Vendor Manager, Operational Vendor Support

Airbnb

9h•$156,000 - $195,000•Remote

About The Position

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way. The AirCover team is charged with managing and growing the AirCover business inside of Airbnb. We have a responsibility to our community of Hosts and guests to be there when things don’t go exactly as planned with their reservations. We have a lot of work to do in the coming years and we are looking for someone who will help us manage all of the things that need to be done to deliver best-in-class services to our community. As a Vendor Manager focused on operational vendor support, you will own the end-to-end management and performance of a portfolio of third-party partners that deliver critical operational services (e.g., third-party claims adjusting). Applying deep expertise in vendor management, SLA frameworks, and operational risk, you will exercise independent judgment across multiple sources of data to structure trade-off decisions, resolve complex and ambiguous problems, and hold vendors accountable to service, delivery, and cost outcomes for guests and hosts. You will operate with minimal oversight, act as a trusted advisor and resource to less experienced colleagues and internal stakeholders, and may lead vendor management projects or programs that shape how the broader function operates.

Requirements

6+ years of experience in vendor management, claims adjusting, or outsourcing management, with demonstrated experience taking on greater scope, leading initiatives, or mentoring others.
Proven track record independently managing large-scale, complex operational vendors (e.g., call centers, TPAs) with minimal oversight, including experience navigating executive-level vendor relationships.
Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Excel/Sheets, SQL, or BI tools (Tableau, Looker, Power BI), and the ability to synthesize multiple sources of data into clear recommendations and trade-off decisions.
Excellent negotiation, executive communication, and stakeholder-management skills, with experience building consensus and explaining sensitive or difficult information to senior audiences.
Deep understanding of SLA frameworks, budgeting, and contract management, including the judgment to know when to structure action plans versus escalate.
Demonstrated expertise in quality management, process improvement (Lean/Six Sigma), and change management, including designing and leading calibration or remediation programs.
Working knowledge of the competitive vendor/outsourcing landscape and ability to translate that awareness into recommendations that differentiate Airbnb's operational vendor program.
Experience acting as a resource, coach, or informal mentor to less experienced colleagues, and comfort leading projects or workstreams with manageable risk and resourcing needs.

Responsibilities

Own the day-to-day management and performance oversight of an assigned portfolio of vendors within established team strategy and governance.
Lead daily/weekly performance forums, synthesizing multiple sources of operational and financial data to diagnose root causes, structure trade-off decisions, and drive action planning and accountability with vendors.
Act as the escalation point for complex, sensitive, or high-risk vendor issues on behalf of guests and hosts, negotiating resolution and building consensus across cross-functional stakeholders, including at more senior levels.
Assist in the design and priority of the metrics and trigger/appetite framework used to monitor vendor performance; independently determine when performance issues warrant action plans versus deeper investigation or escalation.
Use judgment to resolve complex operational issues and recommend trade-offs using established frameworks and data inputs.
Own the vendor invoice management and financial governance process end-to-end, ensuring alignment with contractual terms and driving process improvements that reduce recurring discrepancies in credits, incentives, and reconciliation.
Lead quality and calibration programs across the vendor portfolio, structuring action plans to remediate opportunities and coaching vendors and less experienced colleagues on quality standards and remediation approaches.
Act as a resource and informal mentor for less experienced vendor managers, sharing best practices and subject-matter expertise; may lead discrete vendor management projects or process initiatives with manageable risk and resource requirements.
Partner with Legal, Sourcing, and Finance to shape contractual obligations and vendor process improvements, applying knowledge of industry best practices and the competitive landscape to identify what differentiates Airbnb's vendor program.
Contribute to team culture, onboarding, and change-management efforts on a recurring basis, at times in a team-lead capacity.