Director of Vendor Management & Strategic Sourcing
Location: Northbrook, Illinois / Hybrid or Remote
Department: Operations / Procurement
Reports To: Executive Leadership / Operations Leadership
Employment Type: Full-Time
Position Summary
At UMBRELLAONE, we make our clients' lives easier. Driven by purpose and empowered by collaboration, we partner with our clients' facilities managers to provide reactive General Maintenance and Fire & Life Safety services. We support the upkeep, safety, and operational excellence of store locations for the biggest names in retail and restaurants by delivering high-quality results at the best value.
We are seeking an experienced Director of Vendor Management & Strategic Sourcing to lead our Vendor Management team and advance our national service-provider network, with a focus on partnership, alignment, and long-term provider relationships.
This is a critical leadership position responsible for ensuring we have the right service providers, in the right markets, at competitive rates, with appropriate contracts and compliance documentation in place to support our customers.
The Director will own the service-provider lifecycle from market analysis and sourcing through qualification, rate negotiation, contracting, onboarding, compliance, performance management, and ongoing network development.
The ideal candidate combines strong sourcing and negotiation skills with an operational understanding of the facility maintenance/service industry. This person should be comfortable building scalable processes, negotiating with contractors and service companies, analyzing vendor coverage and costs, and partnering closely with operations.
Key ResponsibilitiesNational Service Provider Network Development
· Develop and execute a national strategy for building and maintaining a high-quality network of facility maintenance service providers.
· Identify geographic, trade, capacity, and service-level gaps within the existing vendor network.
· Proactively source and recruit qualified service providers in markets where additional coverage or competition is needed.
· Build depth within critical markets to reduce dependence on individual vendors.
· Develop sourcing strategies for trades including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, handyman/general maintenance, roofing, locksmith, landscaping, snow removal, janitorial, and other facility services.
· Maintain appropriate vendor coverage to support both scheduled maintenance and emergency/after-hours service requirements.
· Build service-partner alignment around shared expectations and mutual benefit.
Vendor Sourcing & Procurement
· Lead sourcing efforts for new service providers throughout the United States.
· Develop RFQ/RFP processes where appropriate.
· Solicit, analyze, and compare vendor pricing.
· Negotiate labor rates, trip charges, emergency rates, material markups, minimum charges, and other commercial terms.
· Establish preferred pricing and national/regional rate structures.
· Identify opportunities to consolidate spend and improve purchasing leverage.
· Continuously benchmark service-provider pricing and market conditions.
Contracting & Onboarding
· Manage the vendor contracting and onboarding process.
· Ensure service providers execute required master service agreements and related documents.
· Coordinate contract negotiations with leadership and legal resources when necessary.
· Establish standardized onboarding requirements and workflows.
· Maintain accurate vendor records within company systems.
Vendor Compliance
Own and oversee service-provider compliance requirements, including:
· Certificates of Insurance (COIs)
· General liability insurance
· Workers’ compensation coverage
· Automobile liability coverage where required
· Required professional or trade licenses
· State and local licensing requirements
· W-9 documentation
· Executed service agreements
· Background or customer-specific requirements where applicable
Develop processes to identify expiring documentation and ensure vendors remain compliant before receiving work.
Vendor Performance Management
· Establish vendor scorecards and measurable performance standards.
· Monitor vendor performance including response time, acceptance rates, completion time, pricing, quality, communication, callback rates, and customer satisfaction.
· Identify underperforming vendors and implement corrective action plans.
· Develop preferred-provider programs that reward high-performing service partners.
· Partner with Operations to resolve recurring vendor performance issues.
· Develop processes for suspending or removing vendors who fail to meet company standards.
Cost Management & Negotiation
· Analyze vendor spend and identify cost-saving opportunities.
· Negotiate pricing based on volume, geography, trade, and service frequency.
· Establish market-rate benchmarks for common facility maintenance services.
· Reduce excessive trip charges, markups, minimums, and other avoidable service costs.
· Track and report savings generated through sourcing and negotiation initiatives.
Department Leadership & Process Development
· Build the processes, systems, and structure required to support a scalable national vendor-management function.
· Develop SOPs for sourcing, onboarding, contracting, compliance, rate negotiation, and vendor performance management.
· Establish KPIs and dashboards for vendor-network performance.
· Recommend technology and workflow improvements to automate vendor management and compliance.
· Build and lead a vendor management/procurement team as the department grows.
· Establish clear responsibilities and performance expectations for department personnel.
Qualifications Required
· 7+ years of experience in vendor management, procurement, strategic sourcing, subcontractor management, facility management, or a related field.
· 3+ years of management or department leadership experience.
· Demonstrated experience sourcing and negotiating with service providers or subcontractors.
· Strong contract negotiation and vendor relationship management skills.
· Experience managing vendor compliance documentation.
· Strong analytical skills and ability to evaluate pricing, spend, vendor performance, and market coverage.
· Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
· Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage a large national vendor network.
· Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and business software/ERP/CMMS/vendor-management platforms.
Highly Preferred
· Experience within facility maintenance, facility management, property services, construction services, multisite retail, restaurant, commercial property, or a related service industry.
· Experience managing a national subcontractor or service-provider network.
· Familiarity with facility maintenance trades such as fire & life safety, plumbing, electrical, and general maintenance.
· Experience developing vendor scorecards and preferred-provider programs.
· Experience implementing or improving vendor management technology and processes.
Ideal Candidate
The successful candidate will be a combination of strategic sourcing leader, negotiator, relationship builder, and operational problem solver.
This person will understand that our service-provider network is a critical component of our ability to serve customers nationally. They will be equally comfortable negotiating rates with a local contractor, analyzing national vendor spend, developing a compliance program, and presenting a vendor-network strategy to executive leadership.
Most importantly, this individual will take ownership of building a scalable, competitive, compliant, and high-performing national service-provider network that supports the continued growth of the company.
Pay: $100,000.00 - $140,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k) 4% Match
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Relocation assistance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Northbrook, IL 60062
