Senior Associate, Supplier Management

FINRA • Rockville, MD

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Associate, Supplier Management executes and supports enterprise-wide supplier relationships and supplier-related processes under general direction of the Associate Director, Supplier Management. This includes conducting comprehensive supplier risk assessments, managing supplier onboarding and offboarding activities, and supporting and enforcing policies and procedures to ensure the company's supply chain is efficient, reliable, and compliant with internal standards and regulatory requirements. This role exercises independent judgment in optimizing vendor relationships, implementing process improvements, and collaborating cross-functionally to execute risk mitigation strategies in support of the supplier management program. Essential Job Functions: Supplier Lifecycle Management Participate in FINRA's full-cycle supplier management processes, practices, and standards to measure supplier/contract performance; ensuring compliance with requirements, and managing resource utilization for the enterprise. Execute day-to-day supplier onboarding and offboarding processes, to include: Evaluating and validating all new suppliers meet company standards and regulatory requirements through comprehensive documentation review, due diligence, and compliance verification. Coordinate efforts with procurement, legal, technology, and compliance teams to collect, verify and process all necessary supplier information within established timelines. Transfer, reconcile, and close-out all outstanding supplier obligations and contractual commitments. Maintain and continuously improve supplier onboarding checklists and process workflows; identify and recommend process enhancements based on analyses and operational trends. Ensure effective and efficient communication with suppliers and business constituents throughout the onboarding lifecycle to proactively resolve issues and ensure successful completion. For offboarding, execute comprehensive transition plans to ensure continuity of services and minimal disruption to business operations. Develop partnerships with key business stakeholders, compliance teams, and suppliers of a full range of goods and services from equipment to software and cloud services, to ensure long-term collaboration and mutual success. Serve as a point of contact and subject matter resource for supplier-related inquiries and issues; troubleshoot challenges and implement solutions. Compliance and Risk Management Consolidate, manage and maintain supplier data from multiple business stakeholders into centralized systems; ensure data integrity and accessibility while implementing data quality controls. Assist with identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with suppliers, monitoring supplier performance and compliance with company standards, conducting regular risk assessments and audits of key suppliers, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to address supplier-related issues and risks. Escalate supplier concerns to leadership as needed. Maintain supplier performance metrics, dashboards, and reporting tools; conduct data analysis to identify performance trends, operational issues, and enhancement opportunities. Contribute to presentations and recommendations to senior leadership on supplier performance, risks, and opportunities. Additional Responsibilities: Demonstrate FINRA’s values. Collaborate, both in-person and virtually, in furtherance of FINRA’s mission of investor protection and market integrity. Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Risk Management, or related business management area of study, or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience required.
• Minimum of six (6) years of progressive, hands-on experience in procurement, supplier management, strategic sourcing, or third-party risk management.
• Demonstrated experience executing end-to-end supplier onboarding and offboarding processes, conducting supplier risk assessments, due diligence reviews, and compliance audits.
• Proven ability to manage supplier relationships, serve as point of contact for vendor-related issues, and implement process improvements.
• Experience working in regulated industries (financial services, banking, or similar highly regulated environment preferred) with exposure to compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Strong knowledge of supplier lifecycle management, contract management, vendor governance principles, and regulatory compliance frameworks (e.g., FINRA, SEC).
• Strong analytical skills with ability to develop and maintain performance metrics, reports, dashboards, and identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with ability to collaborate effectively across procurement, legal, compliance, technology, and business stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment while managing relationships with internal and external constituents, managing progress and achieving operational goals.
• Ability to manage multiple competing projects and priorities simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail and meeting deadlines.
• Flexible, adaptable, and innovative in a dynamic, fast-paced, changing environment with strong problem-solving capabilities.

Nice To Haves

• Professional certifications such as PMP, Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), or equivalent, a plus.
• Proficiency with large ERP systems with integrated supplier and procurement business processes. Workday experience, a plus.

Responsibilities

• Participate in FINRA's full-cycle supplier management processes, practices, and standards to measure supplier/contract performance; ensuring compliance with requirements, and managing resource utilization for the enterprise.
• Execute day-to-day supplier onboarding and offboarding processes
• Evaluate and validate all new suppliers meet company standards and regulatory requirements through comprehensive documentation review, due diligence, and compliance verification.
• Coordinate efforts with procurement, legal, technology, and compliance teams to collect, verify and process all necessary supplier information within established timelines.
• Transfer, reconcile, and close-out all outstanding supplier obligations and contractual commitments.
• Maintain and continuously improve supplier onboarding checklists and process workflows; identify and recommend process enhancements based on analyses and operational trends.
• Ensure effective and efficient communication with suppliers and business constituents throughout the onboarding lifecycle to proactively resolve issues and ensure successful completion.
• For offboarding, execute comprehensive transition plans to ensure continuity of services and minimal disruption to business operations.
• Develop partnerships with key business stakeholders, compliance teams, and suppliers of a full range of goods and services from equipment to software and cloud services, to ensure long-term collaboration and mutual success.
• Serve as a point of contact and subject matter resource for supplier-related inquiries and issues; troubleshoot challenges and implement solutions.
• Consolidate, manage and maintain supplier data from multiple business stakeholders into centralized systems; ensure data integrity and accessibility while implementing data quality controls.
• Assist with identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with suppliers, monitoring supplier performance and compliance with company standards, conducting regular risk assessments and audits of key suppliers, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to address supplier-related issues and risks.
• Escalate supplier concerns to leadership as needed.
• Maintain supplier performance metrics, dashboards, and reporting tools; conduct data analysis to identify performance trends, operational issues, and enhancement opportunities.
• Contribute to presentations and recommendations to senior leadership on supplier performance, risks, and opportunities.
• Demonstrate FINRA’s values.
• Collaborate, both in-person and virtually, in furtherance of FINRA’s mission of investor protection and market integrity.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.
• Non-exempt employees are also eligible for overtime pay in accordance with federal, state, or local law.
• As part of its dedication to employee wellness, FINRA provides comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance.
• Additional insurance includes basic life, accidental death and dismemberment, supplemental life, spouse/domestic partner and dependent life, and spouse/domestic partner and dependent accidental death and dismemberment, short- and long-term disability, long-term care, business travel accident, disability and legal.
• FINRA offers immediate participation and vesting in a 401(k) plan with company match and eligibility for participation in an additional FINRA-funded retirement contribution, tuition reimbursement, commuter benefits, and other benefits that support employee wellness, such as adoption assistance, backup family care, surrogacy benefits, employee assistance, and wellness programs.
• Time Off and Paid Leave FINRA encourages its employees to focus on their health and wellness in many ways, including through a generous time-off program of 15 days of paid time off, 5 personal days and 9 sick days, unless otherwise required by law (all pro-rated in the first year).
• Additionally, we are proud to support our communities by providing two volunteer service days (based on full-time schedule).
• Other paid leave includes military leave, jury duty leave, bereavement leave, voting and election official leave for federal, state or local primary and general elections, care of a family member leave (available after 90 days of employment); and childbirth and parental leave (available after 90 days of employment).
• Full-time employees receive nine paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

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