Vendor Management Lead

POSITION SUMMARY

The Vendor Management Lead (VML) plays a strategic role in establishing the end-to-end process of forming the relationship between CHO and vendors, from the identification and procurement through termination. They act as the central link between internal stakeholders (Operations, IT, Clinical, Finance, Legal) and vendors, monitors performance, adherence to service agreement terms, risk, and renewals. While business owners define needs and serve as the internal customer, the Vendor Management Lead ensures the supplier’s delivery is consistent with expectations and contractual obligations, and institutes Corrective Action Plans when required. The role serves as a critical support in contract negotiations and language review, using best practices to define robust SLAs, and monitors contract terms to ensure early engagement for renegotiations, terminations, and/or replacement vendors. In particular, the role serves as the central relationship manager for Reflect Health, the CHO primary BPO for core administrative functions supporting the organization.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

RFP/Solicitations:

• Establishes the framework and process to identify and procure new vendors that meet CHO needs.
• Develops necessary tools to evaluate vendor responses, presentations, and interviews to support vendor selection process.
• Works with stakeholders to define target scope of an engagement and ensures this is translated into clear questions and requirements within RFP materials.
• Evaluates existing vendor capabilities for alignment to needs to ensure inclusion to minimize the vendor landscape.
• Works with business owners to establish an inventory of existing vendor capabilities to inform the need for new vendors or an expansion of scope for existing vendors.

Relationship & Performance Management:

• Builds relationships, tracks KPIs, and conducts regular performance reviews to ensure service quality.
• Establishes ongoing cadence of Joint Operating Committee (JOCs) and the format and content to ensure the business has accessibility to ongoing vendor performance.
• Serves as the internal account manager between a vendor and business owners/stakeholders who have significant dependence on a particular vendor.
• Serves as a critical manager of the relationship between Reflect Health and CHO, supporting ongoing day-to-day operational management of their delegated functions.

Compliance & Risk Mitigation:

• Ensures vendors follow contractual, security, and legal requirements, and periodically conducts risk assessments.
• Reports CAPs to the compliance department for corporate risk monitoring.
• Supports annual auditing, such as SOC2, or other such audits as needed to maintain appropriate delegation oversight of all critical vendors.

Contract Negotiation & Renewal:

• Oversees contract terms and negotiates renewals to maximize value in collaboration with Finance and the business owner.
• Creates with business owners and compliance the ongoing calendar of contract terms, renewals and other key dates to ensure adequate lead time is provided internally to plan/strategize approach to the contract renewal.
• Engages with legal as necessary to develop appropriate language in support of notices to vendors.

JOB SPECIFIC KEY COMPETENCIES (KSAs)

• Skills: Exceptional negotiation, communication, conflict resolution, and analytical skills.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION STATEMENT

Community Health Options is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Our human capital is the single most valuable asset we have. The collective sum of individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities, and talent our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and achievement as well. Community Health Options DEI initiatives are applicable, but not limited to, our practices and policies on recruitment and selection; compensation and benefits; professional development, and training; promotions; transfers; social and recreational programs, and the ongoing development of a work environment built upon the premise of DEI, which encourages and enforces:

• Respectful, open communication and cooperation between all employees.
• Teamwork and participation, encouraging the representation of all groups and employee perspectives.
• Balanced approach to work culture through flexible schedules to accommodate varying needs of our people.
• Employer and employee contributions to the communities we serve to promote a greater understanding and respect for each other.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CORE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 3-7+ in a health plan operations role with direct management of activities performed by a TPA.
• 1 year of procurement, supplier management, or strategic sourcing.
• 5+ years within health plan claims, COB/TPL, claims quality or other core health plan operational functions.