Program Lead, Vendor Managemenr
About The Position
The Program Lead of Vendor Management is responsible for owning and operating the companyâs vendor management program across a diverse, externalized supply base. In an asset-light operating model, this role ensures that critical third-party vendors consistently meet commercial expectations, while also delivering on the companyâs social, environmental, quality, and ethical standards. This role serves as the primary point of accountability for vendor governanceâmanaging relationships, performance, risk, and continuous improvementâwhile partnering closely with procurement, quality, legal, finance, and operations teams. The role requires strong vendor management, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills, paired with a deep commitment to integrity and compliance. The role reports into the Senior Director of Impact and Sustainability, with close relationships with General Counsel and finance leadership.
Requirements
- 5+ years of experience in vendor management, supplier governance, procurement, or related fields
- Demonstrated experience managing external vendors in an asset-light or outsourced operating model
- Proven negotiation experience with third-party vendors, including performance, remediation, and contractual discussions
- Experience building or operating vendor scorecards, audits, or performance management systems
- Strong understanding of risk management, compliance, and cross-functional decision-making
- Excellent stakeholder management skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability and willingness to commute to our Watertown, MA office 1-2 times per week
Nice To Haves
- Experience in food, agriculture, or complex supply chains
- Experience working in or with certified B Corporations
- Commercially minded with strong judgment and pragmatism
- Comfortable navigating tension between cost, speed, and standards
- Systems-oriented and detail-driven, with the ability to scale processes
- Experience with DocuSign
- Experience leveraging AI to improve processes, systems, etc.
Responsibilities
- Own the end-to-end vendor management program for external suppliers, co-manufacturers, and service providers in an asset-light model
- Develop, maintain, and enforce vendor standards, contracts, and performance expectations across social, environmental, quality, and ethical dimensions
- Lead vendor onboarding, classification, ongoing performance management, and offboarding processes
- Serve as the primary owner of vendor scorecards, business reviews, and corrective action plans
- Lead or support commercial and non-commercial negotiations related to standards, corrective actions, remediation timelines, and continuous improvement commitments
- Partner with senior leaders to assess trade-offs between cost, risk, performance, and values
- Drive alignment between contractual terms and operational reality
- Identify, assess, and escalate vendor-related risks across compliance, reputation, continuity of supply, and performance
- Lead response and remediation efforts for vendor non-compliance, audit findings, or emerging risks
- Coordinate cross-functional decision-making on vendor performance issues, including potential exits or escalations
- Ensure vendor management practices align with B Corp standards and other relevant certifications or regulatory requirements
- Own documentation, evidence collection, and reporting related to vendor compliance for audits and assessments
- Monitor evolving standards and expectations and translate them into vendor requirements
- Support Sr. Director, Impact and Sustainability, in setting goals with critical vendors related to the material risk and opportunities in our supply chain
- Partner closely with procurement, quality, legal, finance, operations, and marketing to ensure consistent and credible vendor governance
- Prepare executive-ready reporting on vendor performance, risk, and improvement initiatives
- Support alignment between vendor practices and external-facing claims or commitments
- Design and implement improvements to vendor management systems, tools, and processes as the company scales
- Benchmark vendor management best practices and recommend enhancements to strengthen accountability and resilience
- Support the evolution of vendor strategy in alignment with company growth and risk profile
Benefits
- Health: medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, an employer-funded HSA, and short & long-term disability benefits
- Financial: 401(k) with generous employer match
- Annual bonus based on company performance
- Time off: unlimited paid time off policy, 20 weeks parental leave, an executive team that encourages a good work/life balance
- Personal growth: Annual Learning & Development stipend, and access to a range of personal and professional coaching solutions through BetterUp
- Food: a free Custom Classic ButcherBox each month and weekly lunch reimbursement
- Others: reimbursement for wellness activities, an exceptional EAP, fertility benefits, life insurance and more
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
Number of Employees
251-500 employees
