Vendor Operations Lead

Company Description

VERSANT is a leading force in news, sports and entertainment - home to iconic and trusted brands that inspire, inform, and delight audiences. Our unique combination of content, technology and services enriches the cultural fabric, igniting passions, sparking conversations, and connecting people to what they love most.

As an independent, publicly traded company, VERSANT brings together powerhouse cable networks - including USA Network, CNBC, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Golf Channel - with dynamic digital and direct-to-consumer brands such as Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. Together, these businesses reflect our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences across every screen and service.

VERSANT is an industry-changing media company fueled by innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit. With a strong foundation and a forward-looking vision, VERSANT empowers creativity, embraces change, and drives connection in an ever-evolving world.

Job Description

The Vendor Operations Lead is responsible for overseeing, executing and enforcing governance frameworks for enterprise software licensing and purchase order (PO) management. This role ensures compliance with client policies, financial controls, and audit requirements while driving operational efficiency, cost optimization, and automation-enabled process improvements. The Vendor Operations Lead serves as the primary escalation point for licensing and procurement matters and partners closely with client stakeholders, vendors, and internal teams. 

Key Responsibilities 

License Governance & Oversight 

• Oversee license allocation to users and departments based on approved business needs and usage requirements. 
• Oversee the procurement and provisioning of new licenses upon receipt of authorized requests. 
• Ensure ongoing monitoring of license utilization to identify unused or underutilized licenses. 
• Review and approve recommendations for license reclamation, reallocation, or retirement, subject to client approval. 
• Champion automation- and agentic-enabled strategies to streamline licensing workflows and reduce manual effort. 
• Ensure maintenance of accurate, complete, and auditable license inventories, assignments, and utilization records. 

Procurement & Purchase Order Governance 

• Oversee governance controls for the end-to-end purchase order lifecycle in alignment with client procurement policies. 
• Ensure POs are created, reviewed, and processed accurately, validating pricing, quantities, payment terms, and contract references. 
• Govern adherence to approval workflows. 
• Oversee coordination with client stakeholders to confirm purchasing requirements, delivery timelines, and fulfillment expectations. 
• Act as the escalation authority for vendor communications related to PO acknowledgments, changes, disputes, and confirmations. 
• Ensure proactive tracking and governance of open POs, including follow-up on delays, shortages, or discrepancies. 
• Maintain oversight of complete and compliant PO documentation and amendment records. 

Issue Resolution, Compliance & Reporting 

• Oversee the investigation and resolution of purchase order and licensing-related issues, including invoice mismatches, billing discrepancies, and system or processing errors. 
• Coordinate cross-functionally with finance, procurement, IT, and third-party vendors to ensure timely and effective issue resolution. 
• Identify root causes, assess risk and compliance impacts, and implement corrective and preventive governance controls. 
• Ensure adherence to internal controls, audit standards, and regulatory or contractual requirements related to licensing and procurement activities. 
• Ensure the availability, accuracy, and completeness of documentation required for audits, financial reviews, and compliance attestations. 
• Oversee the delivery of standard and ad hoc governance and operational reporting, including purchase order status and aging, license allocation and utilization, spend and vendor activity analysis, and cost optimization, risk, and compliance metrics including year-end reporting and renewals.  
• Provide actionable insights and recommendations to leadership and client stakeholders to strengthen governance, improve efficiency, and optimize costs. 

Continuous Improvement 

• Define and monitor KPIs, SLAs, and governance metrics. 
• Identify opportunities to strengthen controls, improve processes, and scale automation and agentic capabilities. 
• Partner with internal stakeholders to evolve governance frameworks in alignment with business and technology changes. 

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