Vendor Management Leader

Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance•Seattle, WA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Mutual of Enumclaw is seeking a Vendor Management Leader to own how the company selects, contracts with, and derives value from third-party partners. The role leads the full vendor lifecycle, including strategic sourcing, RFPs, contract negotiation, performance management, and third-party risk. It partners with leaders across the company and provides clear, data-backed recommendations. The position is onsite in Seattle, Washington. The hiring range is $127,500–$142,400, and the salary range is $127,500–$160,300; exact compensation may vary based on skills and experience. The Vendor Management Leader owns the vendor portfolio from onboarding through renewal or exit, maintaining strong vendor relationships and accountability for service. The role oversees sourcing decisions and contract terms, monitors performance and compliance, identifies and mitigates third-party risks, and maintains due diligence and continuity plans for critical vendors. The role also manages end-to-end sourcing processes, from gathering requirements and issuing RFIs and RFPs through evaluation, negotiation, reviews, contract execution, and onboarding handoff. It establishes vendor performance metrics and produces scorecards, dashboards, and executive summaries on performance, spend, and risk. The leader uses performance trends and stakeholder feedback to improve vendor management processes, tools, and policies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain, finance, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
At least 7 years of experience in vendor management, procurement, or strategic sourcing, including at least 3 years in a leadership role.
Expertise reviewing and synthesizing business proposals and contracts and translating complex terms, pricing, and risks into clear recommendations.
Strong negotiation skills and a record of securing favorable terms while protecting key relationships.
Sound judgment in assessing third-party risk and regulatory compliance.
Analytical skills in building KPIs, scorecards, and spend analyses.
Clear written and verbal communication with executives, business partners, and vendors.
Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple sourcing efforts simultaneously.
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer, including video conferencing.

Nice To Haves

Experience in insurance or financial services.
Familiarity with third-party risk management frameworks and vendor management or contract lifecycle systems.
Professional certification such as CPSM, CPM, or CTPRP.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain collaborative relationships with key vendors; serve as the primary escalation point, conduct regular business reviews, and align vendor roadmaps with company priorities.
Assess procurement purchases across the organization and identify opportunities to consolidate, collaborate, and streamline purchasing.
Lead negotiations for new agreements, renewals, and amendments, securing favorable pricing, service levels, terms, and protections while maintaining long-term partnerships.
Track contracts and spending against business strategic goals.
Monitor vendor delivery against service-level agreements and contract terms; verify regulatory, data privacy, and insurance-industry compliance and drive corrective action when needed.
Identify, assess, and mitigate third-party financial, operational, cybersecurity, concentration, and reputational risks.
Maintain vendor risk ratings, due diligence records, and business continuity and exit plans for critical vendors.
Analyze supplier markets, pricing trends, and emerging providers to identify cost-saving, innovation, and service opportunities.
Define vendor evaluation criteria with business stakeholders, objectively score proposals, and recommend vendors based on overall value.
Manage the full sourcing cycle: gather requirements and define scope; draft and issue RFIs and RFPs; manage vendor questions, demonstrations, and due diligence; coordinate cross-functional evaluation; negotiate terms and pricing; coordinate legal, IT security, and finance reviews; execute contracts; and hand off onboarding with clear owners and success measures.
Define and track performance KPIs for critical vendors, including SLA attainment, quality and error rates, responsiveness, cost savings and avoidance, member and agent impact, and contract compliance.
Produce vendor performance scorecards, dashboards, and executive summaries covering performance, spend, and risk; present findings and recommendations to senior leadership and business owners.
Use performance trends and stakeholder feedback to improve vendor management processes, tools, and policies; standardize templates, streamline workflows, and increase program maturity.