Vendor Performance & Quality Manager
About the Job
Cityside Fiber is seeking a motivated Vendor Performance & Quality Manager to join our Operations team. This individual-contributor role has no direct reports and is responsible for the end-to-end management of Operations vendors supporting Customer installations, drop construction, pre-construction, and related field activities. The role establishes and maintains the commercial, financial, quality, material-accountability, and performance controls necessary to ensure competitive pricing, accurate billing, sufficient capacity, responsible use of Company-owned materials, and consistent vendor quality. Success in this position requires strong analytical judgment, financial discipline, negotiation and influence without direct supervisory authority, cross-functional collaboration, strong organizational abilities, and adaptability in a fast-paced environment.
Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain an Operations vendor strategy aligned with forecasted demand, growth objectives, and required field capacity.
- Identify, evaluate, qualify, onboard, and maintain competitive vendor alternatives for installation, drop construction, pre-construction, and related field activities.
- Develop, maintain, and administer vendor rate cards and scopes of work; lead or support pricing negotiations, benchmark costs, and identify opportunities to improve unit economics.
- Establish and maintain vendor invoice-validation controls by comparing billed work to completed work, approved rates, supporting documentation, and authorized exceptions; identify and resolve duplicate, unsupported, inaccurate, or non-compliant charges.
- Own vendor quality performance governance and accountability, using independent Quality Assurance findings and operational performance data to hold vendors accountable for defects, rework, repeat truck rolls, restoration issues and Customer-impacting quality failures; establish and drive corrective actions through resolution.
- Partner closely with Procurement and Warehouse leadership to reconcile Company-owned materials issued to vendors against completed work and expected usage, identify unexplained variances, waste or loss, and ensure unused or recoverable materials are returned and accounted for.
- Establish and maintain vendor scorecards incorporating operational, financial, quality, material-utilization, capacity, SLA, and Customer-impact measures.
- Partner with Service Delivery, Field Services, and other operational leadership to define vendor performance measures, service expectations, capacity requirements, and corrective actions.
- Coordinate recurring vendor performance reviews and Quarterly Business Reviews in partnership with operational leadership, consolidating cost, quality, production, capacity, material-utilization, SLA, and Customer-impact results into a comprehensive assessment of vendor performance.
- Establish corrective-action plans for underperforming vendors, track commitments through resolution, and recommend workload expansion, reduction, suspension, renewal, or replacement based on objective performance.
- Partner with Quality Assurance and operational leadership to incorporate independent inspection findings into vendor performance management; track vendor-caused defects, rework, failed or repeat truck rolls, restoration issues, and associated financial impact.
- Maintain independence between vendor quality governance and technical Quality Assurance. Quality Assurance owns inspection standards, inspection execution, technical findings and independent quality reporting; this role owns vendor accountability, corrective action and the commercial and performance consequences resulting from those findings.
- Ensure vendor decisions consider total cost of performance, including labor, materials, rework, repeat truck rolls, quality, capacity, safety, SLA performance, and Customer impact rather than labor price alone.
- Communicate vendor risks, performance deficiencies, and recommendations clearly to internal leadership and maintain objective vendor-performance history to support business decisions.
- Continuously identify opportunities to improve vendor economics, controls, quality, capacity, and operational performance.
- Contribute to a culture of trust, integrity, and collaboration
- Understand and uphold Cityside Fiber’s core purpose and values and be passionate about what we do.
This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position. Management reserves the right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities as business needs evolve.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Construction Management, Telecommunications, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience considered.
- 5+ years of experience in vendor management, field operations, procurement, supply chain, construction operations, quality, telecommunications, or a related discipline.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills
- Ability to prioritize tasks and work under pressure
- Demonstrated experience managing vendor performance, pricing or commercial terms, invoice and financial controls, material accountability, scorecards, SLAs, QBRs, or corrective-action programs.
- Strong financial and analytical skills, negotiation ability, and demonstrated success influencing external business partners and internal stakeholders without direct supervisory authority. Telecommunications, broadband, utility construction, field services, or contractor-management experience preferred.
About Cityside Fiber
Cityside Fiber is on a mission to deliver high-quality, reliable internet to communities through innovation and a people-first approach. Headquartered in Irvine, CA, we are an emerging telecommunications provider expanding rapidly due to high demand. Our culture is built on innovation, accountability, and trust, and we seek independent thinkers who want to contribute to something big.
Location
Headquarters in Irvine, CA. Regular local travel to field locations and vendor sites may be required.
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive salary: $87,000+ annually (dependent on experience) (exempt)
- Company-sponsored medical & dental for employees (Subsidized for dependents)
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid Time Off (PTO), sick leave, and holidays
- Growth opportunities & career development programs
Why Cityside Fiber?
Cityside Fiber believes that we all deserve amazing internet! Our core purpose is to create networks that better enable life-changing connectivity in our communities by daring to be different and having our team members put people first all while having fun. We’re building a next-generation internet provider with a focus on innovation, accountability, and trust. At Cityside Fiber, you’ll work with a passionate team, have room for growth, and make a real impact.
How to Apply
For immediate consideration, submit your resume through our careers site. No phone inquiries, please.
Visit our website at www.citysidefiber.com
Cityside Fiber is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to diversity and inclusion.