Title:  Strategic Vendor & Agency Relationship Manager

Job Classification

146136 - Busi Radebe 

Job Post End Date: 05 June 2026

Job Family

Career Stream

Leadership Pipeline

Job Purpose

To own and manage the end-to-end relationships with all strategic marketing vendors and agencies, ensuring high performance, cost efficiency and sustainable partnerships in line with Nedbank’s marketing strategy and efficiency objectives. The role focuses on driving value realisation from external partners by implementing strong commercial governance, performance management and relationship-building practices across the marketing vendor and agency ecosystem.

Job Responsibilities

• Contribute to a culture conducive to the achievement of Nedbank’s transformation goals and values by participating in culture-building and diversity & inclusion initiatives.
• Participate in and support corporate responsibility initiatives to further the Nedbank business strategy and brand values (e.g., Green Strategy, BEE etc).
• Seek opportunities to improve vendor management processes and systems by identifying and recommending more efficient ways of working and adding value toNedbank’s marketing operations.
• Ensure all vendor management activities are well-planned and delivered on schedule by maintaining and reviewing structured activity plans, monitoring progress, and taking corrective actions as needed.
• Ensure efficient utilisation of external resources to deliver high-quality marketing outputs within budget by optimising vendor allocation, balancing quality with cost, and working within agreed financial limits.
• Identify and resolve vendor-related challenges and bottlenecks effectively by engaging and collaborating with internal stakeholders (Marketing, Procurement, Finance) and external partners, facilitating quick issue resolution and continuous improvement.
• Identify opportunities to leverage vendor capabilities for new marketing initiatives by engaging with business unit stakeholders and aligning vendor solutions to evolving business needs.
• Build strong professional relationships with internal stakeholders (e.g., Marketing teams, Finance, Procurement) through regular communication and reporting, to align on vendor strategies, share performance insights, and address needs or concerns promptly.
• Develop collaborative and trusting partnerships with marketing agencies and strategic vendors (including MarTech, data, and media partners) by maintaining open communication, regular feedback sessions, and mutual value commitments.
• Drive high vendor performance by establishing clear service level agreements (SLAs) and performance metrics for each key vendor, and conducting regular performance reviews to ensure timely delivery, quality outputs, and minimal rework.
• Ensure strict commercial and contract governance by managing all vendor contracts, MSAs, and scopes of work; enforce compliance with agreed terms, procurement policies, and regulatory requirements, proactively addressing scope changes or non-compliance to mitigate risk.
• Achieve cost and output efficiency targets by actively monitoring marketing spend on vendors, improving the working vs non-working spend ratio (towards strategic targets) and negotiating cost-saving initiatives (e.g., rate optimisations, scope efficiencies) to realise measurable savings.

Job Responsibilities Continues

• Monitor, reconcile, and report on vendor spend and output value by leveraging cost benchmarking insights and spend reconciliation processes, capturing cost avoidances and savings, and ensuring vendor expenses align with expected ROI.
• Regularly assess and enhance vendor relationship health through structured surveys (e.g., client-agency satisfaction or “RADAR” assessments) and implement improvement plans to ensure all key vendor relationships achieve targeted health scores.
• Support the achievement of marketing strategy, objectives, and values by ensuring vendor-delivered services, processes, and solutions align with Marketing Operations plans and efficiency program goals.
• Identify personal development opportunities (e.g., relevant training courses) to enhance expertise in vendor and agency management, keeping skills and industry knowledge up-to-date.
• Ensure all personal development activities are completed within agreed timeframes and performance standards, fostering continuous growth as a vendor management professional.
• Share knowledge and industry trends in vendor management, procurement, and marketing operations with team members and stakeholders through formal and informal interactions, promoting best practices and continuous improvement.

People Specification

Essential Qualifications - NQF Level

Preferred Qualification

• Relevant tertiary qualification (Advanced Diploma or National First Degree in Business, Marketing, Supply Chain Management or related field)

Preferred Certifications

• Certification in procurement, supplier management, or project management (beneficial)

Minimum Experience Level

• 3 years’ experience in vendor/supplier or agency management, procurement or marketing operations with a proven track record of managing vendor relationships and driving cost/value improvements in a corporate or financial services environment.

Technical / Professional Knowledge

•    Vendor/supplier management practices and procurement processes
•    Contract negotiation and management (MSAs, SLAs, scopes of work)
•    Third-party performance measurement and service level management
•    Data analysis and spend/performance reporting
•    Governance, risk management, and control frameworks
•    Principles of financial management and budgeting
•    Relevant regulatory and compliance knowledge (e.g., procurement policies, B-BBEE)
•    Vendor management systems and relevant technology tools
•    Industry trends in marketing, agency, and vendor management

Behavioural Competencies

•    Customer Focus (Stakeholder Focus)
•    Building Partnerships
•    Negotiation and Influence
•    Communication and Presentation Skills
•    Planning and Organising
•    Driving for Results
•    Quality Focus
•    Adaptability and Continuous Improvement