Own the development and performance of collections strategy, reviewing recommendations and presenting them to the Chief Operating Officer for approval.
Translate data and analysis into decision-ready proposals and business cases that drive measurable improvements in performance, cost, risk, and customer outcomes.
Establish goals, metrics, and reporting that give executive leadership clear visibility into vendor, operational, and financial performance.
Lead, coach, and develop a multidisciplinary team of managers and analysts; set objectives, manage performance, and build bench strength and succession depth.
Serve as a key operating partner and trusted advisor to the Chief Operating Officer, acting on the COO's behalf on operational matters as needed.
Represent Operations in executive, cross-functional, and vendor forums.
Partner with Legal & Regulatory Operations, Finance, Technology, Compliance, and other functions to deliver departmental and corporate goals.
Author and provide clear, complete business requirements when opening new Operations projects - capturing objectives, success criteria, scope, and functional and reporting needs up front so that initiatives launch with well-defined targets and hand off cleanly to Technology and other delivery partners.
Serve as the delivery leader for the Operations Department's initiative portfolio, applying structured project and program management to keep cross-functional operational projects on time, on budget, and on target.
Define scope, milestones, owners, and dependencies for operational initiatives; proactively manage risks and impediments; and maintain clear, consistent status reporting to leadership.
Partner with Technology, Product, Compliance, and other functions to coordinate Operations workstreams within larger enterprise initiatives and ensure Operations commitments are met.
Perform additional duties and responsibilities as assigned.
Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Operations, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree a plus.
Operations leadership experience in financial services, fintech, banking, or consumer credit, including leading teams and managing third-party vendors or BPOs.
Strong project and program management skills, with a track record of driving complex, cross-functional initiatives to on-time, on-target completion; formal methodology or certification (e.g., PMP or Agile/Scrum/SAFe) a plus.
Proven vendor management and negotiation track record - contracts, service levels, and cost reduction.
Strong strategic and analytical capability, with experience leading or closely partnering with an analytics or strategy function and using data to drive decisions.
Demonstrated people leadership - building, developing, and leading both managers and individual contributors.
Track record of delivering measurable operational and financial improvement (cost, quality, efficiency, and customer outcomes).
Exceptional executive communication and presence; able to operate as a trusted partner to a COO and represent Operations at the executive level.
Sound judgment and high integrity, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and make decisions in a fast-paced environment.
Knowledge of consumer credit, card servicing, collections, and contact center operations strongly preferred.
Readiness and ambition to grow into a Vice President-level scope.
The ideal candidate will have the following:
The AVP represents Operations in cross-functional settings and partners closely with Legal & Regulatory Operations and Technology to deliver departmental and corporate goals.
The role directly leads the Vendor Manager II (Contact Center Operations), the Vendor Manager I (Back Office), and the Operations Analyst team. It is accountable for vendor performance, quality, and cost; back-office and contact center operational execution; and the analytics, reporting, and strategy that drive the Department's operational and financial results - including servicing-cost reduction and collections strategy.
The AVP, Operations Strategy & Vendor Management is a senior leadership role reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer. The position leads two core pillars of the Operations Department - third-party vendor and BPO management across back-office and contact center operations, and the Operations Strategy & Analysis function - and serves as a key operating partner to the COO, owning the day-to-day leadership of these teams so that the COO can focus on enterprise strategy and executive priorities. The role also serves as the Operations Department's delivery leader, applying structured project and program management to keep key operational initiatives on time and on target.
