Senior Vendor Manager

Job description:

Founded in 1913 in Italy, the Prada Group was built on a tradition of excellence and with a vision of innovation. The Group, a world leader in the luxury sector, operates in more than 45 countries with the PRADA, Miu Miu, Church's and Car Shoe brands, and has employees of over 100 nationalities.

JOB PURPOSE

The Senior Vendor Manager plays a strategic, cross-functional role in orchestrating vendor onboarding, qualification, and performance management across a decentralized organizational model. Operating as the central coordinator, the Senior Vendor Manager partners closely with sourcing teams, compliance, ESG, and other stakeholders to align vendor-related processes with company policies, risk controls, and strategic goals. This role is particularly critical in the fashion industry, where speed-to-market, quality, sustainability, and supplier diversity are top priorities.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Vendor Lifecycle Governance

• Develops and manages standardized frameworks for vendor onboarding, due diligence, qualification, and performance evaluation across all business units.
• Supports business stakeholders in ensuring that vendors meet corporate requirements for compliance, sustainability, and ethical sourcing.

Cross-Functional Orchestration

• Serves as the central point of coordination across Procurement, Legal, ESG, Finance, and IT during vendor engagements.
• Guides and supports business units through vendor approval, contracting, and performance review processes.

Policy & Process Enablement

• Maintains vendor governance policies and procedures, and ensures documentation is up to date and accessible.
• Provides training, resources, and templates to enable business-led vendor management in line with corporate standards.
• Performance & Risk Monitoring
• Implements tools and reporting mechanisms to track supplier performance and risk across the vendor portfolio.
• Coordinates performance reviews, vendor scorecards, and issue resolution in collaboration with relevant business owners.

Tooling & Data Management

• Manages vendor master data governance and promotes adoption of vendor management platforms and tools.
• Ensures data quality and consistency across the enterprise's vendor records and documentation systems.

Sustainability & Compliance

• Works with ESG and compliance teams to integrate sustainability, human rights, and environmental standards into vendor assessment and oversight.
• Ensures that third-party vendors comply with the company's ethical sourcing and regulatory requirements.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Fashion Merchandising, or a related field.

Minimum of 7 years of experience in vendor management, supplier governance, or sourcing operations within the fashion, retail, or consumer goods industries.

Demonstrated ability to operate in a decentralized or matrixed organization with complex stakeholder landscapes.

Proficiency in vendor lifecycle management tools, ERP systems, and contract or compliance platforms.

Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills with a process-driven mindset.

Joining our Company means working in a creative and international environment, with teams of people motivated by curiosity and the quest for excellence. The engine of our success is the importance and value that we place on the talent and passion of our people leading to their own professional growth.

Prada Group promotes an inclusive work environment, ensuring equal opportunities for all candidates, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or other personal characteristics. We believe that diversity is a value and we are committed to build a fair and respectful workplace for all.