Supplier Partnerships Manager - US

Location: USA - Remote or Hybrid (Chicago, 3-5 days per week in office)

About the Role

Opply is modernising how scaling food and consumer goods brands buy ingredients, solving a £1 trillion market inefficiency that's been overlooked for decades. Right now, SMB brands waste 70% of stock and pay 40% above market rate because they lack access to enterprise-level supplier networks and smart automation. We've built an AI-powered platform that changes this entirely: automated ordering, predictive forecasting, supplier matching, and embedded credit that lets brands sell before they pay.

We're a scaling, VC-backed startup (Index Ventures, Anthemis, and Chalfen Ventures) with unicorn angels from GoCardless, Flow.io, and Trouva. We've won StartUp of the Year and Supply Chain Specialists of the Year, and we're scaling fast across the UK and internationally. This is category-defining work in a massive, underserved market.

This is a commercial, relationship-led role at the intersection of partnerships, sales, and sourcing—with a clear mandate to unlock new supply, win better commercial terms, and grow order volume through the platform. You'll be the person out in the market: finding and winning the suppliers whose ingredients our customers want, building relationships that secure preferential pricing and better service, and spotting real opportunities. You'll own relationships on both sides—suppliers and buyers—and turn them into repeatable, margin-generating orders on the platform.

Responsibilities

• Win New Supply & Grow Categories
  • Identify, pursue, and onboard new suppliers whose ingredients can be sold through Opply, expanding category coverage and revenue.
  • Build a pipeline of supplier opportunities and qualify ruthlessly, focusing energy on relationships and deals most likely to convert.
  • Negotiate core commercial terms, including pricing and minimum order quantities, to support profitable orders.
• Build Relationships & Manage Vendors
  • Attend industry events, trade shows, and supplier meetings to build a strong personal network and stay close to supply and opportunity.
  • Build and own key supplier relationships that deliver more than price: better rates, service levels, reliability, and responsiveness.
  • Connect with brands to understand their supplier network needs and use these relationships to support or finalize sales.
• Drive Orders & Margin
  • Work both sides of the platform, pairing supplier products with buyer demand to drive quote-to-order conversion.
  • Actively present and sell competitive supplier options to buyers, structuring deals that generate margin while staying competitive.
  • Turn one-off sourcing activity into repeatable order volume. End-to-end deal closing is a strong plus.
• Support the Operations Team at Keeping Supply Order-Ready
  • Collect and maintain essential technical and compliance information from suppliers, including product specifications and certifications.
  • Support buyer requirements such as Organic certification and GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) standards, ensuring suppliers are order-ready.
  • Track supplier pricing, availability, and certification coverage to inform category-expansion decisions.

Requirements

• 3 years in a commercial role—sales, business development, partnerships, account management, or commercial operations. A track record of building relationships and chasing opportunities matters more than a procurement background.
• Exposure to the food & beverage industry is helpful but not essential. If you learn fast and independently, we'll back you to pick up the industry quickly.
• Strong commercial instincts: a feel for pricing, margins, and negotiation, and a nose for which opportunities are worth pursuing.
• Comfortable carrying targets and managing multiple supplier and buyer conversations at once in a fast-moving environment.
• A clear, confident communicator who builds trust with external partners quickly.
• Bonus: experience negotiating terms with suppliers or vendors, or any exposure to ingredient/commodity sourcing.

Pay

$80,000 base (OTE estimate if targets are hit: $100,000)