Collections Vendor Manager

The Team: 

Upstart is seeking a Collections Vendor Manager to support the day-to-day performance and operational execution of our collections vendors and closely partnered internal teams. This role serves as a primary point of contact for assigned partners, working closely with vendor leadership and internal stakeholders to ensure daily operations run smoothly and performance expectations are consistently met. The ideal candidate brings strong working knowledge of collections operations and vendor-managed environments, and is comfortable operating in the details — monitoring performance, guiding partners through issues as they arise, and supporting adherence to operational, quality, and borrower experience standards. This role plays a critical part in reinforcing accountability, supporting operational stability, and ensuring borrower interactions reflect Upstart’s standards of care, efficiency, and consistency.

How you’ll make an impact

• Drive Agency Partner Performance: Manage and monitor the day-to-day performance of external vendors responsible for collections services, ensuring they meet or exceed key performance metrics.
• Enable Business Outcomes: Collaborate with internal stakeholders to align vendor performance with Upstart’s strategic objectives, ensuring that vendor contributions drive measurable business outcomes.
• Enhance Borrower Experience: Ensure that agency partners deliver a personalized and effortless borrower experience, addressing borrower needs quickly and effectively while maintaining Upstart's commitment to quality.
• Monitor and Enforce KPIs: Track vendor performance using established KPIs, such as response times, collections success rates, customer satisfaction scores, and compliance with service level agreements (SLAs).
• Vendor Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with external agencies to foster open communication, partnership, and alignment with Upstart’s goals.
• Performance Improvement Initiatives: Collaborate with vendors to identify areas for improvement, provide actionable feedback, and work together to implement solutions that enhance efficiency and borrower outcomes.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with internal teams such as Operations, Legal, Risk Management, and Lending Partnerships to align vendor performance with Upstart’s broader objectives and operational needs.
• Data-Driven Analysis: Utilize data and reporting tools to track vendor performance, identify trends, and make informed decisions that drive continual improvements in service delivery. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Operations, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of experience in collections, servicing, or vendor management, including experience supporting first-party operations and/or partnering with third-party BPOs in financial services, consumer lending, auto finance, or servicing environments.
• Demonstrated experience managing vendor performance against defined KPIs, SLAs, and quality standards, with the ability to assess operational health and drive accountability.
• Hands-on experience supporting or conducting vendor onsite visits, operational audits, or compliance reviews.
• Strong analytical skills, with comfort interpreting dashboards and operational metrics (e.g., productivity, adherence, QA, roll rates, abandonment, customer outcomes) and translating insights into actionable recommendations.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment with competing priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly communicate expectations, performance feedback, and risks to vendors and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment with competing priorities.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally for vendor onsite visits as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience traveling internationally for onsite visits supporting vendor, BPO, or internal collections operations, including participation in operational reviews, audits, or readiness assessments.
• Experience supporting the launch, onboarding, or expansion of collections operations, including first-party teams and/or third-party BPO partnerships, with involvement in early-stage performance stabilization and governance setup.

Position location This role is available in the following locations: Remote.

Time zone requirements The team operates on the East/West coast time zones. 

Travel requirements As a digital first company, the majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. The majority of our employees can live and work anywhere in the U.S but are encouraged to to still spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites. The in-person sessions’ cadence varies depending on the team and role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2-4 consecutive days at a time.

In addition, this role requires periodic travel to third-party vendor and BPO partner locations to support onsite visits, operational assessments, audits, and relationship management. Travel cadence may vary based on business needs, vendor footprint, and operational priorities, and is subject to change over time. Candidates must be willing and able to travel as needed, including occasional trips of 3–4 consecutive days, which may occur up to a monthly basis during certain periods.

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