Supplier Relationship Specialist

About the role

CLA is a top 10 national professional services firm where our purpose is to create opportunities every day, for our clients, our people, and our communities through industry-focused wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax, consulting, and outsourcing services. Even with more than 8,500 people, 130 U.S. locations, and a global reach, we promise to know you and help you. CLA is dedicated to building a culture that invites different beliefs and perspectives to the table, so we can truly know and help our clients, communities, and each other.

CLA is growing and seeking to hire an experienced Supplier Relationship Specialist to join our talented Information Technology team. The position offers growth, flexibility and a collaborative work environment.

Responsibilities

• Support contract administration, supplier relationship activities, analysis, and process execution across assigned suppliers and agreements.
• Work within established procedures, partner with internal stakeholders and suppliers, maintain accurate records, prepare analysis, and escalate risks or decisions that require senior or manager involvement.
• Contribute ideas and support for improvements across the contract lifecycle and supplier management processes.
• Contract Administration and Analysis:
  • Support the review, preparation, routing, and administration of supplier agreements in collaboration with internal review teams and other stakeholders.
  • Perform contract analysis using established guidance to identify key obligations, business terms, renewal dates, usage considerations, and potential risks for review by senior team members or management.
  • Maintain complete and accurate contract records, documentation, amendments, renewals, and related metadata.
  • Monitor assigned agreements, their timelines, coordinate follow-up, and escalate issues or decisions outside established authority.
  • Analyze spend, usage, renewals, and contract information to identify potential cost-saving or value-improvement opportunities.
  • Support implementation and tracking of approved cost optimization actions without compromising required quality or service.
• Vendor Relationship Support:
  • Negotiate terms and conditions with vendors to secure the best possible outcomes for the company.
  • Develop and maintain strong relationships with vendors and suppliers.
  • Evaluate and select vendors based on quality, cost, and reliability; assist with RFPs as needed.
  • Create RFP templates to support business and project teams.
  • Monitor vendor performance and ensure compliance with contractual terms.
  • Complete tasks for assigned suppliers, agreements/renewals, and areas of responsibility with guidance appropriate to the complexity and risk of the work.
  • Support the Lead and Senior Supplier Relationship Specialists with supplier-related projects, tasks, reporting, and stakeholder coordination.

Requirements

• 1 year of experience required
• Experience in contract management, analysis, and vendor management preferred
• 1 - 3 years of relevant experience in contract administration, procurement, supplier/vendor management, business operations, financial analysis, or related field preferred
• Bachelor's degree or a combination of relevant experience and training may be considered in lieu of a degree

Skills

• Demonstrated organizational and time-management skills, attention to detail, analytical judgment, and the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Effective written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work constructively with internal stakeholders and external suppliers
• Experience working within defined processes and escalating issues appropriately
• Comfortable in a technical environment with a large variety of technology tools and can easily adapt to rapidly changing technology including agentic solutions
• Familiarity with ERP systems
• Excel proficiency and familiarity with other reporting, licensing and analytics tools ideal