Governance Manager- GBS

ofi; Chennai District; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,600,000; Full time

Job summary

ofi is seeking a Governance Manager to oversee outsourced business operations and ensure performance, compliance, and contractual obligations with vendors. You will act as the primary liaison between internal stakeholders and external partners, driving risk management, governance frameworks, and continuous improvement across all engagements.

Responsibilities include monitoring SLAs, conducting reviews, guiding cost optimization initiatives, and coordinating with finance, legal, and operations to

Qualifications

• CA/CMA or bachelor’s degree in business administration from a reputed university.
• 5–10 years of experience in vendor management, outsourcing governance, or third-party service delivery.
• Experience managing BPO, IT services, or outsourced operations.
• Strong knowledge of SLAs, KPIs, governance models, and contract management.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and reporting/dashboard tools.

Responsibilities

• Oversee governance of outsourced services and ensure SLA compliance.
• Manage relationships with vendors and third-party providers.
• Lead governance meetings, reviews, and performance assessments.
• Collaborate with finance, legal, and compliance on contracts.
• Drive process improvements and cost optimization with cross-functional teams.
• Monitor risks and manage escalation and remediation plans.
• Prepare reports for senior leadership on vendor performance.

Skills

Vendor governance

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Risk management

Communication skills

Multi-vendor management

Contract management

Education

CA/CMA or bachelor’s degree in business administration

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Reporting dashboards

Job description

As a leading provider of high-quality food and beverage ingredients, we work with farming communities across the globe to grow, source and produce ingredients that are good for consumers, farmers, and the world around us. We supply household food brands and manufacturers worldwide with cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts and spices ingredients which are often grown on our own farms and estates and sourced from hundreds of thousands of farmers across ~50 countries. Along with our diverse manufacturing and innovation capabilities, this means we can provide ingredients for a range of products, from a plant-based latte mix to an almond based snack bar or a dairy-free ice cream. Making a positive impact on people and planet is a core component of our Purpose, to be the change for good food and a healthy future. With a deep-rooted presence in the countries where our ingredients are grown, we are closer to farmers, enabling better quality, and more reliable, traceable, and transparent supply. And whoever we’re with, whatever we’re doing, we always make it real.

Overview Of the role

The Governance Manager is responsible for overseeing and governing outsourced business operations delivered by third-party vendors and service providers. The role ensures that outsourced services meet agreed performance standards, contractual obligations, compliance requirements, quality expectations, and business objectives.

This position acts as the primary liaison between internal stakeholders and external partners, driving operational excellence, accountability, risk management, and continuous improvement across all outsourced engagements.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage relationships with outsourced service providers and third-party vendors.
• Establish governance frameworks, operating models, and review mechanisms.
• Conduct regular governance meetings, operational reviews, and performance assessments.
• Ensure vendors comply with contractual obligations, SLAs, KPIs, and company policies.

Performance Management

• Monitor vendor performance metrics and service delivery outcomes.
• Analyze operational reports, dashboards, and escalation trends.
• Drive corrective action plans for performance gaps or service failures.
• Ensure timely issue resolution and escalation management.

Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the central coordination point between business teams and external partners.
• Communicate vendor performance updates to senior leadership.
• Align outsourced operations with business priorities and strategic goals.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration for smooth operational execution.

Contract & Compliance Oversight

• Partner with finance, legal and compliance teams on vendor contracts.
• Ensure adherence to regulatory, security, confidentiality, and audit requirements.
• Support contract renewals, amendments, and commercial evaluations.
• Track risks associated with outsourcing arrangements and implement mitigation plans.

Process Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, cost optimization, quality, and customer experience.
• Standardize governance documentation, reporting templates, and operational procedures.
• Support transition and onboarding of new outsourced processes or vendors.
• Identify areas along with GBS on cost optimization and run projects with Business teams
• Monitor budget utilization and cost-performance efficiency.
• Support savings initiatives and commercial negotiations where required.
• Review vendor invoices, billing accuracy, and commercial adherence.

Experience and Qualification

• CA/CMA or bachelor’s degree in business administration from reputed university with expertise in related fields as per the role
• 5–10 years of experience in vendor management, outsourcing governance, operations management, or third-party service delivery.
• Experience managing BPO, IT services, shared services, or outsourced operational functions preferred.
• Strong understanding of SLAs, KPIs, governance models, and contract management.
• Strong stakeholder and relationship management skills
• Excellent negotiation and communication abilities
• Analytical and problem-solving capability
• Risk management and escalation handling
• Strong reporting and presentation skills
• Ability to manage multiple vendors and priorities simultaneously
• Knowledge of compliance, audit, and operational controls
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and reporting/dashboard tools

ofi is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to racial or ethnic origin, color, age, religion or belief, sex, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.