Job Description

In a world of disruption and increasingly complex business challenges, our professionals bring truth into focus with the Kroll Lens. Our sharp analytical skills, paired with the latest technology, allow us to give our clients clarity—not just answers—in all areas of business. We embrace diverse backgrounds and global perspectives, and we cultivate diversity by respecting, including, and valuing one another. As part of One team, One Kroll, you’ll contribute to a supportive and collaborative work environment that empowers you to excel.

The Client Service Operations team works with all internal Kroll business units to research, curate and collect financial & business data from various internal and external sources. The team’s work involves researching & collection of financial & business data available in various publicly available sources and Kroll proprietary files and data, subsequent analysis thereof and eventually quality control of the same information.

At Kroll, your work will help deliver clarity to our clients’ most complex governance, risk, and transparency challenges. Apply now to join One team, One Kroll

The Position:

The Senior Manager – Data Vendor & Research Services plays a pivotal leadership role within Information Services. This individual is responsible for providing strategic oversight of Kroll’s global data vendor portfolio and leading the Research & Market Intelligence service offering, while managing an established team.

Dedicated contract negotiators and research delivery professionals are already in place. This role focuses on setting strategic direction, ensuring operational excellence, overseeing workflow and governance, and making informed vendor and service decisions that align with business objectives.

The successful candidate will act as the accountable leader for vendor strategy and research service performance, ensuring cost optimization, risk management, stakeholder alignment, and continuous improvement across the function.

Responsibilities:

• Vendor Strategy: Define and lead the global data vendor portfolio strategy, ensuring optimization, rationalization, and cost governance.

• Commercial Oversight: Provide strategic direction to contract negotiation teams and approve key commercial and licensing decisions.

• Vendor Governance: Oversee vendor performance, SLAs, compliance, and risk management frameworks.

• Research Leadership: Lead and evolve the Research & Market Intelligence service offering to align with global business priorities.

• Workflow Management: Ensure effective capacity planning, prioritization, and coordination across research and vendor teams.

• Performance Management: Establish and monitor KPIs, service metrics, spend visibility, and executive reporting.

• Operational Excellence: Drive continuous improvement, automation adoption, and workflow optimization initiatives.

• Transitions & Enhancements: Oversee onboarding of new vendors and implementation of expanded research capabilities.

• Team Leadership: Lead and develop managers across vendor management and research delivery functions.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as senior advisor to business leaders on vendor strategy, research capabilities, and portfolio transparency.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Economics, Information Management, or a related field.

• 15+ years of experience in research services, information services, vendor management, procurement strategy, or operational leadership.

• Demonstrated experience overseeing data vendor portfolios and influencing commercial strategy.

• Proven leadership experience managing managers and multi-layered teams.

• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, cost oversight, and spend analysis.

• Experience operating in global, cross-functional environments.

• Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills.

• Excellent analytical, strategic thinking, and decision-making capabilities.

Preferred:

• Experience within financial advisory, risk advisory, due diligence, or intelligence-driven organizations.

• Background working with financial data platforms, risk intelligence databases, or research subscription providers.

• Experience in shared services or centralized operating models.

• Exposure to automation tools, workflow optimization, or AI-enabled research technologies.

• Lean, Six Sigma, or other process improvement certifications.

In order to be considered for a position, you must formally apply via careers.kroll.com

Kroll is committed to equal opportunity and diversity, and recruits people based on merit.

#LI-JS1