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Vendor Program Manager Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Randstad Digital

AI Program Manager

Chicago, IL · On-site

$54.09 - $64.09/hr

Track budgets, vendor engagement, and resourcing; maintain accurate status and forecast reports ... managing multi-team programs with clear outcomes in regulated environments Strong Agile expertise ...

New

Softchoice

Agile Program Manager

Chicago, IL · On-site

As an Agile Program Manager for Managed Services, you will own a portfolio of strategic and ... Coordinate with ITSM Administrators, Application Developers, Platform Engineers, and vendor ...

JLL

Electrical Program Manager

Northlake, IL · On-site

The Electrical Program Manager maintains and coordinates the operations and repairs for all ... Vendor Management. Client Relations: * Responsible for ensuring high customer and employee ...

J.P. Morgan

Lead Technical Program Manager

Chicago, IL

$132K - $172K/yr

As a Lead Technical Program Manager in Commercial & Investment Bank's Payments Technology ... Advanced experience in utilizing technical fluency, including knowledge of vendor products and ...

JP Morgan Chase

Lead Technical Program Manager

Chicago, IL · On-site

$133K - $172K/yr

As a Lead Technical Program Manager in Commercial & Investment Bank's Payments Technology ... Advanced experience in utilizing technical fluency, including knowledge of vendor products and ...

JLL

Senior Program Manager -Technology

Chicago, IL · On-site

$119K - $120K/yr

Lead and manage multiple programs and projects within the AI Tools and Agent Development workstreams, collaborating with cross-functional teams, business partners, and technology vendors * Serve as ...

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All JobsVendor Program JobsVendor Program Manager JobsVendor Program Manager Jobs in Chicago, IL

Vendor Program Manager information

See Chicago, IL salary details

$38.1K

$102.7K

$178.9K

How much do vendor program manager jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 12, 2026, the average yearly pay for vendor program manager in Chicago, IL is $102,705.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $84,000.00 and $117,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a vendor program manager do?

A vendor program manager oversees relationships with external suppliers and service providers, ensuring that vendor contracts, performance, and compliance meet organizational standards. They coordinate vendor onboarding, monitor service delivery, and optimize vendor performance using tools like vendor management systems, often requiring strong negotiation and project management skills.

How does a vendor program manager collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure vendor performance aligns with organizational goals?

A Vendor Program Manager works closely with internal teams such as procurement, operations, legal, and finance to align vendor services with the company’s objectives. Regular cross-functional meetings, clear communication of expectations, and performance reviews are essential parts of this collaboration. The role often requires mediating between vendor capabilities and internal requirements, ensuring that service levels, compliance, and cost-effectiveness are consistently met. This collaborative approach helps drive continuous improvement and maximizes the value derived from vendor relationships.

What is the difference between Vendor Program Manager vs Vendor Account Manager?

AspectVendor Program ManagerVendor Account Manager
Primary FocusOverseeing vendor programs, strategy, and process improvementsManaging relationships and sales with individual vendor accounts
ResponsibilitiesDeveloping vendor programs, ensuring compliance, optimizing vendor performanceBuilding client relationships, negotiating contracts, driving account growth
Work EnvironmentCross-functional teams, strategic planning, vendor managementCustomer-facing, sales-oriented, relationship management
Required SkillsVendor management, project coordination, communicationSales skills, negotiation, customer service

The Vendor Program Manager focuses on developing and managing vendor programs and processes, while the Vendor Account Manager concentrates on maintaining and growing relationships with individual vendors or clients. Both roles require strong communication skills but differ in strategic versus relationship-driven responsibilities.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a vendor program manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Vendor Program Manager, you need expertise in vendor relationship management, contract negotiation, and supply chain processes, often supported by a degree in business, supply chain, or a related field. Familiarity with procurement software, ERP systems like SAP or Oracle, and relevant certifications such as Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) are commonly required. Strong communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills help build trust and ensure alignment between vendors and internal teams. These skills are critical to maintain cost efficiency, mitigate risks, and ensure reliable delivery of goods and services within an organization.

What is a vendor program manager?

A Vendor Program Manager is responsible for overseeing relationships and programs with third-party suppliers or vendors to ensure that goods and services are delivered on time, within budget, and according to quality standards. They coordinate vendor selection, negotiate contracts, monitor performance, and resolve any issues that arise. Their role is crucial in optimizing vendor performance, reducing costs, and maintaining strong partnerships to support the organization's strategic goals.

How much do vendor program managers make in the US?

Vendor Program Managers in the US typically earn between $80,000 and $130,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and company size. Senior roles or those in high-cost areas may offer higher compensation, often including bonuses and benefits.

Is a vendor program manager a good job?

A vendor program manager oversees relationships and contracts with external suppliers, ensuring that vendor services meet organizational needs. The role typically requires strong project management, negotiation skills, and knowledge of procurement processes, and it can offer opportunities for career advancement and competitive compensation. Job satisfaction depends on the organization, industry, and individual preferences for managing external partnerships.
What are popular job titles related to Vendor Program Manager jobs in Chicago, IL? For Vendor Program Manager jobs in Chicago, IL, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Vendor Program Manager jobs in Chicago, IL look for? The top searched job categories for Vendor Program Manager jobs in Chicago, IL are:
What cities near Chicago, IL are hiring for Vendor Program Manager jobs? Cities near Chicago, IL with the most Vendor Program Manager job openings:
Vendor Program Manager jobs near you
Infographic showing various Vendor Program Manager job openings in Chicago, IL as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 79% Full Time, 16% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 95% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $102,705 per year, or $49.4 per hour.

AI Program Manager

Randstad Digital

Chicago, IL • On-site

$54.09 - $64.09/hr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Posted yesterday

New

Job description

job summary:

Lead end-to-end project planning and execution for AI programs-spanning discovery, prototyping, pilot, and production. Partner with the AI Product Owner, Agentic Framework Engineer, Full-Stack Developer, and REs to manage scope, timelines, dependencies, and governance. Own delivery cadences, RAID management, stakeholder communication, and operational readiness (support, monitoring, knowledge management).


location: Chicago, Illinois
job type: Contract
salary: $54.09 - 64.09 per hour
work hours: 8am to 5pm
education: Bachelors
responsibilities:
  • Establish and maintain integrated project plans for AI initiatives (milestones, dependencies, critical path)
  • Run Agile ceremonies (Scrum/Kanban) while adapting to hybrid delivery needs for model and platform work
  • Manage RAID logs (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies) with clear owners, due dates, and mitigations
  • Coordinate cross-functional delivery across Product, Engineering (Agentic Full-Stack), RE, Data, and Compliance
  • Track budgets, vendor engagement, and resourcing; maintain accurate status and forecast reports
  • Ensure Responsible AI governance: data privacy controls, model risk management, bias fairness checks, explainability, human-in-the-loop processes
  • Drive readiness for production support (runbooks, incident playbooks, SLAs/SLOs, observability, ServiceNow Knowledge Management alignment)
  • Partner on release planning, change management, and operational handoffs; ensure post-launch retrospectives and continuous improvement
  • Maintain project artifacts in Jira/Confluence; uphold documentation standards (JSON-first specs where applicable)
  • Facilitate stakeholder communications: executive updates, decision logs, and outcome-based reporting (KPIs/OKRs)
  • Support evaluation pipelines (A/B tests, offline benchmarks, red-team testing) and acceptance criteria for AI features
  • Align security and compliance reviews (access controls, audit trails, policy exceptions) with enterprise standards

qualifications:

7+ years leading complex technology projects, including 3+ years delivering AI/ML or LLM-based solutions


Demonstrated success managing multi-team programs with clear outcomes in regulated environments


Strong Agile expertise (Scrum/Kanban) and hybrid planning for platform/model work


Proficiency with Jira/Confluence and standard PM artifacts (RAID, roadmaps, status, budget tracking)


Proven ability to coordinate data, engineering, product, and reliability engineering teams; excellent written verbal communication


Certifications: PMP, PMI-ACP and/or CSM


Experience with GenAI, agentic systems, LangChain/LangGraph orchestration, and RAG pipelines


Production Support Experience


Familiarity with model risk management, Responsible AI frameworks, and evaluation tooling


Exposure to LLMOps/MLOps practices (observability, rollback, feature flags, CI/CD for models)


Financial services or similarly regulated industry experience


Comfort collaborating with production support reliability engineers for operational readiness (SLOs, incident playbooks, post-mortems)


skills:

A/B tests,Agile,AI,AI features,audit trails,Confluence,CI/CD,FastAPI,Jira,JSON,knowledge management,Large Language Model (LLM),LLM-based,latency,LLMOps,MLOps practices,Python,RAID,relational database,reliability engineering,Scrum,ServiceNow,documentation standards,AI Product,adapting,verbal communication,Coordinate,reliability,acceptance criteria,access controls,budget tracking,budgets,Budget,continuous improvement,PMP,change management,prototyping,Responsible AI,data privacy,dependency management,forecast,governance,Kanban,OKRs,Financial services,evaluation metrics,operational readiness,PMI-ACP,production support,Program Management,project planning,project plans,compliance reviews,Risks,Risk,model risk management,safety,stakeholder communication,stakeholder communications,Stakeholder Management,tooling,vendor engagement,workflows



Equal Opportunity Employer: Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, National Origin, Age, Genetic Information, Disability, Protected Veteran Status, or any other legally protected group status.
At Randstad Digital, we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please contact
Pay offered to a successful candidate will be based on several factors including the candidate's education, work experience, work location, specific job duties, certifications, etc. In addition, Randstad Digital offers a comprehensive benefits package, including: medical, prescription, dental, vision, AD&D, and life insurance offerings, short-term disability, and a 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility).
This posting is open for thirty (30) days.

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