Sr. Vendor Relations Specialist II

Providing for loved ones, planning rewarding retirements, saving enough for whatever lies ahead - our policyholders count on us to be there when it matters most. It's a big ask, but it's one that we have the power to deliver when we work together. We collaborate and innovate - pushing one another to transform not just Pacific Life, but the entire industry for the better. Why? Because it's the right thing to do. Pacific Life is more than a job, it's a career with purpose. It's a career where you have the support, balance, and resources to make a positive impact on the future - including your own.

We're actively seeking a talented Sr. Vendor Relations Specialist in our Newport Beach, CA or Charlotte, NC office. This role is on-site. You'll work at our Newport Beach, CA or Charlotte, NC office.

Vendor Relationship Management

• Cultivate and nurture strong working relationships with vendors to foster productive and collaborative partnerships.
• Act as liaison between company and vendors, ensuring clear communication and mutual understanding as appropriate for the relationship.
• Drive moderately complex initiatives, bringing in new perspectives to solve business problems with a goal of improving customer experience and operational efficiency.
• Provide guidance for the documentation of procedural changes in partnership with the Knowledge Management team to support vendor processing and related Pacific Life processes as needed.
• Proficient knowledge in supporting Technology areas ranging from Incident Management, SaaS, Cloud and Hybrid Environments, Data Centers, IT Operations and more.

Performance Monitoring

• Lead vendor performance monitoring to identify trends and implement changes as appropriate.
• Identify areas for improvement and collaborate with vendors and senior team members to implement necessary changes.
• Collaborate with internal teams to identify and communicate vendor opportunity trends that support our strategic goals.
• Lead weekly/monthly vendor performance calls, as assigned to discuss performance metrics, improvements, and feedback, leading as necessary.
• Keep track of service level agreements (SLAs) and quality standards with vendors to ensure that commitments are met and exceeded when possible.
• Establish best practices, ensuring contract/invoicing compliance, maintain pricing oversight and adherence to fee approval limits.

Communication and Service Support

• Serve as primary point of contact for vendor inquiries, addressing questions and resolving day-to-day issues as appropriate with minimal guidance from senior team members.
• Foster open lines of communication to promote transparency and effective collaboration.
• Provide timely responses to vendor-related inquiries, maintaining a high level of professionalism and accuracy.
• Keep vendors informed about relevant initiatives, changes, and updates that impact the vendor relationship.
• Partner closely with internal teams to enhance the vendor experience and address any challenges collaboratively.
• Work closely with Data teams to leverage, interpret, and apply sound analytics to internal and external data sources to support informed decision making.
• Ensure all assigned initiatives adhere to Ops project oversight expectations; Stakeholder needs and business requirements vetted and documented, business impacts evaluated, project outcomes/decisions tracked and communicated; Keep tasks in line with project scope through completion; Collaborate effectively with business partners across enterprise to gain consensus and ensure long term sustainability while meeting objectives; Feedback sought and/or provided to measure and evolve shape work quality.
• Viewed as the SME by the Business Operations area on any assigned vendor relationships and is highly regarded as a key partner in managing the day-to-day operations.
• Visible and active participant in any issues related to the assigned vendor relationships with an eye towards identifying and communicating ways in which business operations can run more effectively/efficiently within the context of the vendor engagement.

The experience you bring

• 5+ years relevant experience, demonstrating the following:
• Strong desire to deliver a superior customer service experience.
• Ability to work independently with minimal instruction, guidance, and direction from others.
• Ability to communicate in writing moderately complex thoughts and ideas, verbally and in writing.
• Proficient in Life insurance and Annuity operations activities and strong understanding of various outsourcing pricing models.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office with aptitude for Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Solid understanding of project management processes/methodologies.
• Experience working in the IT sector and/or managing IT vendor relationships.