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Vendor Management Associate Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Ensono

Director Vendor Management

We can Do Great Things because we have great Associates. The Ensono Core Values unify our diverse ... The Director of Vendor Management leads Ensono's Vendor Management Office (VMO) within Procurement.

Ensemble Health Partners, Inc.

Dir Vendor Mgmt

$100K - $150K/yr

Lead the end-to-end vendor management strategy, including selection, onboarding, performance ... Associate Benefits - We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the physical ...

Carmax

Consultant II, Vendor Management

Kennesaw, GA · On-site

Associates degree and/or 3+ years of experience in Vendor Management, Customer Service or related field * Strong problem solving / analytical skills to identify trends, recommend action and lead ...

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Vendor Management Associate information

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How much do vendor management associate jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 9, 2026, the average hourly pay for vendor management associate in the United States is $34.88, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $20.67 and $43.51 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Vendor Management Associate, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Vendor Management Associate, you need strong analytical skills, contract negotiation abilities, and a bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, or a related field. Familiarity with vendor management systems (VMS), procurement software, and Excel is typically required, and certifications like CPSM can be advantageous. Excellent communication, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills set standout candidates apart in this role. These capabilities are crucial for ensuring effective vendor partnerships, cost efficiency, and smooth procurement operations.

What does a Vendor Management Associate do?

A Vendor Management Associate is responsible for supporting the relationship between a company and its external suppliers or vendors. Their duties typically include evaluating vendor performance, assisting with contract negotiations, ensuring compliance with company policies, and helping resolve any issues that arise with vendors. They also help maintain vendor records and support communication between internal teams and external partners to ensure smooth business operations.

What is the difference between Vendor Management Associate vs Procurement Coordinator?

AspectVendor Management AssociateProcurement Coordinator
CredentialsTypically requires a bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, or related field; certifications like CPSM are a plusSimilar requirements; often holds a bachelor's degree in business or logistics; certifications like CPSM may be beneficial
Work EnvironmentWorks closely with vendors, procurement teams, and internal departments to manage vendor relationshipsFocuses on purchasing activities, supplier negotiations, and order processing within procurement teams
Employer & Industry UsageCommon in supply chain, logistics, and manufacturing industriesUsed across industries including retail, manufacturing, and services

While both roles involve supplier interactions, the Vendor Management Associate primarily manages ongoing vendor relationships and performance, whereas the Procurement Coordinator focuses on purchasing and procurement processes. Both roles require similar skills and certifications but differ in their core responsibilities and daily tasks.

How does a Vendor Management Associate typically interact with internal teams and external vendors on a daily basis?

A Vendor Management Associate regularly acts as a liaison between internal departments—such as procurement, finance, and operations—and external vendors. Their daily responsibilities often include coordinating communications, ensuring contract compliance, resolving service or delivery issues, and facilitating performance reviews. This role requires strong relationship-building skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities, as associates often balance vendor inquiries with the needs and expectations of various internal stakeholders. Effective collaboration and clear communication are key to ensuring smooth vendor relationships and supporting organizational goals.
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Vendor Management Associate jobs near you
Infographic showing various Vendor Management Associate job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 85% Full Time, and 15% Part Time. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $72,549 per year, or $34.9 per hour.

Senior Associate, Legal Vendor Strategy & Management

Ares Operations LLC

Denver, CO

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Posted 21 days ago

Job description

Over the last 20 years, Ares' success has been driven by our people and our culture. Today, our team is guided by our core values - Collaborative, Responsible, Entrepreneurial, Self-Aware, Trustworthy - and our purpose to be a catalyst for shared prosperity and a better future. Through our recruitment, career development and employee-focused programming, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive work environment where high-performance talent of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can build careers within this exciting and growing industry.

Job Description

About the Role

Ares is seeking a Senior Associate, Legal Vendor Strategy & Management - Performance and Value Management to help build the infrastructure for how the Legal department selects, manages and evaluates outside counsel and other legal service providers.

This role is responsible for leading key workstreams relating to vendor strategy, sourcing, pricing analysis, performance management and relationship governance across Ares' legal vendor portfolio. The successful candidate will help build a more disciplined and data-informed approach to legal vendor selection, evaluation and management.

This position is well suited for a candidate with a background in consulting, procurement, legal operations, outside counsel or account management, law firm practice management or business operations who combines strong analytical ability with sound judgment and relationship skills.

Reporting

Reports to: Head of Legal Vendor Strategy & Management.

Key Responsibilities

Vendor Strategy and Sourcing

  • Support development of vendor segmentation, sourcing strategy and preferred-provider approaches across the legal vendor landscape.

  • Participate in vendor sourcing and procurement initiatives, including RFx processes, evaluation and feedback frameworks, pricing analysis and selection support.

  • Own the preparation of vendor profiles, comparative assessments and recommendation materials for leadership review.

  • Identify opportunities to improve vendor mix, cost discipline and alignment between business needs and service provider capabilities.

  • Independently develop analyses and recommendations relating to pricing, staffing models, service delivery approaches and vendor selection decisions

Governance and Relationship Management

  • Help build and maintain vendor governance processes for preferred firms and service providers.

  • Lead preparation of materials and insights for quarterly business reviews and other governance forums.

  • Support ongoing relationship management by tracking commitments, follow-ups, performance trends and escalation items.

  • Partner with internal stakeholders to ensure vendor strategy reflects business priorities, matter requirements and service expectations.

  • Help incorporate, measure and report on playbook adherence, knowledge-transfer expectations and data-sharing requirements into vendor governance.

Pricing, Spend and Performance Management

  • Support pricing analysis, alternative fee arrangement evaluation and broader commercial decision-making and negotiation across vendors.

  • Partner with Legal and Finance stakeholders to improve visibility into spend drivers, forecast trends and value realization.

  • Help build scorecards, evaluation frameworks and performance review materials for vendors.

  • Identify patterns and insights related to cost, efficiency, quality, responsiveness, staffing and service delivery performance.

  • Help evaluate how firms and service providers are using AI and identify implications for pricing, performance, knowledge transfer and data-sharing expectations.

  • Support continuous improvement efforts with vendors by translating data and feedback into actionable recommendations.

  • Use AI-enabled tools where appropriate to support vendor analysis, performance reviews, knowledge capture, governance materials and decision support.

Cross-Functional Execution

  • Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to align vendor governance and management with Ares' evolving legal operating model.

  • Prepare presentations, briefing materials and decision support for leadership discussions.

  • Support rollout of new governance practices, sourcing disciplines and performance management processes.

  • Contribute to the development of a more connected and data-informed model for managing and selecting legal vendors.

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's degree required.

Required Skills and Experience

  • 5+ years of experience in management consulting, procurement, strategic sourcing, legal operations, outside counsel/account management, law firm practice management or business operations.

  • Strong analytical skills with experience evaluating vendor performance, commercial terms, pricing or sourcing options.

  • Experience working with cross-functional teams and supporting structured decision-making processes.

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with senior stakeholders.

  • Strong Excel or Google Sheets skills and strong PowerPoint or Google Slides skills.

  • Demonstrated ability to independently lead workstreams or projects involving vendor governance, commercial analysis, sourcing, performance management or related transformation efforts.

  • Ability to synthesize financial, operational and qualitative information into clear recommendations.

  • Strong judgment, relationship management skills and a collaborative working style.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience with legal vendor management, outside counsel/account management, sourcing, procurement or law firm practice management.

  • Familiarity with e-billing, spend analytics, scorecards or vendor governance processes.

  • Comfort using AI-enabled tools to analyze information, improve productivity and support governance and performance management processes.

  • Experience preparing materials for business reviews, governance forums or executive decision-making.

  • Experience in a legal department, law firm, ALSP or professional services environment.

  • Experience participating directly in vendor governance forums, pricing discussions or firm relationship management

What Success Looks Like

  • Vendor sourcing and selection processes are more structured, disciplined and data-informed.

  • Preferred vendors are managed through a consistent governance cadence with clear performance expectations and measured KPIs.

  • Leadership has better visibility into vendor pricing, sourcing, performance and opportunities for improvement.

  • Vendor scorecards, business reviews and governance materials support data-driven outside counsel and service-provider decisions.

  • Vendor relationships are managed more strategically and are better aligned with Ares' expectations around quality, cost, responsiveness and knowledge transfer.

Reporting Relationships

Compensation

The anticipated base salary range for this position is listed below. Total compensation may also include a discretionary performance-based bonus. Note, the range takes into account a broad spectrum of qualifications, including, but not limited to, years of relevant work experience, education, and other relevant qualifications specific to the role.

$120,000 - $145,000 / annum

The firm also offers robust Benefits offerings. Ares U.S. Core Benefits include Comprehensive Medical/Rx, Dental and Vision plans; 401(k) program with company match; Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA); Healthcare Savings Accounts (HSA) with company contribution; Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance; Long-Term Disability (LTD) and Short-Term Disability (STD) insurance; Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and Commuter Benefits plan for parking and transit.

Ares offers a number of additional benefits including access to a world-class medical advisory team, a mental health app that includes coaching, therapy and psychiatry, a mindfulness and wellbeing app, financial wellness benefit that includes access to a financial advisor, new parent leave, reproductive and adoption assistance, emergency backup care, matching gift program, education sponsorship program, and much more.

There is no set deadline to apply for this job opportunity. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the search is no longer active.

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