[Hiring] HR Specialist @Aston Carter

Role Description

Seeking an opportunity to partner with others to develop new services? Are you energized by financial analysis and complex arrangements and excited to look for new ways to do business and drive costs down? If so, Leave and Accommodations team is looking for an experienced Vendor Manager to join our team.

Leave and Accommodations team is looking for a motivated Vendor Manager to join the team that owns the relationships with a growing list of vendors worldwide. The ideal candidate will utilize a wide range of tactical skills and partner with Service Delivery, Expansions, Procurement, Legal, Finance, Capacity Planning, and other teams to deliver results. This individual will innovate with vendors on behalf of customers and achieve cost-efficient long-term growth. They will build out the portfolio of vendors who can drive exceptional vendor performance.

The Vendor Manager is responsible for:

• Developing vendor relationships.
• Partnering with Procurement and Legal to negotiate contracts.
• Expanding vendor selection.
• Onboarding vendors onto systems.
• Troubleshooting operational issues as they arise.
• Monthly budget monitoring and analysis of financial results.
• Bill payment and partnering with service owners on strategies to decrease costs.

The Vendor Manager will have strong analytical skills and exhibit high business judgment based on data and outcomes. They have strong relationship management skills and excel in diving deep. This individual must be a critical thinker who can:

• Formulate a clear point of view on complicated issues.
• Create well-structured narratives.
• Influence others.

The Vendor Manager has strong project management skills, attention to detail, and the ability to develop routine business operations mechanisms without following a set playbook. They are a seasoned problem solver, with experience delivering results under tight deadlines in fast-paced, dynamic environments.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end vendor contract lifecycles including new contracts, renewals, and amendments across a portfolio of vendors.
• Partner with Procurement, Contracting Legal, Finance, and Security teams to source, negotiate, and execute vendor contracts, including complex multi-vendor RFPs and global engagements.
• Lead third-party security and compliance reviews across all vendors, ensuring timely completion and maintaining compliance standards.
• Manage vendor financial operations including Purchase Order creation/amendments, invoicing and payment processing, monthly accruals, and budget forecasting in partnership with Business, Cost, and Finance teams.
• Onboard new vendors through established processes, including compliance onboarding, security reviews, and performance management setup.
• Manage vendor performance against contractual SLAs and budget; prepare budget-to-actual analyses, identify risks, and partner with Finance and Service Delivery on strategic plans.
• Navigate global vendor complexities including in-country signatory requirements, legal and tax considerations, and country-specific compliance nuances.
• Troubleshoot and resolve vendor escalations (e.g., payment delinquencies, invoicing disputes, service failures, Purchase Order/invoicing violations) with urgency and sound judgment.
• Provide ad hoc and regularly scheduled updates to leadership on vendor portfolio health, contract status, and compliance posture.
• Act as a subject matter expert on contract terms for Service Delivery, customers, and leaders.
• Support cross-functional initiatives including AI strategy development, vendor and service deep dives, and vendor onboarding process improvements.
• Effectively communicate through high-quality written and verbal communications, including documents for L10+ audiences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional / military experience in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
• 3+ years professional experience in Vendor Management, Finance, Procurement, or a related field.
• Experience managing vendor contract lifecycles (negotiations, renewals, amendments) with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience with vendor financial operations including purchase orders, invoicing, accruals, and budget forecasting.
• Experience using data and metrics to drive continuous improvement and vendor performance management.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Proficiency in Excel to analyze large data sets and manage financial tracking.

Preferred Qualifications

• HR experience or exposure to HR processes and practices.
• Experience managing third-party security and compliance reviews.
• Experience supporting global vendor portfolios across multiple geographies with varying legal and regulatory requirements.
• Exceptional project management skills with a track record of managing multiple concurrent deliverables and meeting tight deadlines.

Benefits

• Medical, dental & vision.
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available.
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents).
• Short and long-term disability.
• Health Spending Account (HSA).
• Transportation benefits.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave).

Company Description

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence.