Director, Vendor Management

MetLife; Cary (NC); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan

Life insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

MetLife’s Global Business Solutions (GBS) team is hiring a Director of Vendor Management Center of Excellence to own enterprise vendor relationships and drive governance maturity. The role partners with Procurement, Legal, and Risk to shape standards, tools, and training across a global, matrixed organization.

The position emphasizes executive stakeholder management, complex relationships, and data-driven reporting to elevate vendor performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of experience in Vendor Management, Procurement, Third Party Risk Management, Supplier Governance, Operations, or related disciplines.
• Experience managing complex strategic vendor relationships.
• Strong executive stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and governance activities.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to operate effectively within a global, matrixed environment.
• Ability to use AI to improve speed, quality, and efficiency across a broad range of day-to-day tasks.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the designated Vendor Manager for enterprise-wide partnerships.
• Develop and execute vendor relationship strategies, governance plans, and engagement models.
• Lead vendor business reviews, governance reviews, executive forums, and performance oversight.
• Drive accountability for contractual obligations, SLAs and outcomes.
• Coordinate resolution of significant vendor issues, escalations, and remediation efforts.
• Collaborate with Procurement, Legal, Compliance, and other stakeholders to address vendor opportunities and risks.
• Drive value realization through innovation, service improvements, and operational efficiency.
• Support continuity, renewal strategies, and exit readiness activities.
• Provide guidance and coaching to Vendor Managers, Engagement Managers, and regional leads.
• Support enterprise reporting, scorecards, dashboards, and KPIs.

Skills

Executive stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical decision making

Communication and presentation

AI in operations

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

MBA or advanced degree (preferred)

Tools

Vendor Management Center of Excellence tools

Job description

MetLife’s Global Business Solutions (GBS) team delivers enterprise-wide solutions and services with agility and efficiency, enabling scaled capabilities across our global organization. GBS comprises of enterprise teams leading change initiatives, vendor management and procurement, business resilience, and end-to-end shared services through MetLife’s Global Capability Center, which delivers solutions in technology, service, operations, and finance. By driving enterprise-wide solutions at scale, and through seamless collaboration across global business functions, you’ll help MetLife create value and stay ahead in an ever-evolving landscape. Join a team that transforms challenges into opportunities and delivers lasting success across the enterprise.

The Opportunity

The Director, Vendor Management Center of Excellence serves as a senior enterprise vendor management practitioner with two primary areas of accountability: Enterprise Vendor Relationship Ownership through direct management of strategically important, complex, or enterprise-wide vendor relationships; and Enterprise Leadership and VM COE Contribution through advancement of enterprise vendor management standards, governance frameworks, reporting, training, operating model, and organizational capabilities. This role helps define what good vendor management looks like by applying leading practices to complex vendor relationships and translating those experiences into scalable standards, tools, governance practices, and coaching for the broader vendor management community.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Vendor Relationship Ownership

• Serve as the designated Vendor Manager for strategically important, enterprise-wide, or highly complex vendor relationships.
• Develop and execute vendor relationship strategies, governance plans, and engagement models.
• Lead vendor business reviews, operational governance reviews, executive engagement forums, and performance oversight activities.
• Drive vendor accountability for contractual obligations, service levels, operational performance, and business outcomes.
• Coordinate resolution of significant vendor issues, service disruptions, escalations, disputes, and remediation efforts.
• Partner with Procurement, Legal, Compliance, Third Party Risk Management, Technology, Operations, and business stakeholders to identify and address vendor-related opportunities and risks.
• Drive value realization through innovation, service improvements, operational efficiencies, and strategic partnership development.
• Support business continuity planning, transition planning, renewal strategies, and vendor exit readiness activities.

Enterprise Leadership and VM COE Contribution

• Serve as a senior subject matter expert on enterprise vendor management practices, governance, and operating model execution.
• Support development and continuous improvement of enterprise vendor management standards, governance frameworks, procedures, and supporting tools.
• Help evolve vendor management operating models, vendor segmentation methodologies, governance processes, and performance reporting capabilities.
• Provide guidance, coaching, and consultation to Vendor Managers, Engagement Managers, Regional Governance Leads, and business stakeholders.
• Support development of enterprise reporting, scorecards, dashboards, metrics, and management insights related to vendor performance, governance adherence, and program effectiveness.
• Identify opportunities to improve vendor management maturity, automation, efficiency, data quality, and governance effectiveness.
• Translate practitioner experience into reusable playbooks, templates, best practices, standards, and training materials.
• Lead or support strategic initiatives that strengthen enterprise vendor management capabilities globally.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of experience in Vendor Management, Procurement, Third Party Risk Management, Supplier Governance, Operations, or related disciplines.
• Experience managing complex strategic vendor relationships.
• Strong executive stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and governance activities.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to operate effectively within a global, matrixed environment.
• Ability to use AI to improve speed, quality, and efficiency across a broad range of day-to-day tasks.

Preferred Qualifications

• Financial services, insurance, or other highly regulated industry experience.
• Experience within a Vendor Management Center of Excellence or enterprise governance function.
• Familiarity with vendor segmentation, risk management, and regulatory environments.
• Experience developing governance frameworks, KPIs, dashboards, and executive reporting.
• MBA or advanced degree preferred.

Location Expectation: This is a hybrid role requiring a minimum of 3 days per week in office.

The expected salary range for this position is $110,000 - $150,000. This role may also be eligible for annual short-term incentive compensation. All incentives and benefits are subject to the applicable plan terms.

Benefits We Offer

Our U.S. benefits address holistic well-being with programs for physical and mental health, financial wellness, and support for families. We offer a comprehensive health plan that includes medical/prescription drug and vision, dental insurance, and no-cost short- and long-term disability. We also provide company-paid life insurance and legal services, a retirement pension funded entirely by MetLife and 401(k) with employer matching, group discounts on voluntary insurance products including auto and home, pet, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance, as well as Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and digital mental health programs, parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, volunteer time off, tuition assistance and much more!

About MetLife

Recognized on Fortune magazine's list of the "World's Most Admired Companies", Fortune World’s 25 Best Workplaces™, as well as the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For®, MetLife, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is one of the world’s leading financial services companies; providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to individual and institutional customers. With operations in more than 40 markets, we hold leading positions in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

As part of our New Frontier strategy, MetLife is building an AI-enabled, people-centered future. We’re looking for people who bring curiosity, adaptability, and a growth mindset as we use AI to enhance how we serve customers, support communities, and evolve the way work gets done. At MetLife, AI is a responsible partner that supports human judgment, creativity, and continuous improvement while helping us build trust, inclusion, and long-term value.

Our purpose is simple - to help our colleagues, customers, communities, and the world at large create a more confident future. United by purpose and guided by our core values - Win Together, Do the Right Thing, Deliver Impact Over Activity, and Think Ahead - we’re inspired to transform the next century in financial services. At MetLife, it’s #AllTogetherPossible. Join us!

MetLife is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regards to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status (although applicants and employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States), uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law (“protected characteristics”).

If you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email us at [e-mail]. This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application process.

MetLife maintains a drug-free workplace.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liabilities.