Director, Enterprise Vendor Management & COE

MetLif; Cary (NC); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

MetLife’s Global Business Solutions (GBS) seeks a Director of Vendor Management Center of Excellence to lead enterprise-wide vendor relationships and advance governance standards across the organization.

The role focuses on setting and maturing vendor management practices, developing playbooks, and coaching VM professionals while partnering across Procurement, Legal, Risk, and IT to deliver measurable business outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• 10+ years in vendor management, procurement, or related disciplines.
• Experience managing complex strategic vendor relationships.
• Strong executive stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience leading cross-functional governance activities.
• Ability to operate in a global, matrixed environment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the designated Vendor Manager for enterprise-wide or highly complex vendor relationships.
• Develop and execute vendor relationship strategies, governance plans, and engagement models.
• Lead vendor reviews, governance reviews, executive forums, and performance oversight.
• Drive accountability for contractual obligations, SLAs, and business outcomes.
• Coordinate resolution of significant vendor issues, escalations, and remediation efforts.
• Partner with Procurement, Legal, Compliance, and Technology to address opportunities and risks.
• Drive value through innovation, service improvements, and efficiencies.
• Support continuity planning, renewal strategies, and exit readiness.

Skills

Vendor Management

Stakeholder Management

Cross-functional Leadership

Executive Communication

Strategic Influence

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

MetLife’s Global Business Solutions (GBS) seeks a Director of Vendor Management Center of Excellence to lead enterprise-wide vendor relationships and advance governance standards across the organization.

The role focuses on setting and maturing vendor management practices, developing playbooks, and coaching VM professionals while partnering across Procurement, Legal, Risk, and IT to deliver measurable business outcomes.