Vendor Manager

About the role

The Vendor Manager is responsible for developing and maintaining the vendor strategy that aligns with company objectives. The role is key to leading the company forward in securing relationships with quality suppliers of materials and components covering contractual, price, delivery, and quality targets, and to obtain/maintain competitive advantages with pricing, terms and conditions.

Responsibilities

• Main point of contact for core market partners accounting for :80% of business revenue
• Negotiate partnerships to continue to drive for more market share at higher margins
• Execute core vendor program and all due outs within a program like Quarterly Business Reviews
• Communicate and educate sales on where they should be focusing to maximize revenue and profitability through newsletters, all-hands meetings, etc
• Schedule and identify vendor training to keep sales up to date on products
• Maintain key Vendor Directory information in pertinent company systems (i.e. Salesforce), and relay competitive advantage information to internal sales teams within systems
• Collaborate with core vendor partners on pipeline, forecast, target accounts and markets
• Routinely run Salesforce pipeline reports for vendors within the various markets
• Conduct Quarterly Business Reviews with all core vendor partners in designated markets
• Bi-annually support core vendor program review and provide input on market and partner status
• Support the internal Sales Team and other NOBLE team members on vendor selections for specific programs, projects, and upcoming IDIQs
• Analyze margin trends with core vendor partners as part of the core vendor program to track and maximize profitability when possible
• Liaise with the legal team to complete regular review and revision of NDAs, distributor agreements, and supplier qualification forms for core vendor or strategic partners
• Collaborate with the marketing team and core vendor partners for branding and marketing opportunities on catalog submissions, advertising, and trade show exhibitions
• Negotiate marketing cooperative funds alongside marketing with core vendor partners
• Schedule and oversee NOBLE training for the various market segments and products
• Coordinate and strategize with sales on the core vendor or strategic partners to schedule demonstrations including virtual (i.e. Crowdcast)
• Lead negotiations with core vendor partners as it relates to discounts, sales territory, customer access, payment terms, rebates, and overall profitability
• Liaise with Purchasing, Operations, Sales, Training, and Service to provide feedback and data to core vendor partners whenever possible. Support discussions as needed if a core vendor partner is not meeting desired metrics
• Manage various market vendors and data including sales averages, profitability, training/service access, pipeline/forecasts, etc
• Identify ways to increase core vendor score and ultimately sales for NOBLE and designated partners
• Perform market analyses using a designated template for the target market

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with vendors, suppliers, and business partners
• Strong negotiation, conflict resolution, and issue escalation management skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels of an organization
• Ability to influence outcomes and drive accountability without direct authority
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for process improvement
• Experience developing and monitoring vendor performance metrics, service level agreements (SLAs), and key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; experience with CRM, ERP, or vendor management systems preferred
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholder expectations simultaneously