Vendor Governance & Controls Analyst

Kapitus, Inc.; Annapolis (MD); On-site; USD 90,000 - 144,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Base Salary

Total Rewards Package Includes

Job summary

Kapitus, Inc. seeks a Vendor Governance & Controls Analyst to enforce governance, enable business units, and drive accountability across third-party oversight.

You will coach Vendor Relationship Managers, design and deliver governance training, and push for measurable scorecard results and vendor performance standards. Travel up to 10% to conduct onsite assessments and partner with Compliance, Legal, Procurement, and Risk to operationalize controls within the vendor lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Organizational Development, or a related field.
• 5-8 years of experience in vendor management, business controls, or third-party governance within financial services.
• Experience in governance, compliance, or governance-focused roles distinct from risk assessment or procurement.
• Proven track record holding stakeholders accountable to governance standards and scorecards.
• Experience designing and delivering adult learning or corporate training.

Responsibilities

• VRM RFP navigation and coaching without owning the RFP process.
• Design and facilitate end-to-end Vendor Lifecycle Training programs.
• Enforce scorecard accountability and drive timely completion and action.
• Partner with business leaders for vendor onsite assessments (up to 10%).
• Lead vendor accountability initiatives including performance improvement plans.
• Enable business leaders with governance frameworks and training.
• Monitor adherence to vendor governance policies and provide remediation guidance.
• Produce governance reporting and trend analysis for senior leadership.
• Collaborate with Compliance, Legal, Procurement, and Risk to operationalize controls.

Skills

Governance and controls coaching

Vendor management

Training facilitation

RFP navigation

Scorecard accountability

Cross-functional collaboration

Executive influencing

Travel 10%

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Finance/related field

Tools

Zip

ProcessUnity

Archer

Job description

The Vendor Governance & Controls Analyst is a manager-level governance and enablement role. Unlike risk assessment or procurement functions, this role exists to ensure that the right people are doing the right vendor management activities - with the right rigor, at the right time. This individual serves as a governance enforcer, business enabler, and accountability champion: coaching Vendor Relationship Managers (VRMs) through governance requirements, facilitating vendor lifecycle training for business unit leaders, and driving measurable accountability for scorecard execution and vendor performance standards across the enterprise. This role operates as the bridge between established vendor management policy and the day-to-day behavior of business stakeholders who own vendor relationships. Success in this position requires the rare combination of governance expertise, training facilitation skill, executive influencing ability, and an unwavering commitment to behavioral accountability within third-party oversight.

What You’ll Do

• VRM RFP Navigation & Coaching - Serve as a dedicated business controls advisor to Vendor Relationship Managers (VRMs) throughout the RFP process; coach VRMs on evaluation frameworks, scoring methodologies, and documentation standards without owning the RFP process itself.
• Vendor Lifecycle Training Facilitation - Design and facilitate end-to-end Vendor Lifecycle Training programs for VRMs, business unit leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders - translating existing procedures and risk frameworks into actionable, role-specific learning experiences that drive consistent vendor management behavior across the enterprise.
• Scorecard Accountability Enforcement - Act as the accountability owner for vendor scorecard execution; partner with business leaders to drive timely scorecard completion, facilitate performance review cadences, elevate non-compliance to senior leadership, and ensure that scorecard outcomes drive tangible vendor management actions - not just documentation.
• Vendor Onsite Assessment Partnership - Travel alongside Vendor Relationship Managers (up to 10%) to conduct vendor onsite assessments, serving as the business controls representative to observe, evaluate, and document vendor performance, operational readiness, and adherence to contractual commitments firsthand.
• Vendor Accountability Program Management - Lead structured vendor accountability initiatives including performance improvement plan facilitation, contract adherence monitoring, and escalation management for chronically underperforming vendors - translating scorecard data and assessment findings into enforceable vendor action plans.
• Business Leader Governance Enablement - Serve as a trusted advisor and change agent for business unit leaders, equipping them with the tools, knowledge, and governance frameworks needed to fulfill their vendor oversight responsibilities - shifting accountability ownership from the VRM team to the appropriate business stakeholders.
• Controls Adherence Oversight - Monitor business unit and VRM adherence to established vendor governance policies, controls, and standard operating procedures; identify behavioral or procedural deviations, provide targeted coaching and remediation guidance, and escalation management through appropriate channels.
• Governance Reporting & Insights - Leverage existing vendor scorecard data, assessment findings, and performance metrics to produce governance-focused reporting and trend analysis for senior leadership - translating data into narrative insights that highlight accountability gaps, emerging risks, and business leader performance against vendor management obligations.
• Cross-Functional Controls Integration - Collaborate with Compliance, Legal, Procurement, and Risk partners to ensure business controls requirements are operationalized within the vendor management lifecycle - serving as the bridge between policy and practice rather than the creator of policy.
• Continuous Improvement Advocacy - Champion the adoption of vendor governance best practices across the enterprise by identifying process gaps in how business leaders and VRMs execute vendor management responsibilities, proposing targeted improvements, and driving behavioral change through training, accountability structures, and executive visibility.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Organizational Development, or a related field.
• 5-8 years of experience in vendor management, business controls, or third-party governance within a financial services organization.
• Demonstrated experience in a controls, compliance, or governance-focused role - distinct from risk assessment or procurement ownership.
• Proven track record of holding business stakeholders accountable to governance standards, scorecards, or performance frameworks.
• Experience facilitating training, workshops, or enablement programs for business unit audiences.
• Strong understanding of vendor management lifecycle concepts sufficient to coach and advise VRMs without owning the process.
• Familiarity with financial services regulatory guidance (OCC, FFIEC, CFPB) as it pertains to third-party governance obligations of business lines.
• Exceptional interpersonal, influencing, and presentation skills - ability to drive accountability without direct authority.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 10% for vendor onsite assessments.

Preferred Skills

• MBA or advanced degree in Business, Organizational Leadership, or Risk Management.
• Professional certifications such as CTPS (Certified Third-Party Professional), CRVPM, or comparable vendor governance credential.
• Experience with vendor performance management platforms (e.g., Zip, ProcessUnity, Archer).
• Six Sigma, Lean, or change management certification (e.g., Prosci).
• Prior experience in a business controls, internal audit, or compliance advisory role within financial services.
• Experience designing and delivering adult learning / corporate training curricula.

Kapitus Total Rewards Package Includes

• Competitive Base Salary Range
• of $89,700 - $143,900 (Kapitus is providing this as a good faith salary range to comply with applicable law. The applicant’s final salary will depend on a number of