A very well known Localization company is looking for
a Localization Vendor Management Manager
Duties & Responsibilities:
Vendor Strategy & Resource Management
- Develop and execute our global vendor management strategy.
- Build and maintain a high-quality global network of translators, reviewers, interpreters, DTP specialists, engineers, AI post-editors, and multimedia vendors.
- Ensure sufficient vendor capacity across all languages and service lines.
- Forecast vendor requirements based on business growth and project pipeline.
- Establish vendor segmentation and preferred vendor programs.
Vendor Recruitment & Qualification
- Lead sourcing, recruitment, testing, qualification, and onboarding of freelance vendors.
- Define qualification standards and assessment processes.
- Expand vendor coverage for new languages, industries, and specialized services.
- Ensure all vendors comply with our quality and operational standards.
Performance & Quality Management
- Monitor vendor KPIs including quality, on-time delivery, responsiveness, utilization, and client satisfaction.
- Conduct periodic vendor performance reviews.
- Manage vendor scorecards and development plans.
- Handle vendor escalations and corrective actions.
- Recommend suspension or removal of underperforming vendors.
Commercial & Financial Management
- Negotiate vendor rates and commercial agreements.
- Optimize purchasing costs while maintaining service quality.
- Ensure compliance with approved buying rate policies.
- Support budgeting and cost optimization initiatives.
- Monitor vendor profitability and cost trends.
Vendor Operations & Governance
- Manage vendor contracts, NDAs, documentation, and compliance.
- Maintain accurate vendor database and resource availability.
- Ensure compliance with ISO standards and internal procedures.
- Establish vendor governance policies and SOPs.
- Support internal and external audits related to vendor management.
Stakeholder Collaboration
- Partner with Project Management, Sales, Production, and Quality teams to ensure resource availability.
- Support tender and large project resource planning.
- Provide management reports and vendor analytics.
- Collaborate with HR and Learning & Development on vendor training initiatives.
Continuous Improvement
- Identify automation opportunities within vendor management processes.
- Enhance vendor onboarding and communication workflows.
- Benchmark industry practices and recommend process improvements.
- Drive AI-enabled vendor management and resource planning initiatives.
Required Skills & Qualifications:
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Languages, Translation, or a related field.
Experience
- 7–10 years of experience in Vendor Management within the Localization/Language Services industry.
- Minimum 3 years in a leadership role.
- Proven experience managing large international freelance vendor networks.
Required Technical Competencies
- Vendor Lifecycle Management
- Localization Industry Knowledge
- CAT Tools & Localization Technologies
- Capacity Planning
- Cost & Budget Management
- Vendor Performance Analytics
- Contract Management
- Resource Forecasting
- Microsoft Excel / Power BI
- ERP/VMS platforms
