Vendor Operations Analyst

Job Summary

This job ensures vendors meet expectations for both quality of services and cost as well as ensure both vendors and the organization comply with regulatory and contractual requirements. Primary tasks include investigating and resolving issues hindering the vendor's ability to perform; assisting in budget preparation, purchase order management and cost control applicable to vendors; and consulting with senior management applicable to vendor issues impacting regulatory and contractual requirements.

Essential Responsibilities

Investigate and resolve issues hindering vendor's ability to deliver expected services to the organization or our clients and members. Issues are most often raised by internal partners such as Customer Service, Provider Relations, HMHS, Compliance, Sales or others as well as the vendors. Must quickly identify what should be happening, what is actually happening, and then working with appropriate parties to address the issue. Most issues are applicable to failed file feeds or broken system processes thus requiring submission of a system ticket that clearly describes the problem and desired outcome as well as providing more information as needed to help drive quick resolution.

Schedule and lead periodic operational issues meetings with appropriate organization and vendor staff. Frequency and duration of meetings will vary by vendor based on needs. Agenda items should be defined in advanced of each meeting. Action items assigned from prior meetings should be tracked and followed-up to ensure resolution.

Assist in budget preparation, PO management and cost control applicable to vendors. Quantify expected annual spend for each vendor based on contractual terms and applicable cost drivers. Verify vendor invoice are accurate and consistent with contractual terms. Monitor actual year-to-date costs compared to budget and PO amounts in order to explain budget variances as well as adjust PO amounts if needed to ensure payments are made within contracted time frames.

Keep senior management abreast of issues that endanger the organization's compliance with applicable regulations or legal contracts as well as cause poor experience for a large number of members. Communications should include a clear and concise explanation of the problem, probable impact if action not taken and recommendation for how to resolve the issue. Due to complexity of most issues, collaboration with staff from other departments and / or divisions of the organization as well as the vendor will be required in order to comprehend the full extent of a the issue as well as develop feasible recommendations.

Other duties as assigned.

Education

Required : Bachelor's Degree. Substitutions : 6 years with increasing responsibility in Finance, business analyst, or systems management. Preferred : Bachelor's Degree in Computer and Information Science or Business Administration / Management.

Experience

Required : 3 - 5 years as a Business Analyst. Preferred : 1 - 3 years in Audit and Compliance + 1 - 3 years in Vendor Management.

Licenses and Certifications

Required : None. Preferred : None.

Skills

Contract Management, Vendor Relations, Problem Solving & Decision Making, Troubleshooting, Written & Oral Presentation Skills, Healthcare Industry.

Physical, Mental Demands and Working Conditions

Position Type : Office-based Teaches / trains others regularly Occasionally Travel regularly from the office to various work sites or from site-to-site Rarely Works primarily out-of-the office selling products / services (sales employees) Never Physical work site required Yes Lifting : up to 10 pounds Constantly Lifting : 10 to 25 pounds Occasionally Lifting : 25 to 50 pounds Rarely

Disclaimer : The job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this job title. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job.

Compliance Requirement : This job adheres to the ethical and legal standards and behavioral expectations as set forth in the code of business conduct and company policies. As a component of job responsibilities, employees may have access to covered information, cardholder data, or other confidential customer information that must be protected at all times. In connection with this, all employees must comply with both the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) as described in the Notice of Privacy Practices and Privacy Policies and Procedures as well as all data security guidelines established within the company's Handbook of Privacy Policies and Practices and Information Security Policy. Furthermore, it is every employee's responsibility to comply with the company's Code of Business Conduct. This includes but is not limited to adherence to applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations as well as company policies and training requirements.

Pay Range Minimum : $50,200.00 Pay Range Maximum : $91,200.00 Base pay is determined by a variety of factors including a candidate's qualifications, experience, and expected contributions, as well as internal peer equity, market, and business considerations. The displayed salary range does not reflect any geographic differential Highmark may apply for certain locations based upon comparative markets.

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