Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Vendor Program Technician

🎯 Role Definition

The Vendor Program Technician is a pivotal operational role at the heart of our partnership ecosystem. This individual acts as the organizational backbone for the vendor management program, ensuring the seamless execution of all processes from onboarding to offboarding. They are the go-to person for both internal teams and external partners, responsible for maintaining accurate data, facilitating smooth communication, tracking performance, and resolving day-to-day operational issues. This position requires a blend of meticulous administrative skill, a customer-service mindset, and a keen eye for process improvement to maintain the health and efficiency of our entire vendor network.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Procurement Coordinator
Accounts Payable/Receivable Clerk
Administrative Assistant (with a focus on purchasing or contracts)
Customer Support Representative

Advancement To:

Vendor Program Manager
Senior Procurement Specialist or Buyer
Contract Manager
Supply Chain Manager

Lateral Moves:

Contract Administrator
Supply Chain Analyst
Operations Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Manage the complete, end-to-end vendor onboarding process, which includes collecting and verifying all required legal, financial, and compliance documentation, and meticulously setting up new vendors in all relevant internal systems.
Serve as the first and primary point of contact for the entire spectrum of vendor inquiries, skillfully troubleshooting and resolving issues related to payments, system access, policy questions, and general operational processes.
Meticulously maintain and update the central vendor database and digital contract repository, ensuring all information—such as contacts, banking details, and insurance certificates—is accurate, current, and compliant with company policies.
Actively monitor and track vendor performance against established key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs), escalating performance deviations and potential risks to the Vendor Program Manager for strategic intervention.
Facilitate and support recurring vendor business reviews by preparing comprehensive performance dashboards, compiling data-driven insights, creating meeting agendas, and diligently tracking follow-up action items.
Process, validate, and track vendor invoices, purchase orders, and statements of work, collaborating closely with the Accounts Payable department to ensure timely, accurate, and compliant vendor payments.
Generate and distribute a variety of routine and ad-hoc reports on key metrics like vendor spend, performance trends, and overall program health for consumption by leadership and internal stakeholders.
Assist in the development, documentation, and continuous improvement of vendor management policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and best-practice guides to standardize operations and enhance efficiency.
Coordinate and sometimes deliver training sessions for both internal teams and external vendors on how to effectively use program tools, portals, and processes.
Thoroughly investigate, document, and mediate the resolution of disputes or discrepancies that arise between vendors and internal departments, ensuring a fair and clear outcome for all parties.
Support the strategic vendor selection and sourcing process by gathering competitive quotes, preparing detailed comparison analyses, and coordinating evaluation meetings with key stakeholders.
Conduct regular, systematic audits of vendor master data, active contracts, and compliance documentation to ensure ongoing adherence to all regulatory, legal, and internal standards.
Systematically manage the vendor offboarding process, which includes formal contract termination notifications, processing final payments, and ensuring the secure deactivation of vendors from all company systems and platforms.
Proactively communicate all program updates, significant policy changes, and other important announcements to the entire vendor network through structured channels like newsletters, portal notifications, and email campaigns.
Collaborate effectively with IT and systems development teams to troubleshoot and enhance vendor-facing portals and tools by reporting bugs, providing user feedback, and suggesting functional improvements.
Administer vendor risk assessment questionnaires and diligently track the progress of remediation plans for any identified risks, working in close partnership with corporate compliance and information security teams.
Diligently track critical contractual obligations and key milestone dates, such as renewal deadlines and expiration dates, providing timely alerts and relevant data to contract owners.
Provide crucial support for contract negotiation and renewal activities by arming the procurement team with historical performance data, spend analysis, and relevant market research.
Efficiently triage all incoming support tickets and service requests from the vendor community, assigning them to the appropriate internal teams and tracking each issue through to a satisfactory resolution.
Develop and maintain strong, positive, and professional working relationships with key vendor contacts to foster a spirit of collaboration, trust, and productive long-term partnership.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to identify hidden trends in vendor performance, cost-saving opportunities, or operational bottlenecks.
Contribute to the organization's broader procurement and data strategy by providing ground-level insights, feedback, and real-world process observations.
Collaborate with cross-functional business units like Finance, Legal, and IT to translate their diverse vendor-related needs into clear, actionable operational requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the operations or data team to contribute to the continuous improvement of vendor management systems and workflows.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficiency with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Procure-to-Pay (P2P) systems (e.g., SAP Ariba, Oracle, Coupa) for managing the lifecycle of purchase orders and invoices.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, and complex formulas for robust data analysis and reporting.
Experience working within a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform (e.g., Salesforce) to manage partner data, communications, and relationship history.
Working knowledge of data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) to assist in the creation and maintenance of performance dashboards.
Familiarity with the use and administration of contract management systems and digital document repositories (e.g., SharePoint, Conga).
Solid understanding of fundamental procurement principles, including the basics of sourcing, negotiation, and contract administration.
Experience using helpdesk or ticketing systems (e.g., Jira Service Desk, Zendesk) for tracking, managing, and reporting on vendor support issues.

Soft Skills

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey information clearly and professionally to both internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
Meticulous attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to accuracy in data entry, report generation, and process execution.
Strong organizational and time-management abilities, demonstrating a capacity to effectively prioritize and manage multiple competing tasks and deadlines.
Proactive and resourceful problem-solving skills, with the aptitude to independently identify operational issues, investigate root causes, and drive them to resolution.
A strong customer-service mindset, focused on building and maintaining positive, productive, and respectful vendor relationships.
The ability to work collaboratively and effectively as an integral part of a cross-functional team, contributing to a shared vision and goals.
High level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential and sensitive company and vendor information.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Associate's Degree or equivalent relevant work experience in a related field.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's Degree.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Business Administration
Supply Chain Management
Finance or Accounting
Operations Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2-4 years of experience in a related role such as procurement, vendor management, accounts payable, program coordination, or contract administration.

Preferred:

Direct experience working with and managing relationships with external vendors or partners, particularly within a technology, retail, or manufacturing environment.