Director, Strategic Vendor Management

Universal Orlando•Orlando, FL

About The Position

At Universal Creative, we design, develop and deliver the most compelling entertainment experiences imaginable to drive growth for Universal Destinations & Experiences worldwide. Our innovative attractions, immersive theme parks and world-class resorts fuse art and technology to create new standards in the themed entertainment industry. Our Team Members are the driving force behind Universal Creative. With their diverse skills and forward-thinking ideas, our team pushes us beyond the boundaries of what’s possible to achieve the extraordinary. Together, we’re creating a Universe of fun, always ensuring the next thing we do is better than the last thing we did. JOB SUMMARY: Have you ever wanted to help build the partnerships behind the most compelling entertainment experiences imaginable? As the Director of Strategic Vendor Management, you will serve as the enterprise leader responsible for defining, building, and executing Universal Creative's vendor strategy, ensuring our external partner ecosystem is positioned to support the organization's creative, technical, and business objectives today and into the future. In this highly visible leadership role, you will develop and govern a comprehensive vendor management framework that drives performance, accountability, innovation, and long-term value across a diverse network of partners. You will also establish the strategic vision for how Universal Creative identifies, evaluates, develops, and optimizes vendor relationships, ensuring the right capabilities are available to bring ambitious ideas to life efficiently, reliably, and at scale. Acting as a key connector across various teams and departments, you will align vendor strategies with organizational priorities while also fostering the partnerships that strengthen Universal Creative's innovation pipeline. And by balancing accountability with collaboration, you will directly influence Universal Creative's ability to deliver extraordinary guest experiences through a world-class network of external partners.

Requirements

Proven track record in managing complex vendor ecosystems across technical and creative disciplines.
Strong cross-functional leadership and influencing skills across creative, technical, and financial stakeholders.
Demonstrated success in building governance frameworks, leading audits, and implementing enterprise-scale strategy.
Financial acumen related to contract management, cost analysis, and ROI evaluation.
Experience with both domestic and global vendor networks strongly preferred.
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Consistent attendance is a job requirement.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or related field required; Master’s preferred; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
10+ years of experience in capital projects management or enterprise vendor management.
Experience in themed entertainment is preferred; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Nice To Haves

Able to connect disparate information into actionable strategic insight.
Combines accountability with partnership to challenge the status quo while maintaining strong vendor relationships.
Capable of translating creative, technical, and financial perspectives into clear, actionable strategies.
Seeks out new technologies, methods, and vendors that advance Universal Creative’s capabilities.
Passionate about Universal’s product and values, with a commitment to continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

Lead a comprehensive, data-driven audit and evaluation of vendor relationships across all project phases.
Establish standards, policies, and frameworks for vendor performance, accountability, and governance.
Monitor vendor delivery against quality, cost, and schedule commitments, escalating risks and initiating recovery plans as needed.
Partner with Sourcing, Legal, Finance, and other stakeholders to ensure compliance with enterprise-wide governance and contracting practices.
Develop and maintain a long-range vendor strategy including partner models, preferred vendor lists, and consolidation opportunities.
Identify underperforming or misaligned vendors; establish improvement or exit strategies.
Proactively identify cost-reduction, value-engineering, and efficiency opportunities while preserving creative and technical excellence.
Provide timely vendor performance insights and reporting to UC and UDX leadership.
Collaborate with UC project teams, GPH, E&S, ATI, and Studio leaders to align vendor strategies with creative, technical, and business priorities.
Serve as a neutral integrator to address vendor-related conflicts, recovery strategies, or transitions.
Facilitate knowledge sharing across teams to improve consistency in vendor selection and avoid duplication of efforts.
Lead efforts to identify, evaluate, and onboard new vendors aligned with Universal Creative’s future needs (e.g., AI, digital fabrication, next-gen ride systems).
Benchmark vendor management best practices across industries to evolve UC’s engagement model.
Foster partnerships that expand UC’s innovation pipeline and delivery reliability.
Understand and actively participate in Environmental, Health & Safety responsibilities by following established UO policy, procedures, training and team member involvement activities.
Performs other duties as assigned.