Vendor, Financial & Workforce Planning Analyst

Summary:

Corporate Systems is seeking a Vendor, Financial & Workforce Planning Analyst to help drive financial discipline, operational excellence, and strategic decision-making across the subdivision. This highly visible role partners with senior leaders, FP&A, Procurement, and department managers to manage budgets, workforce plans, vendor investments, and operational performance.

The ideal candidate combines strong financial and analytical skills with a passion for automation, AI, and process improvement. They will leverage data, emerging technologies, and business insights to streamline operations, improve reporting, and help leaders make informed investment decisions. This role offers broad exposure to financial planning, workforce strategy, vendor management, automation, and executive-level decision support.

Core Responsibilities

Financial Planning & Strategic Analysis

• Lead budgeting activities for assigned departments, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and enterprise objectives.
• Develop and maintain frameworks and processes that enable leaders to proactively manage budgets, investments, workforce plans, and financial performance.
• Partner with FP&A and subdivision leadership to deliver financial insights, investment recommendations, and executive-ready reporting.
• Support continuous planning activities by analyzing financial trends, risks, opportunities, and resource demands.
• Develop reporting and dashboards that provide visibility into budgets, workforce trends, vendor spend, and operational performance.

Automation, AI & Process Improvement

• Drive continuous improvement of financial, workforce, and vendor management processes through automation and AI-enabled solutions.
• Identify opportunities to simplify workflows, improve data quality, reduce manual effort, and increase operational efficiency.
• Leverage tools such as Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and other emerging technologies to enhance reporting, forecasting, analysis, and decision-making.
• Build sustainable mechanisms to capture, communicate, track, and report financial and operational performance.

Workforce Planning & Operational Management

• Support strategic workforce planning activities, including headcount planning, contractor management, location strategy, and capacity forecasting.
• Analyze workforce and financial data to provide recommendations that balance business needs with financial objectives.
• Partner with leadership teams to monitor strategic initiatives, resource utilization, and investment priorities.

Vendor & Contract Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for vendor activities, supporting managers through onboarding, contracting, approvals, and renewals.
• Execute vendor management governance processes to ensure third-party spend aligns with approved budgets and financial plans.
• Partner with Enterprise Supply Management, Procurement, Accounting, FP&A, and department managers throughout the contract lifecycle.
• Oversee contract approval processes and ensure compliance with Vanguard and subdivision policies and procedures.
• Manage vendor renewals, contract repositories, purchase requests, invoicing support, and financial reconciliations.
• Track, analyze, and report contract, vendor, and spend data to support effective financial management and strategic decision-making.
• Provide guidance and training to managers on procurement, vendor onboarding, and contracting processes.
• Resolve vendor, contracting, invoicing, and payment-related issues in partnership with key stakeholders.

Leadership & Stakeholder Partnership

• Build strong relationships across Corporate Systems, FP&A, Accounting, Enterprise Supply Management, and senior leadership teams.
• Translate complex data into actionable insights and compelling narratives for leadership audiences.
• Influence decision-making through fact-based recommendations and operational expertise.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Strong analytical, financial modeling, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong written, verbal, and executive communication skills with the ability to translate complex information into actionable insights.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office products, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Teams.
• Experience managing multiple priorities and delivering high-quality results in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to identify process improvement opportunities and implement scalable solutions.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Ability to build effective partnerships and influence stakeholders across all levels of the organization.
• Experience working with financial data, budgeting, forecasting, purchasing, vendor management, or business operations.
• Minimum three years of related experience with financial planning, procurement, vendor management, business operations, or a related field.
• Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leveraging AI tools, including Claude, Microsoft Copilot, or similar technologies to improve business outcomes and operational efficiency.
• Experience building dashboards, visualizations, and executive reporting solutions.
• Experience supporting workforce planning, strategic planning, or operational management activities.
• Strong data storytelling skills and ability to present recommendations to senior leadership.
• Demonstrated curiosity and passion for emerging technologies, automation, and AI-enabled ways of working.
• Experience working within large, complex organizations with cross-functional stakeholder groups.

Why This Role Is Unique

• Direct exposure to Corporate Systems senior leadership and strategic decision-making.
• Opportunity to influence significant technology, workforce, and vendor investment decisions.
• Ability to lead automation and AI adoption efforts across financial and operational processes.
• Broad experience spanning financial planning, workforce strategy, vendor governance, operational excellence, and business management.
• High visibility role that builds executive communication, strategic thinking, and leadership capabilities.

Special Factors

Sponsorship

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

About Vanguard

At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission.

To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.