Sr Manager CARE Vendor Strategy

Southwest Airlines • Dallas, TX

1d • $153,000 - $170,000 • Onsite

About The Position

As Sr Manager of Customer CARE Vendor Strategy, you’ll lead the strategy and high-level relationships for the external partners that support Southwest’s Customer CARE organization. You’ll oversee the full vendor lifecycle, from sourcing assessments, business cases, and delivery-location recommendations through implementation, governance, and ongoing performance management. With ownership of the vendor portfolio’s financial performance, you’ll partner across CARE Operations, Supply Chain, Legal, Finance, Technology, and vendor leadership to structure relationships that balance cost, service, risk, continuity, and future business needs. You’ll set clear expectations, strengthen accountability, and ensure vendor capabilities and service reflect Southwest’s values and brand. Through strategic leadership, financial discipline, and strong partnerships, you’ll help build a resilient vendor portfolio that delivers seamless experiences for internal Teams and Customers while supporting the continued growth and success of Customer CARE.

Requirements

• Knowledge of outsourced service delivery, vendor lifecycle management, vendor governance, and performance management practices.
• Knowledge of Master Services Agreements, Statements of Work, service levels, performance requirements, remedies, compliance requirements, audit rights, renewals, amendments, and related contractual commitments.
• Skilled in developing and evaluating vendor pricing models, fully loaded cost models, business cases, total cost of ownership, gain-share structures, and financial recommendations.
• Skilled in leading vendor implementations, readiness reviews, risk mitigation, operating model decisions, and cross-functional execution from contract execution through stable operations.
• Skilled in building relationships, influencing decisions, communicating recommendations, and partnering across Operations, Supply Chain, Legal, Finance, Technology, and vendor leadership.
• Ability to lead, coach, develop, and engage direct reports while setting expectations, supporting performance, and creating accountability for Team and business results.
• Ability to assess sourcing, delivery-location, labor market, site capability, concentration, continuity, and operational risks across onshore, nearshore, and offshore vendor environments.
• Ability to translate complex operational, financial, contractual, and risk information into clear recommendations, decisions, and implementation plans for Leaders and cross-functional partners.
• Ability to manage multiple strategic initiatives, prioritize competing demands, and drive timely decisions and execution in a complex operating environment.
• Demonstrated experience in directly or indirectly leading Team(s)
• Fully functioning, broad knowledge in: Vendor strategy, outsourced service delivery, supplier relationships, and performance governance
• Vendor agreements, service levels, performance requirements, and commercial terms
• Vendor pricing, cost modeling, business case development, and total cost of ownership analysis
• Vendor implementations, operational transitions, readiness, and risk management
• Contact center operations, workforce management, and/or global vendor delivery models
• Ability to perform work duties from a limited space workstation/desk/office area for extended periods of time.
• Ability to communicate and interact with others in the English language to meet the demands of the job.
• Ability to use a computer and other productivity tools with sufficient visual acuity and manual dexterity to perform work duties.
• Must maintain a well-groomed appearance per Company appearance standards as described in established guidelines
• Must be a U.S. citizen or have authorization to work in the United States as defined by the Immigration Reform Act of 1986
• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Must be able to comply with Company attendance standards as described in established guidelines

Responsibilities

• Lead Department vendor strategy across the vendor lifecycle, including sourcing assessments, business case development, delivery-location strategy, implementation, governance, and performance management
• Partner with Operations Leaders to evaluate functions and processes for outsourced delivery, identify capabilities that should remain internal, and develop recommendations that balance cost, service, risk, continuity, and business needs
• Develop and evaluate business cases, pricing models, and fully loaded cost models to support sourcing recommendations, contract decisions, transition investments, expected benefits, and timing
• Lead development of business requirements and commercial terms that support vendor agreements, including Master Services Agreements, Statements of Work, rate cards, amendments, service levels, performance requirements, and remedies
• Lead new vendor implementations from contract execution through stable operations by coordinating plans, milestones, dependencies, readiness reviews, risks, decisions, and issue resolution across internal and vendor Teams
• Establish and maintain vendor performance measures, scorecards, governance routines, business reviews, corrective actions, and escalation processes to support accountability and operational performance
• Manage the vendor portfolio view, including spend, capabilities, locations, performance, concentration risk, compliance requirements, audit rights, renewals, amendments, expiration dates, and recommendations to expand, consolidate, replace, or insource work
• Provide leadership and direction to direct reports by establishing priorities, clarifying expectations, coaching performance, and developing capabilities that support vendor strategy and Department objectives
• Monitor industry, labor market, delivery-location, technology, and supplier trends to identify opportunities and risks and incorporate relevant insights into vendor portfolio recommendations
• May perform other job duties as directed by Employee's Leaders

Benefits

• Fly for free, as a privilege, on any open seat on all Southwest flights (your eligible dependents too)
• Southwest will help fund your Retirement Savings Plan, which includes a dollar-for-dollar 401(k) Company match contribution of up to 9.3% of your eligible earnings
• Potential for annual profit-sharing contribution in the Southwest Retirement Savings Plan—when Southwest profits, you profit
• Competitive health insurance for you and your eligible dependents
• Southwest offers health plan coverage options that start from the very first day of employment. You'll have 30 days to select and enroll in your health plan, and coverage will be retroactively available to your first day of employment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: High school or GED