Senior Vendor Management Specialist

Team

Guided by our purpose, core values, and leadership principles, we are creating an airline people love. Our corporate teams set the strategies and operational plans to ensure the success of our company. Whether we use our expertise in accounting, human resources, finance, planning, legal, marketing, or any of our operational divisions, our shared passion for travel and our guests is what motivates us to achieve excellence each day.

If you share our passion for creating an airline people love, we want to hear from you.

Alaska Airlines

The Senior Specialist Vendor Performance Management (VPM) is a subject matter expert in leading strategic supplier relationships and performance management at Alaska Airlines (AS). As an individual contributor, this role exercises considerable judgment to independently perform spend and operational performance analysis, facilitate performance reviews, develop storytelling and deliver briefings to leadership, build and maintain strong relationships with vendors and lessors to meet corporate objectives and improve performance.

• Own day-to-day vendor performance for assigned PBH, Tier 1, and select Tier 2 suppliers, including monitoring performance against contractual commitments, identifying issues, and driving timely follow-up and resolution with appropriate guidance from VPM leadership.
• Serve as the primary working‑level point of contact for assigned vendors, maintaining regular communication, coordinating information flow, and ensuring issues are clearly documented, tracked, and escalated as needed.
• Identify performance trends, risks, and opportunities by analyzing vendor data, utilization reports, and operational inputs, and proactively raise findings and recommendations to leadership.
• Lead working‑level vendor interactions, including preparation for meetings, coordination of agendas, follow‑ups, and ownership of action‑item tracking to completion.
• Partner with internal stakeholders (Supply Chain Management, Maintenance & Engineering, Legal, FP&A, Operations, etc.) to coordinate resolution of vendor performance and commercial issues, ensuring alignment and timely execution.
• Facilitate leadership‑level vendor engagements and QBRs by owning preparation of performance materials, scorecard inputs, and summaries, and by providing subject‑matter input during discussions as appropriate.
• Investigate vendor performance issues (e.g., service level gaps, quality concerns, billing discrepancies) and support resolution by compiling data, validating facts, and proposing recommended paths forward.
• Validate, reconcile, and manage monthly utilization reports, invoices, credits, and claims related to PBH contracts and maintenance reserves, taking ownership of accuracy and timely escalation of discrepancies.
• Track and manage vendor credits, escalation calculations, KPIs, and SLAs, ensuring visibility, documentation, and alignment with contractual terms.
• Contribute to risk management and continuity planning by monitoring vendor performance, flagging emerging risks, and supporting mitigation actions.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of VPM tools, templates, and processes, applying lessons learned to improve efficiency, consistency, and vendor outcomes.

• 4 years of experience in vendor relationship management including quantitative analysis, continuous improvement, and project management experience; or related area.
• Bachelor’s degree or an additional two years of relevant training/experience in lieu of this degree.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation and communication (e.g., verbal, written, and listening) skills.
• Detail oriented and highly organized, with ability to multi‑task and work independently with limited guidance in a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong critical thinking, analytical, and problem‑solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum age of 18.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.

• Preferred experience in strategic sourcing, procurement and/or material management at a major…