Vendor Finance Controller

ServiceNow•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

The Media Vendor & Finance Operations Director will lead the global commercial partnership and financial governance for ServiceNow’s media investment, ensuring contract integrity, P&L accuracy, and maximizing partnership ROI. This role owns the commercial partnership with Media Agency of Record across their global hub structure (Americas, EMEA, APAC), ensuring contract compliance, financial accuracy, operational efficiency, and strategic value extraction from the agency relationship. You'll serve as the bridge between media strategy, finance, procurement, and agency leadership - ensuring our investment delivers maximum value while maintaining rigorous financial governance. This role reports directly to the VP of Marketing, Media and Sponsorships.

Requirements

10+ years in marketing operations, vendor management, finance operations, or agency account leadership roles
Deep experience managing large-scale agency relationships ($50M+ annual spend) with global holding companies (Dentsu, WPP, Omnicom, Publicis, IPG)
Proven track record managing multi-market agency structures with regional hubs and matrix reporting
Proven expertise in operational oversight and delivery validation within global agency networks.
Track record of managing commercial performance within multi-market matrixed agency relationships
Strong financial acumen: budget management, invoice reconciliation, contract negotiations, cost optimization
Experience with media agency fee structures: retainers, commissions, project fees, pass-through costs
Contract management expertise: MSAs, SOWs, SLAs, scope management, vendor performance terms
Cross-functional leadership: ability to work with Procurement, Finance, Legal, Marketing Operations without direct authority
Excellent relationship management skills: balance partnership building with commercial rigor and accountability
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities: diagnose operational issues and design scalable solutions
Executive presence: comfortable presenting to senior leadership and agency C-suite

Nice To Haves

Experience in B2B tech/SaaS marketing operations or finance
Background working within a major media agency (client service, account management, finance)
Familiarity with media platforms and how agency billing integrates with platform costs
Understanding of media planning, buying, and operations workflows
International business experience managing vendors across multiple currencies and regulatory environmen
Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Marketing, or related field; MBA
Key Success Metrics Financial accuracy: zero billing errors, timely monthly close, accurate budget forecasting
Cost efficiency: year-over-year cost optimization while maintaining or improving service quality
Contract compliance: agency delivers all contracted services at agreed-upon quality and timeline
Relationship health: strong agency partnership scores, priority treatment, proactive strategic contributions
Operational efficiency: streamlined processes, reduced cycle times for approvals/payments, minimal escalations
Stakeholder satisfaction: Finance, Procurement, and media strategy teams rate vendor ops support highly
Value extraction: measurable value-adds secured from agency beyond base contract (research, training, beta access)
Key Success Behaviors: Commercially savvy: Understand the business of agencies - how they make money, what drives their behavior, how to negotiate win-win outcomes
Financially rigorous: Relentless attention to budget accuracy, billing detail, and cost efficiency
Relationship builder: Balance accountability with partnership - hold agency to high standards while maintaining collaborative, respectful relationship
Process oriented: Design scalable systems that work across complex global structure
Strategic thinker: See beyond transactional vendor management to long-term partnership value
Influential communicator: Get things done across functions without direct authority

Responsibilities

Agency Relationship Management - Commercial & Operational Direct the global commercial relationship and performance of the Agency of Record (AOR), ensuring global adherence to Master Service Agreements (MSAs)
Serve as primary point of contact for contract performance, scope management, and operational escalations
Manage agency performance reviews: evaluate delivery quality, adherence to SLAs, value delivery against contracted terms
Facilitate quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with agency leadership to address performance, opportunities, and relationship health
Coordinate across Media Agency of Record’s hub structure to ensure consistency in service delivery while respecting regional nuances
Contract & Scope Management Manage master service agreement (MSA) and statements of work (SOWs) with Dentsu globally and by region
Ensure agency scope is clearly defined and adhered to - manage scope creep and change requests
Lead annual contract renewals and negotiations in partnership with Procurement
Track contracted deliverables (media plans, reports, QBRs, strategy sessions) and hold agency accountable to commitments
Evaluate and optimize the agency’s global resource model; ensuring the agency deploys the correct mix of technical and strategic talent across regional markets.
Document and enforce service level agreements (SLAs) for response times, deliverable timelines, and quality standards
Financial Operations & Budget Management Own financial relationship with Media Agency of Record : invoice processing, payment terms, fee structures, billing accuracy
Collaborate with media/campaign teams to manage annual media budget tracking and reconciliation
Reconcile agency fees (retainers, project fees, media commissions) against contracted rates and actual work delivered
Steward the monthly financial close process in conjunction with Media team leads to validate spend, resolve billing discrepancies, ensure accurate accruals in a timely manner
Manage the process with Media team leads to track budget vs. actual by campaign, market, and quarter - provide visibility to media leadership and Finance
Manage agency cost structure: negotiate billing rates, volume discounts, value-adds, and partnership incentives
Coordinate with Finance team on POs, invoice approvals, payment processing, and financial reporting
Vendor Performance & Value Optimization Establish and track KPIs for agency performance: delivery quality, responsiveness, strategic value, cost efficiency
Identify opportunities to optimize agency costs while maintaining quality (process improvements, scope adjustments, efficiency gains)
Negotiate value-adds from Media Agency of Record : proprietary research, beta platform access, training, strategic consulting
Lead savings tracking and value add tracking in partnership with media team and agency.
Benchmark Media Agency of Record’s pricing and performance against industry standards and alternative vendors
Lead make-vs-buy decisions: determine when to expand/reduce agency scope based on cost-benefit analysis
Cross-Functional Stakeholder Management Partner with Procurement on vendor management: contract compliance, risk management, vendor evaluations
Collaborate with Finance on budget planning, forecasting, accruals, and financial reporting
Coordinate with Legal on contract terms, data privacy agreements, IP ownership, and liability
Work with media strategy teams to translate strategic needs into agency SOW and resource requirements
Support Marketing Operations on agency integration with internal tools, processes, and workflows
Operational Excellence & Governance Establish and maintain vendor management processes: onboarding, performance tracking, issue escalation, offboarding
Create transparency in agency costs: what we're paying for, what value we're receiving, where efficiencies exist
Maintain organized documentation: contracts, SOWs, invoices, performance reviews, meeting notes
Lead process improvement initiatives to reduce friction between internal team, agency, and Finance
Ensure compliance with company vendor management policies, financial controls, and audit requirements
Strategic Partnership Development Elevate the Media Agency of Record relationship from transactional vendor to strategic partner
Identify opportunities for deeper collaboration: joint planning, innovation pilots, market insights, capability building
Facilitate knowledge sharing between Media Agency of Record’s global network and ServiceNow's regional teams
Advocate for ServiceNow within Media Agency of Record’s organization to ensure priority treatment and best talent allocation
Participate in Media Agency of Record’s strategic planning sessions and agency-wide initiatives relevant to ServiceNow