Senior Manager, Third?Party Risk & Vendor Management

$100K — $130K *
Business Services
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Undergraduate degree or equivalent training; graduate degree preferred.
  • Minimum of eight years related work experience, including five years in vendor management.
  • Extensive strategic supplier relationship management experience, particularly in regulated financial services.
  • Deep understanding of third-party risk management frameworks and regulatory controls, including SOX compliance.
  • Proven ability to translate business goals into actionable vendor management strategies.

Responsibilities

  • Hire, evaluate, and supervise crew while providing guidance and training to enhance their development.
  • Lead management of complex vendor relationships; maintain positive relations with key contacts to resolve issues.
  • Negotiate favorable pricing and oversee vendor performance evaluations during contract negotiations.
  • Manage the process of developing best practice RFPs and ensure proposal compliance with requirements.
  • Consult with experts to assess vendor financial and operational reputations for strategic partnerships.
  • Monitor post-contract vendor performance, suggesting changes to management as needed.
  • Compile and report on vendor performance data for managerial review.

Benefits

  • Flexible hybrid working model promoting both remote work and in-person collaboration.
  • Ongoing professional development opportunities and access to learning resources.
  • Mission-driven culture focused on client financial wellbeing and team collaboration.
Full Job Description

Responsibilities:

  • Demonstrates ability to influence strategic decisions and drive improvements to vendor governance, risk management and oversight frameworks in complex, regulated environments
  • Drives continuous improvement of vendor governance and oversight practices, providing independent challenge and recommendations to strengthen vendor performance
  • Identifies emerging third-party risks, trends and control gaps and provides actionable insights and recommendations to business leadership to support risk informed decision making
  • Hires, evaluates, and supervises crew. Provides guidance and training as necessary to develop crew. Sets performance standards, reviews performance, and makes informed compensation decisions in accordance with all applicable Human Resources policies and procedures.
  • Leads the management of vendor relationships of high scope and complexity. Maintains active positive relationships with designated points of contact with key vendors at all levels to escalate, discuss and resolve issues relative to the supply of goods and services.
  • Establishes and maintains vendor relationships, negotiates favorable pricing, and reports on vendor performance.
  • Oversees the comparative evaluations of vendors, both before and after contract negotiations, to ensure that Vanguard obtains the highest value and expected return for its investment in vendor contracts.
  • Consults with internal/external experts to evaluate the financial, operational, and performance reputation of the vendor to ensure that they will make a suitable partner to the organization.
  • Oversees the monitoring of post contract performance of the vendor relative to product or service delivery and performance and may make change recommendations to management.
  • Compiles data and reports for managerial or executive review on aggregate vendor performance.
  • Assists in resolving conflicts and problems that have been referred by others and regularly provides work direction and guidance to less seasoned crew to ensure an effective implementation of Vanguard's short- and long-term vendor management strategies.
  • Participates in special projects and performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

  • Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience required; graduate degree preferred.
  • Minimum of eight years of professional related experience, including at least five years in vendor or third‑party management. Prior people‑management or supervisory experience preferred.
  • Demonstrated experience managing high‑risk and/or regulated vendors, including oversight of third parties with direct client impact, financial exposure, operational dependency, or regulatory obligations. Proven ability to assess and manage vendor risk commensurate with criticality and risk tier.
  • Extensive experience in strategic supplier relationship management, including leading complex negotiations, establishing performance and risk governance, and mitigating commercial and operational risk across high‑value, regulated financial‑services environments.
  • Strong escalation and issue‑management experience, including identification, assessment, and remediation of significant vendor failures, control gaps, or performance issues. Ability to partner with business, risk, legal, and compliance stakeholders to drive timely resolution and reduce residual risk.
  • Deep understanding of third‑party risk management (TPRM) frameworks and regulatory requirements (including SOX and related controls), ensuring vendor practices meet audit, compliance, and operational‑risk standards.
  • Proven ability to improve and mature a vendor management program, beyond execution of existing third‑party risk policies. Experience identifying gaps, strengthening governance, enhancing reporting and metrics, and proactively evolving vendor oversight frameworks to better manage risk and support business outcomes.
  • Develops and communicates clear vendor strategy, translating business objectives into actionable vendor‑management plans. Effectively communicates expectations, influences senior stakeholders, and gains alignment across multiple leadership levels.


Special Factors

Sponsorship

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

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