Executive Director, Vendor Relationship Management

Socket.dev; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 139,000 - 208,000; Full time

Job summary

RGA, a Fortune 200 company, is seeking a senior procurement leader to own the global vendor management strategy and drive cost-optimized purchasing across IT, facilities and services. You will partner with senior leaders to mature processes, govern third-party relationships, and implement a center-led procurement model with transparent workflows and risk controls.

The role emphasizes strategy development, contract negotiations, supplier performance management, and continuous improvements in a

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related field (supply chain management, economics, finance, engineering) required.
• Master's degree in Arts/Sciences (MA/MS) preferred.
• 10+ years of management experience leading a global procurement organization (5+ in center-led structure) required.
• 5+ years operational management experience required.
• Experience with modern sourcing and procurement systems required.
• Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain the Global Vendor Management Strategy with a Center-Led procurement model.
• Develop and govern vendor qualification, onboarding, contracts and performance management.
• Lead a multi-year systems improvement plan to support strategy and data unification.
• Improve third-party onboarding processes and manage relationships with third parties and administrators.
• Drive cost-saving opportunities and optimize contract negotiations across key categories.
• Supervise the global procurement staff and coordinate with senior leaders across regions.

Skills

Global procurement leadership

Negotiation skills

Stakeholder management

Regulatory knowledge

Cost reduction strategy

Supplier relationship management

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Procurement systems

Vendor management tools

Job description

You desire impactful work.

You’re RGA ready

RGA is a purpose-driven organization working to solve today’s challenges through innovation and collaboration. A Fortune 200 Company and listed among its World's Most Admired Companies, we’re the only global reinsurance company to focus primarily on life- and health-related solutions. Join our multinational team of intelligent, motivated, and collaborative people, and help us make financial protection accessible to all.

A Brief Overview

This position has the global responsibility to develop and mature a company-wide center-led procurement capability. This also includes being the key owner of developing and recommending a Vendor Management Strategy, including vendor identification, vendor qualification and governance (including risk-based supplier management), vendor contract management, vendor onboarding, and vendor performance management.

What you will do

• Responsible for establishing and maintaining the Global Vendor Management Strategy, including: Implementing a Center-Led Procurement Model; Establishing Governance Model that is consistent, transparent, and efficient; Creating consistent and repeatable workflows that provide an enhanced level of control; Unifying data by creating a centralized Vendor Inventory; Leads a multi-year systems improvement plan in support of the strategy; Improving the efficiency of Third-Party on-boarding processes; Establishing a process to manage ongoing relationships with Third-Parties and Third-Party Administrators; Drives collaboration and process improvement by creating intuitive processes and tools; Enhances visibility through feedback loops
• Responsible for leading and managing the Global Procurement department, including IT purchases, contract labor, facilities purchases, etc.
• Develops and maintains relationships with senior functional leaders to further develop and mature their purchasing processes; Responsible for expanding the program and coordinating with additional departments and regions where procurement support is needed.
• Establishes and implements purchasing policies, procedures and best practices.
• Communicates and educates stakeholders on procurement policies, practices and abilities to increase awareness and engagement.
• Provides oversight and monitoring of overall procurement performance and identification and implementation of continuous improvement.
• Develops, coordinates and implements strategies to optimize contract negotiations with suppliers and ensure appropriate oversight for key categories of purchases. Develops negotiation strategies and closes deals with optimal terms.
• Enhances the procurement capability by helping to develop and deliver processes, training, and procurement technology and knowledge management tools.
• Identification and realization of cost-saving and cost reduction opportunities.
• Supervises members of the expanded corporate purchasing staff.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Arts/Sciences (BA/BS) in related field (supply chain management, economics, finance, engineering) required
• Master’s degree in Arts/Sciences (MA/MS) preferred
• 10+ Years of management experience in leading a global procurement organization (5+ in a center-led structure) required
• 5+ Years operational management experience required
• Greenfield start-up, acquisition integration or business process re-design experience required
• Experience with modern sourcing and procurement systems. required
• Financial Services/Insurance industry experience preferred
• Motivate and influence others within organizational hierarchy and among differing cultures. required
• Ability to work with senior management to develop an improved control environment required
• Solid operational management and general business skills and savvy. required
• Strong negotiation skills required
• Familiarity with relevant and emerging legislative and regulatory requirements, as well as understanding of standard contractual terms and conditions required
• Demonstrated ability to develop long range supplier relationships. required
• Ability to assess source to settle risk and develop effective mitigation plans. required
• Proven sourcing and cost reduction strategy development. required
• Developed high performance strategic purchasing and transaction processing teams. required
• Benchmark and scorecard development to drive continuous improvement. required
• Working knowledge of finance and/or accounting in terms of budgeting, cost management, financial accounting, treasury, risk management, etc. required
• Knowledge of global vendor regulations including third party requirements preferred
• Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) preferred

What you can expect from RGA:

• Gain valuable knowledge from and experience with diverse, caring colleagues around the world.
• Enjoy a respectful, welcoming environment that fosters individuality and encourages pioneering thought.
• Join the bright and creative minds of RGA, and experience vast, endless career potential.

We’re excited to get to know you and connect your unique skills with our global opportunities. To create a modern and seamless experience, we use artificial intelligence (AI) in parts of our preliminary screening process. This technology helps us personalize job recommendations, automate interview scheduling, evaluate candidates based solely on experience—without considering name, gender, or other personal details—and provide real-time answers through our chatbot. AI is used only during early screening and never makes hiring decisions. Your RGA recruiter will work closely with you every step of the way to ensure the process feels personal, thoughtful, and focused on you.

Compensation Range:

$139,380.00 - $207,700.00 Annual

Base pay varies depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience and market location. In addition, RGA provides an annual bonus plan that includes all roles and some positions are eligible for participation in our long-term equity incentive plan. RGA also maintains a full range of health, retirement, and other employee benefits.

RGA is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, age, gender identity or expression, sex, disability, veteran status, religion, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by applicable equal employment opportunity laws.