Specialist - Vendor Relationship

About the role

The Global Procurement & Payment (GPP) team at Sun Life is building a dedicated Vendor Relationship function to strengthen strategic partnerships and ensure regulatory compliance. As a Specialist – Vendor Relationship, you will oversee medium‑risk, high‑spend categories such as Medical Operations, Business Operations, and HR, acting as the primary liaison between internal stakeholders and key external vendors.

Key responsibilities

• Manage relationships with vendors and internal teams (legal, risk, finance) to align services with business needs.
• Collect and analyse data on spend, contract terms, renewals, and performance to produce dashboards and reports.
• Monitor invoice accuracy, ensure service credits are applied, and track financial performance against contracts.
• Oversee contract lifecycle activities, including renewals, terminations, and compliance with Sun Life standards.
• Identify and mitigate operational risks associated with third‑party providers, ensuring adherence to policies and regulatory requirements.
• Drive process improvements by leveraging data, stakeholder feedback, and market insights to optimise vendor services and reduce costs.

Required profile

• Experience in IT software, IT infrastructure, or finance/insurance operations is preferred.
• Proven ability to build and maintain trust‑based relationships with vendors and internal stakeholders.
• Demonstrated post‑deal contract management experience, including renewals and compliance monitoring.
• Strong risk and compliance management background, with knowledge of legal and information‑security standards.
• Analytical mindset with the capability to interpret data, identify trends, and solve performance issues.
• Commercial acumen to deliver cost efficiencies and added value from contracts.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, comfortable working with global teams across North America and Asia.
• Continuous‑improvement orientation.

Required skills