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.

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.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Supply Chain, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

• 3-5 years of experience in software licensing, procurement, purchase order management, or governance-focused operations.

• Strong understanding of procurement controls, licensing models, and financial compliance requirements.

• Experience with ERP, procurement, and/or license management systems.

• Strong commitment to professionalism and confidentiality in handling company data.

Additional Requirements:

• Hybrid : This position has been designated as hybrid, generally contributing from the office a minimum of three days per week.

This position is eligible for company sponsored benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and a variety of other discounts and perks. Learn more about the benefits offered by NBCUniversal by visiting the Benefits page of the Careers website. Salary range: $80,000 - $100,000 (bonus eligible)

We are accepting applications for this position on an ongoing basis.

As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with a VERSANT Media employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. VERSANT Media's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to [email protected].

VERSANT Media is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. We include a good faith pay range for each position to comply with applicable state and local pay transparency laws and to promote equity across our organization. Actual compensation will be based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, experience, and location and may include additional forms of compensation and benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, etc.

VERSANT Media is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at VERSANT via-email, the Internet, or in any form and/or method without a valid written Statement of Work in place for this position from VERSANT's Talent Acquisition team will be deemed the sole property of VERSANT. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by VERSANT as a result of the referral or through other means.