Vendor Operations Specialist

About Mainstay

Mainstay is the leading market intelligence platform purpose built for buying, managing, and selling homes in the single family rental industry. As an AI native company, we turn complex data into clarity that helps the industry move forward with confidence. Founded within Opendoor, Mainstay launched as an independent company in 2024 and recently raised a Series A round led by Khosla Ventures.

Ready to shape the future of real estate with AI? Join Mainstay and help us redefine what’s possible in the single family rental space. If you thrive on solving complex problems and want to make a tangible impact in a fast-growing industry, we’d love to hear from you - apply now and let’s move the industry forward, together!

Role Purpose

Support Mainstay's Renovation as a Service (RaaS) operations as the primary day-to-day owner of vendor and agent communications. The Vendor Operations Specialist keeps work orders moving from assignment through completion across Slack, Helpscout, Airtable and SiteCapture. They handle routine vendor and agent questions directly, manage the RaaS inbox within SLAs, and administer scope edits, partial approvals and change orders as needed. The role is also the first point of contact for vendor escalations and on-site blockers such as access, utilities and security. By keeping Airtable accurate and following up on stalled or incomplete work orders, the Vendor Operations Specialist makes sure nothing falls through the cracks. Vendor reassignment or performance intervention goes to the Head of Partnerships & Field Operations, leaving that role free for higher-leverage work.

Core Responsibilities

Vendor Communication — Monitor internal and external communication channels and serve as the routing layer between Mainstay stakeholders and vendors. Own all routine vendor and agent questions, including bid timelines, on-site requests, status updates, estimated completion date (ECD) confirmations, scope clarifications and invoice requests.

Escalation Management — Serve as the first point of contact for vendor escalations, including blockers such as access issues, utilities and security, and as the first escalation path on routine internal issues. Alert the Head of Partnerships & Field Operations when vendor reassignment or intervention is needed.

Helpscout Inbox Management — Own the RaaS inbox: confirm vendor receipt and acceptance of new assignments, send timely check-ins on scope status, and monitor for incoming vendor questions or issues (access problems, signed documentation needs, property condition concerns, etc.), all within established SLAs. Move information between Slack and Helpscout to keep both sides aligned.

Scopes of Work, Work Orders and Change Orders — Manage routine scope edit requests from internal stakeholders and customers, serve as the primary point of contact for non-routine vendor revisions, and process partial approvals and change order approvals and denials.

Data Hygiene — Maintain accuracy and completeness of required fields throughout the work order lifecycle, with proactive follow-up on any work order that has stalled or is missing critical data (e.g., scopes missing photos or timelines, approved jobs without an ECD, or jobs awaiting customer approval).

Process Adherence — Operate within established SOPs and escalate exceptions or blockers promptly to Mainstay stakeholders.

Skills & Competencies

Phone-Fluent — Confidence to handle inbound and outbound calls with vendors and inspectors.

Detail-Oriented and Organized — Able to track many concurrent work orders across multiple platforms without losing context or letting items slip through.

Strong Written Communication — Clear, concise and professional in Slack, email and Helpscout. Comfortable using, customizing and improving templated messages.

Technical Proficiency — Comfortable learning and operating across multiple software platforms (Airtable, Slack, Helpscout, SiteCapture, etc.). Quick to pick up new tools and SOPs.

Problem-Solving and Resourcefulness — Able to triage ambiguous vendor situations in real time, identify the right next step, and pull in the right Mainstay stakeholder when escalation is needed.

Adaptability — Thrives in a fast-paced, evolving operations environment where workflows, templates and SOPs are still being refined.

Service Orientation — Treats internal Mainstay stakeholders and external vendors as customers; responsive, professional and reliable.

Ideal Background

Experience:

Ability to multitask and prioritize across high-volume, high-velocity work without letting exceptions slip

Ability to balance company priorities and positions while still advocating for vendors when appropriate

Comfortable working all day in systems

Preferred:

3+ years managing contractors or vendors in residential renovation, property management, SFR or real estate operations

Can read a scope, a bid and before/after photos and tell whether they describe the same job at a fair price

Prior experience with Airtable, Slack, SiteCapture and Helpscout

Has worked with institutional SFR clients

Has built or run SOPs, playbooks or vendor scorecards

Uses AI tools and automations day to day, and can spec a rule for one

Mainstay Built on Trust

At Mainstay, trust is at the core of everything we do. We build trust with everyone -- from candidates to employees to partners. We believe in fairness and openness throughout our hiring process, evaluating candidates based on qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status. Our privacy practices describe how we handle applicant information, you can find the policy details for California residents here .

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, religious beliefs, or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you require assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at [email protected]