Program Manager, Vendor Operations

Job Description

Job Description

Program Manager, Vendor Operations
Vendor Management | Program Delivery | Operational Excellence Location Charlotte, NC Experience Required 5+ Years Reports To Director of Operations Department Operations Classification Full-TimeAbout the RoleWe're looking for a Program Manager, Vendor Operations leader to lead the strategic and operational management of our third-party vendor ecosystem while driving cross-functional projects across our deposit, lending, and customer service organizations. This role sits at the intersection of vendor management, program execution, and product operations. You'll own the relationships and performance of our BPO and contracting partners while managing the rollout of new deposit and lending capabilities and customer service platform implementations.
This is a high-visibility role for someone who thrives in a fast-moving, regulated fintech environment and can move fluidly between vendor negotiations, project timelines, and stakeholder management across Product, Compliance, Risk, and Customer Experience teams.What You'll DoVendor & BPO Operations

• Own end-to-end vendor lifecycle management for BPO and contracting partners, including sourcing, onboarding, performance management, and offboarding.
• Manage day-to-day vendor operations, including SLAs, KPIs, staffing levels, quality scores, and escalation processes for outsourced customer service and back-office functions.
• Lead vendor performance reviews (QBRs/MBRs), identifying opportunities to improve service levels, reduce costs, and scale capacity in line with business growth.
• Partner with Legal and Procurement on contract negotiations, renewals, statements of work (SOWs), and pricing structures.
• Monitor vendor compliance with regulatory, security, and data privacy requirements, including SOC 2, PCI DSS, and GLBA, and maintain audit-ready documentation.
• Build and maintain vendor risk management processes, including third-party risk assessments in partnership with Compliance and Risk teams.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for vendor performance issues, service disruptions, or contractual disputes.

Program & Project Management

• Lead cross-functional programs supporting the launch and enhancement of deposit products (checking, savings, and CDs) and lending products (personal loans, credit cards and/or lines of credit, and related offerings).
• Manage customer service technology and process implementations, including CRM/contact center platform rollouts, IVR changes, and new support workflows.
• Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, RAID logs, and status reporting for stakeholders and leadership.
• Coordinate across Product, Engineering, Compliance, Risk, Marketing, and Vendor Operations to ensure successful, on-time, in-scope delivery.
• Identify risks and dependencies early and drive mitigation plans to keep programs on track.
• Facilitate working sessions, steering committee updates, and executive readouts.

Operational Excellence

• Build scalable processes and playbooks for vendor management and program delivery that support the company's growth.
• Define and track operational metrics, including cost per contact, average handle time (AHT), customer satisfaction (CSAT), first-contact resolution, and vendor SLA adherence, and report on performance trends.
• Partner with Finance on vendor budgeting, invoice accuracy, and cost forecasting.
• Contribute to the development of business continuity and contingency plans for critical vendor relationships.

What We're Looking ForRequired Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in program/project management, vendor management, or operations, ideally within fintech, banking, or another regulated financial services environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing BPO relationships and/or outsourced customer service operations.
• Experience managing cross-functional projects tied to product launches; deposit, lending, or payments products preferred.
• Strong understanding of vendor contract structures, SLAs, and performance management frameworks.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence without direct authority across Product, Compliance, Legal, and Risk teams.
• Strong analytical skills and experience using data to drive vendor and program decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to senior leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a neobank, digital bank, or fintech startup environment.
• Familiarity with banking regulations relevant to vendor risk management, including OCC guidance on third-party relationships, GLBA, and BSA/AML considerations.
• Experience with contact center technology, such as Zendesk, Five9, Genesys, or NICE, and CRM platforms.
• PMP, PgMP, Lean Six Sigma, or similar certification.
• Experience with project management tools such as Asana, Jira, Monday.com, or Smartsheet.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong vendor leadership skills, including BPO governance, lifecycle management, performance reviews, escalation management, and relationship management.
• Demonstrated program delivery capabilities, including cross-functional planning, RAID management, dependency resolution, and executive status reporting.
• Working knowledge of third-party risk management, audit readiness, privacy and security controls, and regulatory expectations within financial services.
• Commercial acumen with experience reviewing contracts and SOWs, managing SLAs and pricing structures, and supporting budgeting, forecasting, and cost optimization.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to define KPIs, identify performance trends, measure service quality, and make data-informed decisions.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills, including the ability to influence cross-functional teams and present to senior leadership.

What Success Looks Like

• Vendor SLAs and quality metrics are consistently met or exceeded.
• Deposit and lending product initiatives launch on time, within scope, and with clear cross-functional alignment.
• Customer service implementations roll out smoothly with minimal disruption to support operations.
• Vendor costs are optimized without compromising service quality or compliance posture.
• Strong, well-documented relationships exist with all key vendor partners, with clear escalation and contingency plans in place.

Work EnvironmentThis is a Charlotte-based position. Occasional travel or availability outside standard hours may be required for vendor reviews, implementations, service disruptions, or other critical operational events. Equal Opportunity Employer
DingoBlu Financial Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Note: DingoBlu is a financial technology platform, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services and eligible deposit accounts are provided by our FDIC-insured bank partners. FDIC insurance is provided by such banks up to applicable limits and subject to FDIC requirements.

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