Director, Vendor Management
Date Posted: Mar 19, 2026
Requisition ID: 474781
Location:
Indianapolis, IN, US, 46204
Work for Indiana
Begin a fulfilling career with the State of Indiana by joining one of the largest employers in the state, offering a range of opportunities across 60+ agencies. At the state, you'll find competitive compensation, a robust benefits package and a commitment to work-life balance. Most importantly, you'll have the chance to make a real and measurable impact on the lives of Hoosiers across Indiana.
About the Indiana Economic Development Corporation :
Bring your biggest and boldest ideas to life as an employee of the IEDC. We are a fast-paced and forward-thinking team charged with pursuing economic development opportunities for current and future Hoosiers in our state and around the world. Our culture embodies the spirit of being bold and working collaboratively to create the economy of the future.?
The IEDC is organized as a public private partnership led by the Secretary of Commerce and governed by a board chaired by the Governor of Indiana.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has been recognized as one of the 2023, 2024, and 2025 Top Workplaces by Indianapolis Star.?
Role Overview:
The Director of Vendor Management (DVM) builds and leads the enterprise-wide vendor management program and serves as the policy owner and accountability authority for third-party vendor governance across the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). This role partners across all Business Units to optimize vendor outcomes, uphold public-sector procurement standards and manage contracts and SLAs that support mission-critical initiatives. The DVM provides enterprise-wide visibility into vendor performance, risk, and contract outcomes, ensuring vendor relationships support agency objectives.
Salary Statement:
The salary for this position is $80,011 and is commensurate with education and work experience.
A Day in the Life:
Vendor Governance & Policy Leadership:
Design, establish, implement, and maintain the vendor management policy, standards, and governance framework.
Ensure vendor onboarding, monitoring, renewal, and offboarding follow standardized governance processes.
Design and maintain clear accountability roles between business owners, procurement, finance, legal, and other stakeholders.
Serve as escalation authority for vendor performance issues, policy exceptions, and governance issues.
Vendor Program Management
Partner with Procurement and Contracts Manager and Business Units on sourcing strategies, processes, evaluation criteria, and award recommendations.
Ensure consistent application of vendor oversight practices across departments.
Collaborate with Business Units to align contracting strategy with vendor governance objectives.
Define and monitor vendor management KPIs and performance indicators.
Present program insights and recommendations to executive leadership.
Risk, Compliance & Transparency:
Establish vendor risk management practices, including onboarding due diligence and ongoing monitoring.
Ensure compliance with IEDC procurement practices, ethics rules, Open Door Law, and audit standards.
Coordinate with finance, legal, and IT stakeholders to ensure vendor governance supports internal control requirements.
Financial Management & Value Realization:
Own vendor budget planning, forecasting, and spend analytics; measure savings, cost avoidance, and value delivered (cost, quality, innovation, speed-to-service, regional impact).
Implement contract lifecycle management (CLM) and vendor management system (VMS) capabilities.
Stakeholder Engagement:
Partner with Business Units to ensure vendor strategies align with operational goals.
Provide training and guidance to staff on vendor management policy and best practices
Lead cross-department collaboration to improve vendor outcomes and agency consistency.
What You'll Need for Success:
Education:
Bachelor's degree in Business, Public Administration, Finance, or related field
Experience:
5-8 years' in vendor management or procurement or supply chain.
Public-sector or quasi-public experience strongly preferred.
Relevant certifications in procurement, vendor management, project management or governance disciplines are a plus but not required.
Knowledge of:
Public-sector procurement processes, competitive bidding, and contract law basics.
Contract negotiation and management (SLAs, KPIs, remedies).
Third-party risk management, cybersecurity/data privacy considerations, and audit readiness.
Vendor management, contract lifecycle, or analytics platforms that support reporting, oversight and decision making.
Ability to:
Communicate complex vendor, contract, and risk information clearly to executives, stakeholders, and suppliers.
Build and maintain strong cross-functional relationships across finance, legal, IT, Business Units, and external vendors.
Analyze data, interpret performance metrics, and translate insights into actionable recommendations.
Apply sound ethical judgment, maintain confidentiality, and ensure integrity in all procurement and vendor interactions.
Manage change and guide stakeholders through new processes, systems, and governance structures.
Resolve conflicts and facilitate productive discussions with vendors and internal partners.
Think strategically and align vendor strategies with organizational goals, economic development priorities, and public-sector expectations.
Design and implement processes that improve efficiency, transparency, and compliance.
Manage multiple projects and priorities, meeting deadlines in a fast-paced, mission-focused environment.
Benefits of Employment with the State of Indiana:
The State of Indiana offers a comprehensive benefit package for full-time employees which includes:
Three (3) medical plan options (including RX coverage) as well as vision and dental plans
Wellness Rewards Program: Complete wellness activities to earn gift card rewards
Health savings account, which includes bi-weekly state contribution
Deferred compensation 457(b) account (similar to 401(k) plan) with employer match
Two (2) fully-funded pension plan options
A robust, comprehensive program of leave policies covering a variety of employee needs, including but not limited to:
160 hours of paid New Parent Leave and up to eight weeks of paid Childbirth Recovery Leave for eligible mothers
Up to 16 hours of paid community service leave
Combined 192 hours of paid vacation, personal, and sick leave time off
12 paid holidays, 14 on election years
Education Reimbursement Program
Group life insurance
Referral Bonus program
Employee assistance program that allows for covered behavioral health visits
Qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
Free Parking for most positions
Free LinkedIn Learning access
Equal Employment Opportunity:
The State of Indiana is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to recruiting, selecting, developing, and promoting employees based on individual ability and job performance. Reasonable accommodations may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to complete the application and interview process as well as perform the essential functions of a role. If you require reasonable accommodations to complete this application, you can request assistance by contacting the Indiana State Personnel Department at jobs@spd.IN.gov.
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