Head of Vendor Strategy & Commercial Management

We're on a mission to redefine vehicle safety and reliability on a global scale. Founded in 2016, we have pioneered the world's first fully automated suite of vehicle inspection systems. At the heart of this innovation lies our advanced AI-centric technology, representing the pinnacle of computer vision, Machine Learning, and generative AI within the automotive sector. With over $380M in funding and strategic partnerships with industry giants such as Toyota, Amazon, General Motors, Volvo, and Hertz, our technology is utilized in manufacturing plants, dealerships, wholesale auctions, delivery fleets, security checkpoints, and more. Our growing global team of over 250 employees is committed to creating a workplace that celebrates diversity, encourages teamwork, and strives for excellence. We are seeking an experienced Head of Vendor Strategy & Commercial Operations who will own vendor sourcing, negotiation, contracting, onboarding, and ongoing performance, while designing a robust, repeatable operational process between each vendor and the internal teams they support. This role plays a key role in shaping and advancing the companys vendor strategy to drive significant year-over-year cost reductions across the vendor base, without compromising quality, service levels, or compliance.
A day in the life and how youll make an impact:
* Lead commercial negotiations with new and existing vendors, including renewals, ensuring competitive pricing, strong SLAs, and long-term value.
* Own the end-to-end contract lifecycle in partnership with Legal, from requirements definition and redlining through execution and signature.
* Partner with internal teams (Operations, R&D, Security, IT, Finance, Support, etc.) to understand business needs and translate them into clear vendor requirements, scopes, and operating models.
* Design, implement, and continuously improve the operational workflows that govern how internal teams engage with vendors.
* Own vendor onboarding and internal rollout, ensuring clarity around roles, responsibilities, escalation paths, and performance expectations.
* Lead vendor governance, risk, and compliance efforts, ensuring vendors meet security, privacy, legal, and operational standards and that risks are proactively identified and mitigated.
* Manage ongoing vendor performance through regular reviews and quarterly business reviews (QBRs), driving accountability and continuous improvement.
* Analyze vendor spend, identify consolidation and re-sourcing opportunities, and deliver significant year-over-year cost savings.
* Serve as the primary internal escalation point for vendor-related issues, coordinating cross-functionally to drive timely resolution.
* Maintain centralized vendor documentation (contracts, scorecards, risk assessments, process maps, and renewal calendars), ensuring accuracy and accessibility.
* Support the deployment, administration, and adoption of third-party risk management and contract lifecycle management tools used to manage vendor data and workflows.
* Partner with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning related to vendor spend.
* Champion vendor management best practices to improve efficiency, predictability, and compliance across the organization.