Manager - Vendor Management

JOB Basket Bangalore; United States; Remote; USD 42,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

Affirm seeks an exceptional Manager to scale operations, lead vendor operations and manage relationships across our vendor network. The role focuses on customer care operations, process improvements, and driving performance against KPIs and SLAs across multiple providers.

You will work with internal teams and third-party partners to implement change, optimize contracts, and ensure reliable service delivery while maintaining a strong focus on customer outcomes and business impact.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of equivalent experience.
• Must be located in India.
• Experience evaluating vendor performance and managing SLAs.
• Lean Six Sigma or IAOP certification desirable.
• Willingness to work US business hours with potential shifts.

Responsibilities

• Manage a network of customer care providers and hold vendors to KPIs, SLAs, and contractual obligations.
• Develop understanding of Affirms business/workforce strategies and define KPIs.
• Collaborate across functions to improve processes and reduce friction in workflows and handoffs.
• Identify and promote operational strategies aligned with industry best practices to meet KPIs.
• Lead cross-vendor change management and implement new processes, tools, and metrics.
• Engage internal customers and business partners to enable new customer care capabilities for vendor management.
• Provide consultative support to drive service delivery and customer experience decisions.
• Establish and maintain vendor relationships ensuring accountability and strategic alignment.
• Monitor vendor performance through data analytics and partner relationship management.
• Conduct site visits for relationship building and tool assessments.

Skills

Vendor management

Operations management

KPI & SLAs

Process improvement

Data analytics

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Lean Six Sigma

Stakeholder management

Outsourcing

Job description

I. Job description

Affirm aims to provide better financial products to improve the lives of consumers. We need an exceptional manager to scale operations, support our growing business and lead vendor operations and manage relationships that are based in the Philippines. The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of customer care operations, business acumen and judgment with the ability to contribute to cross functional programs/projects, build new processes and evaluate the effectiveness of existing ones, drive continuous improvements and support the implementation of change in various forms to support new businesses, vendors and partners.

What you'll need to succeed

This role requires a strong working knowledge of Customer Operations policies, procedures, platforms coupled with experience of partnering with 3rd party service providers to drive performance optimization. The ideal candidate should have a strong mindset for process improvement and analyzing business data and performance metrics to drive outcomes. In addition, a strong candidate will need to have strong experience and understanding of contact center functionality.

What youll do:

• Manage a network of customer care providers; hold vendors accountable to Key Performance Indicators which include, but are not limited to: SLAs, compliance and contractual obligations.
• Develop a deep understanding of Affirms business and workforce strategies, and combine that knowledge with an understanding of industry standards to develop and deliver on Key Performance Indicators.
• Partner cross functionally to propose improvements or changes to drive better outcomes for customers and/or agents. This includes the analysis and evaluation of existing and new processes to determine effectiveness in efficiency, delivery of experience expectations, and reduction of internal friction around multiple touches, delayed workflows, etc.
• Identify, and promote operational strategies focused on best in class industry standards to develop and deliver on Key Performance Indicators.
• Drive cross-vendor change management and reengineering activities including implementing new processes, systems, tools/technologies, metrics and improved organizational alignment.
• Engage with internal customers and our business partners to deliver new and innovative customer care capabilities, both in lead and support roles for Vendor Management
• Provide consultative support in partnership with internal departments to drive decisions impacting service delivery and customer experience
• Establish vendor relationships that drive confidence, accountability, support, and strategic alignment through meaningful engagements and initiatives
• Manage the vendors performance through data analytics and partner relationship management
• Site visits to build relationships, conduct site audits and side by side to ensure proper tool assessments and usage

What We Look For

• At least 10+ years of equivalent experience
• Must be located in India
• Prior vendor or operations management experience, with expertise in evaluating performance of vendors, holding vendors accountable to SLAs, optimizing contracts through negotiations and resolving reliability/dependency issues with vendor networks. Experience managing vendors in financial services is a big plus.
• Outsourcing partnership experience and knowledge of outsourcing landscape including legal, financial and technology components of outsourcing
• Program management, communication, stakeholder management, negotiating and influencing experience with a track record of achieving engagement from cross-functional stakeholders
• Prior project and process management (lean six sigma) experience highly desirable and/or IAOP certification is desirable
• Demonstrated understanding of underlying consumer operations workflow & technology
• Must be willing to work United States business hours with understanding the hours could adjust if needed to manage an vendor relating impact
• Self-starter with strong sense of urgency and accountability
• Excellent team player who is highly self-motivated, detailed-oriented, and enjoys learning new things
• Experience performing well in a highly dynamic, rapidly changing environment
• Flexible, adaptable, proactive and self-motivated
• Skilled in focusing on desired results, determining what is important, clarifying next steps and prioritizing work effectively to meet deadlines and achieve desired results
• Ability to make discretionary decisions based on research, with certain degree of creativity and latitude
• Travel up to 50%

Nice to Haves

• Prior experience in evaluating effectiveness of processes, platforms, and performance attainment
• Understanding of performance of vendors, holding vendors accountable to SLAs, optimizing contracts through negotiations and resolving reliability/dependency issues with vendor networks. Experience managing vendors in financial services is a big plus.
• Outsourcing partnership experience and knowledge of outsourcing landscape including legal, financial and technology components of outsourcing
• Program management, communication, stakeholder management, negotiating and influencing experience with a track record of achieving engagement from cross-functional stakeholders
• Demonstrated understanding of underlying consumer operations workflow & technology
• Prior experience in consumer lending or financial services a plus