Senior Manager Vendor Experience

SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES

This leadership role oversees the vendor experience across FKH’s contractor and trade vendor network and leads the Vendor Experience Specialist team. The role manages commercial relationships, account management, and systems and processes throughout the Source-to-Pay lifecycle. In partnership with Operations and Maintenance & Construction, this leader sources, onboards, and manages vendors to ensure each market has the required capacity and capabilities. The position is accountable for creating a best-in-industry experience that makes FKH a preferred customer while maintaining competitive pricing.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Lead, coach, and develop the Vendor Experience team, directly managing 4–8 employees.

• Establish and manage vendor qualification, sourcing, contracting, onboarding, compliance, annual review, and offboarding processes.

• Develop and distribute reporting on vendor status, capacity, compliance, and performance to appropriate internal and external stakeholders.

• Maintain vendor governance, compliance standards, policies, and procedures in partnership with Compliance; manage vendor code-of-conduct and compliance escalations.

• Partner with relationship owners and business leaders to maintain strong third-party relationships, enforce contractual and service-level commitments, and document routine contract reviews.

• Optimize the vendor network by leveraging existing relationships, researching new vendors and services, and ensuring appropriate market coverage and capability.

• Lead or support change initiatives and continuously improve the processes, tools, technology, and operating practices used to deliver vendor management services.

• Develop and present recommendations, opportunities, best practices, and key issues to support alignment and management decisions.

• Implement and manage small-business and supplier-diversity programs across FKH’s vendor network.

• This summary is not an all-inclusive description of job duties. Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned by the incumbent’s manager based on Company needs.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Primarily works indoors in an office environment, including prolonged computer use and extended periods of sitting.

• Approximately 50% travel, generally two or more trips per month to the MSC and/or field offices, to lead the team and build relationships with FKH stakeholders and external vendors.

• Requires repetitive hand use to operate standard office equipment, including computers, printers, and copiers.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• 10+ years of experience selling, contracting, or managing residential construction and maintenance trades.

• 5+ years of experience managing a distributed resource or vendor network in residential construction and maintenance.

• 7+ years of experience with procure-to-pay and vendor management platforms.

• Demonstrated experience leading direct reports and influencing stakeholders at all management levels, including groups outside the direct reporting structure.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE

• Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

• English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Communication and active listening — Clearly conveys information in writing and verbally, listens to understand, and adapts messages for audiences with varying levels of technical knowledge.

• Critical thinking and decision-making — Uses sound judgment, data, and logical reasoning to evaluate options, resolve issues, and escalate when appropriate.

• Negotiation and influence — Builds consensus, reconciles differences, and gains support across internal and external stakeholder groups.

• Strategic execution — Develops practical plans, manages priorities and deadlines, and drives work through completion.

• Analytical and technical capability — Demonstrates strong data analysis skills and proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Box, and Smartsheet; knowledge of VendorCafe and Yardi ERP is a plus.

• Relationship management — Establishes trust and credibility, handles sensitive or confidential matters with diplomacy, and maintains productive internal and external partnerships.

WORK STYLES & BEHAVIORS

• Sense of urgency — Recognizes changing priorities and acts proactively based on business impact.

• Collaboration — Initiates and welcomes partnership, leverages others’ strengths, and is recognized as a capable, dependable partner.

• Respect and diplomacy — Considers different perspectives and balances persistence with professionalism to sustain long-term relationships.

• Adaptability and curiosity — Remains open to new ideas, generates multiple approaches, and adjusts effectively as needs change.

• Reasoning and comprehension — Understands complex written and spoken information and applies sound reasoning to practical problems.

FirstKey Homes is an equal opportunity employer and will not tolerate discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, ethnicity, national origin, marital status, veteran status, genetic information or any other legally protected classification or status