Supplier Relationship Manager

UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group); Oklahoma City (OK); On-site; USD 102,000 - 147,000; Full time

Job summary

UKG is seeking a Supplier Relationship Manager in the United States to lead strategic supplier relationships and governance. You will own executive alignment, translate contracts into outcomes, and drive supplier-backed innovation aligned to UKG's growth priorities.

You will design and execute supplier plans, develop governance models, and collaborate with cross-functional teams on negotiations, renewals, and statements of work. Strong analytics and communication skills are essential.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience in Vendor Management, Supplier Relationship Management, Strategic Sourcing or similar.
• Experience with contract lifecycle management and commercial negotiations.
• Experience managing Technology suppliers is required.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute supplier relationship plans aligned to business priorities.
• Establish governance, sponsorship, and stakeholder alignment for strategic suppliers.
• Build executive relationships to drive value and joint innovation.
• Negotiate contracts, renewals, and statements of work with stakeholders.
• Drive QBRs, supplier scorecards, KPIs, and SLAs to improve performance.

Skills

Excellent communication

Data-driven mindset

Problem solving

Strategic partnership

Influence and collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Admin / Supply Chain

Job description

Why UKG:

At UKG, the work you do matters. The code you ship, the decisions you make, and the care you show a customer all add up to real impact. Today, tens of millions of workers start and end their days with our workforce operating platform. Helping people get paid, grow in their careers, and shape the future of their industries. That’s what we do.

We never stop learning. We never stop challenging the norm. We push for better, and we celebrate the wins along the way. Here, you’ll get flexibility that’s real, benefits you can count on, and a team that succeeds together. Because at UKG, your work matters—and so do you.

Supplier Relationship Manager

Role Overview

The Supplier Relationship Manager is a strategic role responsible for managing and optimizing relationships with key and strategic technology suppliers to deliver measurable value for UKG. This role owns the governance and ongoing management of UKG's most strategic and high-impact suppliers across assigned enterprise categories.

This role will serve as the primary relationship owner for assigned suppliers - establishing executive alignment, translating contractual commitments into performance outcomes, and enabling supplier-backed innovation aligned to UKG's growth and business priorities.

Key Responsibilities

Supplier Strategy & Relationship Management

• Develop and execute supplier relationship plans for assigned strategic suppliers, aligned to business priorities, category strategies, contract commitments, and financial objectives
• Serve as the primary point of accountability for strategic supplier relationships, establishing clear governance, executive sponsorship, and stakeholder alignment, while proactively addressing and strategically resolving complex issues.
• Build trusted, outcome-oriented relationships with supplier executives and internal business owners to advance mutual value, innovation, and long-term partnership.
• Partner with Sourcing, Legal, Finance, and business stakeholders on contract negotiations, renewals, amendments, and statements of work
• Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation, demand optimization, restructuring, and innovation that improve value and reduce complexity

Supplier Performance & Governance

• Establish and manage supplier scorecards, KPIs, SLAs, and contractual obligations across cost, quality, service, delivery, risk, and innovation
• Maintain visibility to key commercial milestones and renewal timelines, ensuring decisions are informed by supplier performance, market intelligence, total cost of ownership, and business need
• Oversee the planning and execution of strategic Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), integrating supplier performance and broader corporate goals.
• Proactively identify performance gaps, lead root-cause analysis, and drive corrective action plans, escalations, and issue resolution

Deliver measurable supplier outcomes across:

• Service and performance improvement
• Risk reduction and operational resilience
• Cost savings, cost avoidance, and value realization

Transformation & Analytics

• Translate market intelligence, benchmarks, and performance metrics into actionable, data-driven insights.
• Collect and analyze supplier performance data, preparing regular reports to inform management and support decision-making processes.

First 12–18 Month Priorities

• Segment UKG's supplier portfolio and define a tiered governance model for strategic and high-impact suppliers.
• Develop and launch standardized Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) for top strategic suppliers across the technology portfolio.
• Baseline supplier performance, contractual obligations, risk exposure, and value opportunities across the initial portfolio.
• Strengthen alignment between supplier and internal UKG technical/business teams to drive joint innovation.
• Implement structured governance and maintain awareness of renewal timelines to proactively support renegotiations.

Qualifications & Experience

• 7+ years of progressive experience in Vendor Management, Supplier Relationship Management, Strategic Sourcing, or a similar role within a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated experience with contract lifecycle management, commercial negotiations, managing supplier scorecards, SLAs/ KPIs, and leading Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) to improve supplier performance.
• Experience with managing Technology suppliers is required.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.

Leadership & Capabilities

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for managing complex relationships with stakeholders and suppliers.
• Data-driven mindset with the ability to analyze relevant data and translate analytics into actionable business insights.
• Strong problem-solving, project management, and conflict resolution skills.
• Collaborative, business-oriented professional who operates as a strategic partner and leads through influence across enterprise functions.
• Having a growth mindset with a strong bias for action: you raise the bar, move with urgency, stay resilient through ambiguity, and take ownership to deliver meaningful outcomes in a fast-paced, evolving organization.

Company Overview:

UKG is the Workforce Operating Platform that puts workforce understanding to work. With the world's largest collection of workforce insights, and people-first AI, our ability to reveal unseen ways to build trust, amplify productivity, and empower talent, is unmatched. It's this expertise that equips our customers with the intelligence to solve any challenge in any industry — because great organizations know their workforce is their competitive edge. Learn more at ukg.com.

Equal Opportunity Employer

UKG is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, disability, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected categories.

View The EEO Know Your Rights poster (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/EEOC_KnowYourRights_screen_reader_10_20.pdf)

UKG participates in E-Verify. View the E-Verify posters here (https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/EVerifyParticipationPoster.pdf) .

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 liability.

Disability Accommodation in the Application and Interview Process

For individuals with disabilities that need additional assistance at any point in the application and interview process, please email [e-mail] .

The pay range for this position is $102,300 to $147,050. The actual base pay offered may vary depending on skills, experience, job-related knowledge and work location. In addition to base pay, employees may be eligible to participate in a performance-based bonus plan and to receive restricted stock unit awards as part of total compensation. Learn more about UKG’s benefits and rewards at https://www.ukg.com/about-us/careers/benefits

It is the policy of Ultimate Software to promote and assure equal employment opportunity for all current and prospective Peeps without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, veteran status, and any other legally protected status entitled to protection under federal, state, or local anti-discrimination laws. This policy governs all matters related to recruitment, advertising, and initial selection of employment. It shall also apply to all other aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, compensation, promotion, demotion, transfer, lay-offs, terminations, leave of absence, and training opportunities.