- The Vendor Manager will be responsible for developing and owning the strategy for a category, and working with a high performing vendor management team.

- Within this role the individual will have the opportunity to establish and maintain strong vendor partnerships, manage category profitability, optimize pricing, and identify means to improve the customer experience.

- This is a seasoned business leader with a broad skill set which demonstrates analytical capability, excellent business judgment, strong vendor management and negotiations skills, deep curiosity to uncover how things work.

Roles and Responsibilities:

- Vendor Managers are responsible for managing inputs (selection, in-stock), category or brand financials, pricing and promotion management, auditing and analysis of data at granular levels, vendor escalations and concise communications

- Dive Deep into inputs and understands the downstream impact of changes to pricing, selection, and convenience for multiple subcategories

- Owns the P & L for multiple brands/subcategories; develops plans that drive revenue and margin improvement

- Creates strategic and prioritized vendor business plan that maximizes margins and customer experience

- Vendor Managers are responsible for growing selection, improving terms and cost structures, building long-term relationships with vendors for the sub categories/brands assigned

- Focuses on strategic holdout or challenging vendors to increase selection

- Drives strategic negotiations to deliver top and bottom-line category growth for sub-categories/brands

- Creates opportunities for growth, customer acquisition for multiple sub-categories

- Vendor Managers are expected to demonstrate customer and category knowledge, be an advocate for a quality customer experience, and understand the competition and industry

- Vendor Managers are responsible for long term growth opportunities and risk identification, planning, communication and partnering with internal teams

- Vendor Managers are expected to demonstrate a deep understanding of tools and become advocates for tool enhancements

As such, we expect a Vendor Manager to do the following on a regular basis:

- Regular engagements with brands including in-person meetings on a monthly basis

- Weekly and monthly review to inspect movements/trends on customer input metrics (selection, customer demand (GV) coverage

- Annual and season negotiations with brands

- Highlighting escalating issues with brands, competitors to internal leaders and brand leadership

- Ensuring vendor experience issues are addressed promptly - these could be around access to information/data, payments, MIS reports, promotion plans, etc

- Planning for events and promotions including getting support from brands.