Program Manager, Consultant - Vendor Management

Job Description Your Role The Specialty Benefits team has overall responsibility regarding our dental, vision and life insurance business within Blue Shield. The Program Manager, Consultant - Vendor Management will report to the Director of Compliance & Vendor Management. In this role you will be responsible for end-to-end relationship management of vision vendors, serving as the primary point of contact and ensuring vendors meet contractual obligations, performance guarantees, service level agreements, and compliance requirements. This role partners cross-functionally to support audits, contract updates, reporting, security controls, and business continuity/disaster recovery activities. Our leadership model is about developing great leaders at all levels and creating opportunities for our people to grow – personally, professionally, and financially. We are looking for leaders that are energized by creative and critical thinking,buildingand sustaining high-performing teams, getting results the right way, and fostering continuous learning. Responsibilities Your Work In this role, you will: Provide overall program leadership, guidance, and manage all aspects of a given program, including requirements gathering, business case creation, and implementation Develop resourcing strategies to ensure optimum support for projects and for the day-to-day operational activities Review program budget variance and scope change requests, and participate in the budget-resolution process Lead cross-functional meetings and foster teamwork; drive escalation and resolution of issues, while promoting collaboration and coordination across broad categories of stakeholders Support and coach project managers within the program, while providing technical expertise in planning, execution, and leadership of program, projects, and initiatives Drive vendor adherence to performance guarantees, service level agreements (SLAs), contractual and regulatory obligations Lead vendor process improvements and related system enhancements in partnership with internal teams Manages vendor invoices and payments requests, and various reporting requests Lead vendor sales, operational, and leadership strategy meetings to identify performance, risks, and opportunities Execute and draft vision contracts and amendments on an annual basis Qualifications Your Knowledge and Experience Requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience Requires at least 7 years of prior relevant experience Requires external relationship management experience Requires experience creating and analyzing reports and processes Requires data and analytics experience Healthcare industry experience highly preferred Contracts and compliance background a plus About Us About Blue Shield of California As of January 2025, Blue Shield of California became a subsidiary of Ascendiun. Ascendiun is a nonprofit corporate entity that is the parent to a family of organizations including Blue Shield of California and its subsidiary, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan; Altais, a clinical services company; and Stellarus, a company designed to scale healthcare solutions. Together, these organizations are referred to as the Ascendiun Family of Companies. At Blue Shield of California, our mission is to create a healthcare system worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable. We are transforming health care in a way that genuinely serves our nonprofit mission by lowering costs, improving quality, and enhancing the member and physician experience. To achieve our mission, we foster an environment where all employees can thrive and contribute fully to address the needs of the various communities we serve. We are committed to creating and maintaining a supportive workplace that upholds our values and advances our goals. Blue Shield is a U.S. News Best Company to work for, a Deloitte U.S. Best Managed Company and a Top 100 Inspiring Workplace. We were recognized by Fair360 as a Top Regional Company, and one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States by Points of Light. Here at Blue Shield, we strive to make a positive change across our industry and communities – join us! Our Values: Honest. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical and integrity standards. We build trust by doing what we say we're going to do and by acknowledging and correcting where we fall short. Human. We strive to listen and communicate effectively, showing empathy by understanding others' perspectives. Courageous. We stand up for what we believe in and are committed to the hard work necess