Specialist - Vendor Management at Vodacom Nigeria

Department: Operations
Reporting to: Manager: Vendor Management
Job type: Full-time
Employment Type: Permanent

Key Roles / Qualification

• The Job holder is responsible for in increase customer satisfaction, reduced costs and better quality of service from the Vendor such that when and if problems arise the business will be rest assured that a well-managed vendor will be quick to remedy the situation.
• The preferred candidate must have Bachelor’s degree from a reputable university. An ITIL certificate will be an added advantage.
• The job requires Sound operations experience with a minimum of 5 years managing global vendor relationships.
• The candidate must be well versed in key terminologies associated with contracts and understand how they interrelate. E.g. indemnification, intellectual property, force majeure, amendments etc.
• He/She must have the ability to Leverage on relationship management having strong relationship-building, alignment-building and negotiation skills with the ability to be personable and tenacious as the situation requires

Key Accountabilities

• Contract Management - Manage the vendor to the responsibilities outlined in the contract and statement of work and be creative when contracts do not address certain issues.
• Financial and Quantitative Analysis - Must understand the financial repercussions of vendor operations. Measure the quality and timeliness of delivery, as well as understanding core operation management variables and calculations.
• Relationship Management - Control and regulate vendor performance by early adoption of vendor service offerings, co-development of functionality and operations; and advocating for the vendor where necessary.
• Strategic/Big Picture Thinking - Understand how the interrelationship of processes, technologies, and people create results. Understands how to create mutually beneficial opportunities for company and vendor using this information.
• Team Leadership Experience - Understand the vendors operations as is often required to manage teams of several vendor employees.
• Domain Expertise - Has experience in a broad range of vendor management skill set.

Duties and Responsibilites (Specific)

• Measure the quality and timelines of delivery:
  • Ensuring that the vendor is meeting service levels set as part of the contract
  • Administer and track service penalties when service levels are not met
  • Hold service review meetings to determine performance related to SLAs
• Ensure that the vendor is informed of changes to services, implementation of additional services and maintenance requirements in time for the vendor to implement in line with expectations.
• Drive process improvements with the vendor as inefficiencies in operations or customer experience surface.
• Develop reporting to inform how the vendor is performing, including key trends.
• Change Control - Ensures that all changes and requirements presented to the vendor are defined through business requirements and have appropriate approvals.
• Ensures that the vendor meets company criteria according to established guidelines (documentation, quality, business practices, ethics, availability of staff, etc.)
• Collaborates with vendor to create clear program goals. Communicates goals internally so that staff is aware of expectations and consequences.
• Monitors results against goals; proactively reviews indices to pre-empt customer dissatisfaction
• Oversees the accuracy and timelines of the vendor reporting. Ensures that report meets needs.
• Maintains vendor calendar of agreement and renewals
• Strong technical/functional understanding of vendor management tool-sets.
• Ability to prepare and effectively lead negotiation sessions
• Any other responsibility assigned by line manager

Communication and Work Relationship:

• Vendors
• All Departments

Innovation and change:

• Acts as voice of the customer within Vodacom to ensure that customers views and needs influence our marketing mix including product / proposition
• Supported by Innovation Workshops and Forums, introduces new products and propositions to key decision makers within the customer through relationship and stakeholder management at C level within all key customers. Understands up front through engagement at the right business level the customer’s strategic and operational issues.

Competency
Key Strength:

• Good technical reporting skills. E.g usage of excel, charts, presentations etc.
• Excellent writing and communication skills including listening and negotiation; have the ability to build and maintain relationships and work well as part of the team.
• Ability to work in fast-paced, global environment.
• Big picture thinking coupled with a strong focus on details: metrics, processes and contract
• Build trust, value others, communicate effectively and politely with mutual respect
• Maintain professional internal and external relationships that meet company’s core values.
• Proactively establish and maintain effective working team relationships with all other departments.
• Have a good understanding of customer and market dynamics and requirements

Skills:

• Negotiation skills
• Relationship management
• Vendor management
• Excellent customer relation,
• Strong facilitation, conflict resolution and investigative skills
• Resilience and ability to work under pressure.