Strategic Partnerships Specialist

About Vanguard

More than 45 years ago, John C. Bogle had a vision to start an investment company that did things differently. A company with no external shareholders. Where all the profits were invested back into the business and used to lower costs. Evidently, it was as bold as it was brilliant. To this day, Vanguard Group still has no external shareholders. That means no share prices to protect, and no profits to generate for outside owners.

Today, Vanguard is one of the world's largest investment management companies, serving more than 50 million investors worldwide. For more than 25 years Vanguard Australia has been supporting individual investors, financial advisers, and superannuation members to achieve their long-term financial goals.

Team & Opportunity

The Specialist, Strategic Partnerships will support the Strategic Partnership Manager and Specialists in effectively managing relationships with Vanguard Superannuation and Direct Investment administration providers. You will play a supporting role in the rollout of new services, features, enhancements, and products related to Vanguard's Personal Investor operating model. Additionally, you will facilitate the execution of vendor management plans, ensuring the highest levels of service delivery for our members, clients and advisers.

Key Responsibilities

• Supports the relationship manager in the execution of client service needs for all internal clients.
• Acts as the point of contact for the relationship by working with administrators, insurance providers and all other appropriate parties.
• Maintains key partnership written assets including vendor management plans, policies, calendar of stakeholder engagement, and assurance materials.
• Coordinate and schedule internal and external stakeholder meetings. Prepare materials to support these meetings.
• Partners with Vanguard business units to ensure that relationship feedback clearly depicts the success of the relationships. Works with the Strategic Partnership Manager to deliver feedback.
• Acts as liaison to Vanguard business units (clients) to analyse and support their requirements to drive business needs, and manage these requirements with the vendor. Provides high quality service to the business units and insurance service partners through in-person, telephone, and written correspondence.
• Ensures Vanguard business units Service Level Agreements (SLA) and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) depict the appropriate measurements. Partners with business units and partners to proactively maintain the SLA's and KPI's and prepare reporting on vendor performance. Anticipates client needs and works directly with clients on operational issues, service adoptions, and enhancements.
• Partners with Manager to recommend strategic plan and workflow changes to streamline operational efficiencies, resulting in the highest quality of service.
• Drives relationship support for all personal investor initiatives. Proactively engages the team and business partners to be "best in class" leaders of the initiatives.
• Participates and leads special projects and other duties as assigned

Operational Culture & Collaboration

• Drive cross-team collaboration within the Service & Operational Excellence team by delivering focused, scalable, and efficient services for our clients. Be accountable for service delivery, ensuring genuine care is shown in the moments that matter, both individually and as part of the broader team.
• Promote shared ways of working and open communication within the team.
• Collaborate with peers and leaders to support team cohesion and resilience.
• Support Manager, Strategic Partnerships when required, including representing the team in meetings or forums.

Key Skills & Attributes

• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship management skills.
• Excellent time management, attention to detail, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated initiative and high motivation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment.

Experience & Qualifications

• Minimum of three years related work experience.
• Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Progressively responsible work experience, including successfully managing a client service workload preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Products essential.
• Demonstrated knowledge of financial and banking industry.
• Knowledge of Vanguard funds and organizational structure highly regarded.
• Knowledge of superannuation, group insurance and managed investments highly regarded
• Knowledge of IT services and Information Security highly regarded

Inclusion Statement

Vanguard's continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: "Do the right thing."

We believe that a critical aspect of doing the right thing requires building diverse, inclusive, and highly effective teams of individuals who are as unique as the clients they serve. We empower our crew to contribute their distinct strengths to achieving Vanguard's core purpose through our values.

When all crew members feel valued and included, our ability to collaborate and innovate is amplified, and we are united in delivering on Vanguard's core purpose.

Our core purpose: To take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.