Director, Vendor Management

Xplore Inc. is Canada’s fibre, 5G and satellite broadband company for rural living. Xplore is committed to the relentless pursuit of an improved broadband experience for all Canadians. Xplore is building a world‑class fibre optic and 5G wireless network to enable innovative broadband services for better every day rural living, for today and future generations.

Key Responsibilities Include:

Vendor Strategy & Governance

• Define and execute a national vendor management strategy aligned to Field Operations objectives (CX, cost, scalability)
• Establish standardized governance frameworks, including performance scorecards, KPIs, and operating cadences
• Lead dealer segmentation strategy (e.g., focus on high‑impact vendors vs. long tail optimization)
• Drive contract strategy, negotiation levers, and vendor optimization initiatives
• Find new Vendors when needed
• Oversee performance across all dealers and external technicians, including:
  • Productivity (jobs per tech, utilization)
  • Quality (repeat visits, first‑time success)
  • Customer experience (NPS, SLA adherence)
• Implement structured performance reviews and corrective action processes
• Partner with Regional Market Leads and Field Service Operations to ensure consistent execution

Cost Management & Optimization

• Own vendor‑related cost performance, including rate cards, discretionary spend, and cost per truck roll
• Perform financial audits on vendors
• Lead initiatives to improve cost efficiency through strategic sourcing and contract negotiations, incentive and pricing model design, data‑driven vendor performance insights
• Partner with Strategy & Ops to align vendor capacity with demand forecasts

Training, Enablement & Capability Alignment (Matrix Ownership)

• Accountable for vendor and technician capability outcomes, including training effectiveness, certification, and performance readiness
• Partner with the VP, Operational Excellence & Enablement to define enterprise‑wide training strategy and standards and ensure content is scalable, current, and aligned to product roadmap
• Ensure vendor onboarding, certification, and continuous learning programs drive quality and consistency in field execution

Safety, Compliance & Quality Assurance (Matrix Ownership)

• Accountable for vendor adherence to safety and compliance standards in‑field
• Partner with the Operational Excellence & Enablement and HR team to define and enforce safety policies, regulatory requirements, and compliance frameworks and ensure audit programs, incident management, and remediation processes are effective
• Utilize field audits and performance insights to drive continuous improvement
• Accountable for enabling and optimizing sales performance across the vendor (dealer) network, positioning technicians and dealers as a key revenue‑generating channel
• Partner with Sales and Marketing to execute the field‑led sales strategy, including upsell, cross‑sell, and conversion improvement initiatives
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Care, Operational Excellence and Enablement, and Customer Experience teams to align on Sales programs and campaigns, incentive structures and compensation models and tools and capabilities to support in‑field selling
• Drive adoption of vendor sales scorecards and performance visibility, including close rates, attach rates, and customer activation
• Ensure vendors are equipped with training, playbooks, and coaching to deliver consistent sales performance during customer interactions
• Leverage vendor interactions to improve customer retention, referrals, and lifetime value, positioning technicians as brand ambassadors in the home
• Identify and scale best practices across top‑performing dealers to improve national sales productivity and consistency

Organizational Leadership & Matrix Model

• Lead the Vendor Management function, including vendor strategy, governance, performance, and cost management
• Operate in a shared accountability model for key enablement functions:
• Learning & Development Manager & Coordinators → dotted‑line to VP, Operational Excellence & Enablement
• Safety & Compliance Manager & Coordinators → dotted‑line to VP, Operational Excellence & Enablement
• Ensure strong alignment between Field Operations execution needs and centralized enablement capabilities
• Foster a culture of accountability, performance transparency, and continuous improvement

This structure ensures centralized functional excellence (training, safety, compliance) while maintaining strong operational alignment to field execution and vendor performance outcomes

The ideal candidate will possess:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in vendor management, supplier management, or partner operations, ideally within telecommunications, field services, or a distributed service model
• Proven experience managing large‑scale vendor or dealer networks, including performance, governance, and contract lifecycle management
• Strong background in commercial negotiations, including incentive structures, pricing models, and multi‑vendor environments
• Experience working in complex, matrixed organizations with cross‑functional stakeholders (e.g., Operations, Finance, Sales, and Marketing)
• Strategic thinker with strong execution discipline
• Data‑driven decision maker with advanced analytical skills

Condition of Employment:

As a condition of employment and in order to comply with industry related data security standards, this position is subject to the successful completion of a Criminal Background Check. Details will be supplied to applicants as they move through the selection process.

Xplore is committed to creating an accessible environment and will accommodate disabilities during the selection process. Please let your recruiter know during the selection process of any accommodation needs.