Starbucks · 1 week ago
vendor relations lead, Center of Excellence
Seattle, WA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
$113K/yr - $170K/yr
7+ years expStarbucks is a company dedicated to creating connections with customers and communities. The Vendor Relations Lead will manage and enhance Starbucks' managed service provider relationships, focusing on performance excellence and strategic vendor partnerships.
CoffeeFood and BeverageRestaurantsTea
Responsibilities
Design and maintain enterprise governance for MSPs (operating cadence, QBR templates, scorecards, escalation paths, risk/compliance checkpoints)
Define and continuously improve SLA/KPI standards and performance measurement methodologies
Stand up and facilitate the Vendor Management Council and cross‑functional governance routines
Own executive‑level relationships with MSP leadership; create joint account plans and action registers
Lead performance reviews, corrective action plans, and executive readouts; ensure measurable improvements and transparency
Benchmark performance across vendors and lines of service; foster best‑practice sharing
Partner with Strategic Sourcing/Legal on contract strategy, renewals, rate cards, and commercial negotiations; provide market insights and scenario analysis
Monitor commercial health (spend, variance, savings, credits); ensure adherence to commercial terms and value‑realization goals
Maintain the MSP portfolio strategy (vendor segmentation, consolidation/expansion recommendations, capability mapping)
Lead RFP/RFI processes in partnership with Procurement; drive competitive selection and healthy vendor economics
Conduct risk assessment and diversification planning across vendors and regions
Build executive materials (portfolio health, risk, roadmap, investment asks); brief senior leaders regularly
Champion a vendor‑management Center of Excellence; enable business units with playbooks, training, and toolkits
Coach peers and partners on effective vendor behaviors and outcomes
Qualification
Required
7+ years in vendor management, strategic sourcing, or management consulting, with direct ownership of large MSP relationships
Proven experience establishing and operating vendor governance frameworks
Strong executive presence and stakeholder influence; skilled in performance storytelling using data
Commercial acumen and experience supporting negotiations and contract strategies
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
Preferred
Experience in BPO/shared services/GBS environments
RFP leadership and competitive selection expertise
MBA or relevant advanced degree; certifications (e.g., CPSM, CPM, PMP) a plus
Benefits
Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance
Short-term and long-term disability
Paid parental leave
Family expansion reimbursement
Paid vacation from date of hire
Sick time (accrued at 1 hour for every 25 hours worked)
Eight paid holidays
Two personal days per year
Participation in a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
Discounted company stock program (S.I.P.)
Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock)
Incentivized emergency savings
Financial well-being tools
100% upfront tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program via the Starbucks College Achievement Plan
Student loan management resources
Access to other educational opportunities
Backup care
DACA reimbursement
Company
Starbucks
Starbucks is a restaurant chain that serves handcrafted ready-to-drink beverages, including coffee, tea, juices, and snack food items.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Starbucks has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (208)
2024 (127)
2023 (130)
2022 (172)
2021 (146)
2020 (149)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$2.65BKey Investors
Elliott Management Corp.Pershing Square Capital Management
2025-05-06Post Ipo Debt· $1.75B
2024-07-19Post Ipo Equity
2018-10-10Post Ipo Equity· $900M
Leadership Team
Brian R. Niccol
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Cathy R. Smith
CFO
Recent News
Helsinki Times
2026-01-16
2026-01-16
Company data provided by crunchbase