Principal, Strategic Projects and Vendor Manager

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** Job Description
**** Summary
* * The Strategic Projects & Vendor Manager works with the Verdegard Teams to provide vendor management, new business service development, project planning, project management and project governance of vendor and program implementations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Vendor Management:
· Evaluates potential vendor's services, reputation, resources and expertise through the Request for Information (RFI) and Request for Proposal (RFP) process.  Ensure that selected vendors support the Company's business objectives.
· Handles contract negotiations. Works closely with Contracts Management to approve contracts.
· Works closely with departments and vendors on vendor renewal contracts and related business terms, pricing and vendor service level agreements.
· Manages external vendor relations (such as Zelis, Claims Bridge, AHH, ICM, and Recuro) for all lines of business within Verdegard.
· Serves as the liaison between vendors and internal stakeholders.
· Ensures that the enterprise-wide requirements for vendors are met by confirming due diligence, risk assessment, audit reviews, and continuous vendor monitoring.
· Ensures vendors are performing in-line with expected contractual service levels and related performance guarantees.
· Troubleshoots any vendor issues with sub-standard performance; presents issues and solutions to management as needed.
· Identifies and implements continuous efficiencies associated with vendor product or service fulfillment.

Project Management for New Vendors:
· Manages the entire project management cycle to include initiation of projects, planning, and execution, monitoring and close out of the project phase.
· Leads the efforts of multi-disciplinary project teams through various stages of the vendor and project development lifecycle, including vision and scope, required analysis and partnership with various departments throughout the duration of projects.
· Reviews project proposals and plans to determine timing of deliverables, funding limitations, procedures for accomplishing projects, staffing requirements and allotment of available resources to various phases of projects; establishes work plans, schedules, resources for each phase of projects
· Participates in the formulation of workflow processes, methods and policies for new vendors.
· Develops project prioritization, project scope, project plan, project tracking and other project-related activities and associated documentation; guides project stakeholders in defining project scope.
· Communicates with staff to outline work plan, assign duties, responsibilities, and scope of authority. Coordinates and interfaces with other departments to secure project team resources.
· Responsible for completeness of project documentation throughout the project lifecycle and for obtaining appropriate approvals at each phase of the project.
· Manages project progress by establishing regular meetings scheduled with project teams. Assesses project progress versus milestones and identifies areas of potential concern in adequate time in order to mitigate risk.
· Creates and communicates status reports for management, clients and key stakeholders.

Project Management for New Product Offerings:
* Follows best practices in project management and works across multi-disciplinary teams to coordinate and guide small to large scale projects.
* Develops new service offerings within, including new process development, organization, communications while leading the execution across all stakeholder departments.
· Identifies and implements continuous process improvement as well as operational efficiencies.
· Supports project through project close out and transitions to…