AVP, Supplier Contract Governance & Risk Management

Synchrony • Stamford, CT

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The AVP, Growth Supplier Contract Governance & Risk Manager leads post-award contract governance and supplier lifecycle management for third-party suppliers supporting Synchrony’s Growth function. This role ensures Synchrony achieves the negotiated value from supplier agreements by operationalizing and enforcing contract terms, SOWs, SLAs/KPIs, remedies, and governance cadences, while also owning key supplier relationships across onboarding, ongoing monitoring, renewal, and exit. This role requires demonstrated previous expertise in contract governance, project management, process simplification, and supplier risk management. A successful candidate will demonstrate past experience working independently, resolving complex supplier and/or contract issues, improving governance processes, and is accountable for results, including coaching other team members and setting priorities for supplier governance activities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• In lieu of degree HS diploma/GED with 8+ years of supplier management, supplier oversight, procurement, contracts management, and/or third-party risk in a regulated environment.
• 5+ years experience in supplier management, supplier oversight, procurement, contracts management, and/or third-party risk in a regulated environment.
• 3+ years of hands-on contract governance experience (post-award), including interpretation/enforcement of SOWs/SLAs/KPIs, change controls, and supplier performance remedies/escalations.
• 2+ years supplier management/oversight experience within financial services (or similarly regulated industry).
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, resolve complex/ambiguous supplier and contract issues, and drive cross-functional outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead process simplification/automation and implement improvements that measurably reduce cycle time or risk exposure.
• Project management experience.
• Ability and flexibility to travel for business as required.

Nice To Haves

• Proven experience building strategic supplier relationships while improving performance, reducing defects, and managing risk.
• Strong fluency in risk management concepts (L3 process alignment, risk statements, controls, testing/evidence, CTC/CTQ) and translating them into supplier requirements.
• Experience supporting competitive events/negotiation handoffs with Sourcing/Legal and participating in contract governance discussions.
• Strong analytical, documentation, and executive communication skills (dashboards, scorecards, governance readouts).
• Experience in consumer financial services (credit card/retail environment) preferred.
• Experience with Coupa, eGRC, Tableau, SAS or similar tools preferred.

Responsibilities

• Build, execute and evolve a Growth-focused contract governance framework; independently perform contract/SOW/SLA reviews to confirm obligations, deliverables, and performance requirements are implemented and tracked to completion.
• Operationalize contracts into measurable governance routines (e.g., dashboards/scorecards, governance calendar, decision and action logs) and continuously simplify/standardize processes to reduce cycle time and defects.
• Monitor and enforce SLAs/KPIs; identify and pursue contractual levers tied to performance and value realization (e.g., service credits, acceptance criteria, escalation paths, dispute procedures, material breach triggers) and ensure outcomes are documented.
• Partner with Procurement/Sourcing, Legal, Compliance, Risk, and business owners to manage contract deviations and lifecycle events (change control, remediation commitments, renewals, terminations), setting priorities and coaching other team members on contract governance practices.
• Lead supplier relationships across the supplier lifecycle for assigned Growth suppliers, ensuring adherence to Synchrony Supplier Risk Management policies and SRMP requirements and accountability for results.
• Partner with Supplier Risk Management to execute enhanced surveillance activities as applicable; identify incidents, control gaps, and trends; drive remediation plans, validate evidence closure, and escalate as needed.
• Liaise with Growth business owners to deliver supplier requirements, assessments, and governance reporting; resolve complex supplier issues through root-cause analysis, corrective action planning, and sustained follow-through.
• Apply working knowledge of Synchrony’s Enterprise Risk Management protocols including leveraging the process universe for Growth to align suppliers to L3 processes; partnering with Functional QA/Compliance to align CTC/CTQ requirements and understanding/maintaining supplier risks and controls including the documentation.
• Perform other duties and/or special projects as assigned.

Benefits

• eligible for an annual bonus based on individual and company performance.
• inclusive culture where your individual skills, experience, and voice are not only heard – but valued.
• Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
• support and encouragement at all levels of the organization
• tools and technology to grow your career here

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior