Vendor Program Manager

Enterprise teams at Riot are responsible for creating the culture, systems, and environment that enable Riot to be the best place for world-class talent to imagine and deliver the impossible for players.  Enterprise collectively is made up of key corporate teams like Finance, People, Legal, Corporate Affairs, IT and Infosec, D&I and Corp. Strategy that creates the ecosystem for Riot’s different product Pillars to operate and collaborate.  In order to be effective, Enterprise Rioters must foster a trust forward culture to empower product Pillars, act as true partners to product teams and create simple and customer centric systems that unlock collaboration across Riot.

Vendor Program Managers at Riot help maintain key external relationships through expert relationship management and program management discipline. You’ll also be the driving force in making sure contract renewals are reviewed on time in order to match changing requirements, usage, and strategies.  

In close partnership with the Strategic Sourcing and Procurement leads, you will help us build and lead a Vendor Management function that will establish a new operating norm for all new and existing vendor engagements. From inception to off-boarding, you will provide the vision, strategy, and direction for the Vendor Management function. You will establish new processes and standards that ensure vendor operational efficiency, compliance, and market competitiveness. You will develop and cultivate an ongoing relationship with Infrastructure Operations, eSports, IT, Finance, Legal, and Procurement partners as well as external vendors from the earliest stages of vendor engagement to service performance and, finally, through off-boarding.

Responsibilities:

• Establish and optimize practices, including processes, tools, templates, and systems for use in vendor management, from vendor services implementation to ongoing performance monitoring and management
• Manage, build and effectively optimize vendor relationships. Partner with business owners to assist with concerns, facilitate issue resolution, optimize vendor performance and drive cost optimization
• Serve as escalation point for key commercial relationships and urgent supplier related issues
• Maintain vendor databases of key partners and strategic relationships
• Manage and maintain contract lifecycle management systems and processes
• Promote a one team mentality, focused on holistic Riot-Wide solutions

Required Qualifications: 

• 5+ years experience in vendor performance management focused on data center hardware supply chain services 
• Demonstrable systems and BI reporting expertise 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong facilitation skills, with the ability to bring disparate teams together to move in the same direction
• Ability to work independently with limited direction or supervision
• Vendor relationship management experience in large non-mandated organizations
• Knowledge of industry trends across multiple game development sub disciplines

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience working in game development
• Experience leading teams of sourcing associates to deliver high-impact projects across the games landscape
• CPSM or similar certifications

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and choices that focus on your fellow Rioters, who are the customers of your work. Being a dedicated fan of games is not necessary for this position!

Our Perks:

Riot has a focus on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy, in addition to other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.

Riot Games fosters a player and workplace experience that values teamwork embodied by the Summoner's Code and Community Code. Our culture embraces differences as a strength, and our values are the guiding principles for how we approach work. We are committed to putting diversity and inclusion (D&I) at the center of everything we do, and promoting a fair and collaborative culture where Rioters treat one another with dignity and respect. We encourage you to read more about our value of thriving together and our ongoing work to build the most inclusive company in Gaming.