Vendor Relations Specialist (Hybrid)

CareFirst•Baltimore, MD

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vendor Relations Specialist manages corporate vendors and suppliers assigned to a specific division, developing and managing business partnerships and supporting operational needs. The role identifies improvement opportunities aligned with the enterprise vendor engagement strategy and serves as a strategic advisor to CareFirst Embedded Business Unit Vendor Managers and business owners. As part of the central Vendor Management Office (VMO), the specialist provides oversight and guidance to Embedded Business Unit Vendor Managers on vendor management standards, tools, and templates. The role promotes alignment with CareFirst-wide vendor management strategies, advises on vendor issues and long-term strategy, communicates vendor strategies and associated risks and value to leadership, and supports supplier performance management and improvement. The specialist also develops vendor relationships, collaborates with business units and Procurement on sourcing and supplier events, contributes to vendor risk profiles, aggregates and reports vendor performance to the centralized VMO, and maintains market and supplier intelligence to identify opportunities and threats.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree, or an additional four years of relevant work experience in lieu of a bachelor's degree.
Five years of experience in vendor management, business development, procurement, sourcing, pricing, or a related field.
Ability to learn new software and vendor management tools.
Ability to establish rapport quickly and consistently and collaborate effectively with stakeholders, team members, and service providers.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Knowledge of negotiating contracts and work orders.
Strong financial acumen.
Ability to meet established deadlines and handle multiple internal and external customer service demands within expected service standards.
Ability to communicate effectively and provide positive customer service to internal and external customers, including demanding or challenging customers.
Must be eligible to work in the U.S. without sponsorship.
Must immediately disclose any debarment, exclusion, or other event that makes the incumbent ineligible to perform work directly or indirectly on Federal health care programs.

Responsibilities

Manage corporate vendors and suppliers assigned to a specific division and develop business partnerships.
Identify operational improvement opportunities aligned with the enterprise vendor engagement strategy.
Provide oversight and guidance to Embedded Business Unit Vendor Managers on vendor management standards, tools, and templates.
Engage Vendor Managers and internal stakeholders to maintain frequent communication and alignment on CareFirst vendor management strategies and standardized tools and templates.
Advise Vendor Managers and business owners on vendor issue management and long-term strategy development.
Communicate vendor strategies, risks, and value creation to leadership.
Manage supplier partner performance and track remediation and improvement opportunities.
Handle vendor evaluation and vendor management-related reports.
Develop and manage new and potential vendor relationships that align with organizational values.
Collaborate with business units and Procurement to ensure sourcing and supplier events are considered across CareFirst rather than in isolation within individual business units.
Assist with vendor risk profiles and provide feedback to the centralized VMO on scoring, metrics, and compliance requirements.
Aggregate and report performance for core enabling, core operational, and commodity vendors to the centralized VMO.
Maintain and report market and supplier intelligence to identify future business opportunities and inherent threats.