Vendor Relationship Manager

First American; Ohio; On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

First American's GO Title division is seeking a Vendor Relationship Manager to develop, manage, and optimize a network of vendor providers supporting operations and strategic initiatives. You will serve as the main liaison for vendor relationships, aligning capabilities with business priorities and driving performance, risk identification, and continuous improvement.

Collaborate with internal teams and leaders, engage in vendor discussions, monitor network health, and help grow vendor capacity

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• 5+ years of related vendor management experience preferred.
• Strong negotiation, communication and relationship-building skills required.

Responsibilities

• Manage key vendor relationships across an assigned portfolio of external service providers.
• Develop and support vendor engagement strategies aligned with business objectives and service needs.
• Build and maintain productive partnerships with vendors that provide specialized services to the organization.
• Assess vendor capabilities and ensure alignment with evolving business objectives.
• Maintain effective relationships with vendor contacts and internal stakeholders.
• Serve as a point of contact for vendor-related discussions, planning, and relationship management.
• Monitor the overall health, capacity, and effectiveness of the vendor network.
• Identify vendor-related risks, service gaps, and opportunities to strengthen support for business operations.
• Collaborate with internal teams and business leaders to support operational and strategic initiatives.
• Participate in customer-facing discussions when vendor input is needed.
• Support vendor growth and expansion initiatives.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Written and verbal communication

Interpersonal skills

Self-motivated

Multitasking

Time management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Job description

Who We Are

Join a team that puts its People First! First American's GO Title division provides global title and escrow production support across all channels within First American Title including the Mortgage Services, Commercial, Direct, and Agency divisions. Since 1889, First American (NYSE: FAF) has held an unwavering belief in its people. They are passionate about what they do, and we are equally passionate about fostering an environment where all feel welcome, supported, and empowered to be innovative and reach their full potential. Our inclusive, people-first culture has earned our company numerous accolades, including being named to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list for eleven consecutive years. We have also earned awards as a best place to work for women, diversity and LGBTQ+ employees, and have been included on more than 50 regional best places to work lists. First American will always strive to be a great place to work, for all. For more information, please visit www.careers.firstam.com.

What We Do

The Vendor Relationship Manager is responsible for developing, managing, and optimizing a network of vendor providers that support business operations and strategic initiatives. This role serves as a key point of contact for vendor relationships, helping align vendor capabilities with organizational needs and business priorities. The Vendor Relationship Manager supports vendor engagement, relationship management, performance monitoring, risk identification, and continuous improvement efforts to ensure the organization maintains access to effective and reliable vendor support. Operating with a degree of independence, this position focuses on building productive partnerships, supporting business objectives, and contributing to the overall effectiveness of the vendor network.

HOW YOU'LL CONTRIBUTE

• Manage key vendor relationships across an assigned portfolio of external service providers.
• Develop and support vendor engagement strategies that align with business objectives and service needs.
• Build and maintain productive partnerships with vendors that provide specialized services to the organization.
• Assess vendor capabilities and ensure alignment with evolving business objectives.
• Maintain effective relationships with vendor contacts and internal stakeholders.
• Serve as a point of contact for vendor-related discussions, planning, and relationship management.
• Monitor the overall health, capacity, and effectiveness of the vendor network.
• Identify vendor-related risks, service gaps, and opportunities to strengthen support for business operations.

• Collaborate with internal teams and business leaders to support operational and strategic initiatives.
• Participate in customer-facing discussions when vendor input or subject matter expertise is needed.

• Support vendor growth and expansion initiatives.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

Required Education, Experience, Certification/Licensure

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 5+ years of related experience

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES (KSAs)

• Strong negotiation, influence and stakeholder management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building and teamwork skills
• Self-motivated; self-starter
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, respond quickly to emergent problems, and focus both on long-range projects and immediate tasks
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint

This hiring range is a reasonable estimate of the base pay range for this position at the time of posting. Pay is based on a number of factors which may include job-related knowledge, skills, experience, business requirements and geographic location.

What We Offer

By choice, we don't simply accept individuality - we embrace it, we support it, and we thrive on it! Our People First culture is inclusive for all employees - not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it's the key to our success. We are proud to foster an authentic and inclusive workplace For All. You are free and encouraged to bring your entire, unique self to work. First American is an equal opportunity employer in every sense of the term. Based on eligibility, First American offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401k, PTO/paid sick leave and other great benefits like an employee stock purchase plan.