Sr. Vendor & Tech Optimization Manager (Remote)

Inspira Financial•Oak Brook, IL

3h•Remote

About The Position

The Sr Manger, Vendor and Tech Optimization will report to the Sr. Director, Vendor and Tech Optimization, which supports the Service Delivery departments. This role is responsible for partnering with internal stakeholders to work as a key driver of vendor performance, operational efficiency and tech enablement. This role demands exceptional relationship management skills, with the ability to influence, align and partner alternatives.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in relationship management with an operations and/or account management background.
Bachelor's degree in business, Finance, Accounting, Economics, Data Sciences, Communications, or related field.
Hands-on experience managing strategic vendor relationships and fostering high value partnerships.
Demonstrated experience delivering operational and technology improvements with measurable ROI
Excellent negotiation, communication and stakeholder influence skills
Familiarity with MS Office applications, basic data analysis and quality tools
Proactive, analytical, and problem-solving approach, able to propose resolutions and/or remediation to inefficient processes
Proven ability to self-prioritize, multi-task, and complete assignments within specified timelines
Possess excellent collaboration and communication skills, with both internal and external teams
Detail-oriented, organized, and dependable
Implement critical thinking and problem-solving
Familiarity with Microsoft Excel, Visio, Miro, LucidChart, Word, Outlook and web-based tools such as Salesforce etc.
Masterful relationship builder-able to balance empathy, influence and accountability with diverse stakeholders
Strategic thinker with an operational bias for action.
Skilled in conflict resolution and collaborative problem solving
Data-driven decision making with a continuous improvement mindset.

Nice To Haves

Experience in healthcare of retirement planning industry a plus.
Knowledge of process improvement methodologies (e.g., Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, Agile) preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary relationship owner for assigned vendors, acting as a trusted partner and escalation point.
Lead governance routines, QBRs, and joint improvement initiatives to drive SLA, KPI, and compliance performance.
Build and maintain trust-based relationships with vendor leadership to foster transparency, accountability, and innovation.
Partner with procurement and legal teams to manage contracts, renewals, negotiations, and scope expansions.
Gain understanding of business needs as it relates to vendor interaction
Engage closely with internal business leaders, operations, IT, and analytics teams to ensure vendor and technology solutions meet evolving business needs.
Act as a bridge between the vendors and internal stakeholders, translating business goals into executable vendor deliverables.
Facilitate alignments across multiple departments to support seamless delivery and shared ownership of results
Navigate competing priorities and drive consensus to keep initiatives on track
Assess the current technology stack for efficiency and recommend enhancements, automation and AI-driven solutions.
Drive adoption and integration of new tools and processes as a partner to internal process teams, ensuring stakeholder engagement and change readiness
Build data-driven business cases for technology investments with clear ROI and operational impact.