Job Title: Supplier Relationship Manager
Location:
Fully Remote
Duration: 6 months (Extension possible)
Note: Remote - Any Time Zone (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Local Hours)
Key Responsibilities
- Acts as a Project Manager to manage and develop strategic relationships with external suppliers, contract manufacturers, and partners.
- Oversee end-to-end supply processes, ensuring demand is met with cost-effective and high-quality supply.
- Negotiate supplier agreements and contracts to optimize terms, costs, and service levels.
- Support supply chain planning and forecasting to align with business objectives.
- Lead issue resolution with suppliers, including root cause analysis and corrective actions.
- Drive efficiency and cost savings through process optimization and innovative supply solutions.
Core Supply Chain & Operations Skills
- Supply chain management expertise - strong knowledge of end-to-end supply chain operations, including planning, sourcing, logistics, and distribution.
- Supplier relationship management - ability to build, maintain, and negotiate with external suppliers, ensuring performance, compliance, and cost efficiency.
- Inventory & capacity planning - skills in managing supply levels to meet demand without overstocking or shortages.
- Contract and vendor management - experience overseeing supplier contracts, monitoring KPIs, and driving continuous improvement.
- Risk management - ability to identify supply risks, develop contingency plans, and ensure business continuity.
Leadership & Collaboration
- Cross-functional leadership - proven ability to collaborate with procurement, quality, manufacturing, logistics, and finance teams.
- Strategic thinking - ability to align external supply management with overall business strategy.
- Stakeholder management - excellent communication and relationship-building skills across internal and external stakeholders.
- Team management - experience leading and mentoring direct or indirect teams, including remote or cross-border suppliers.
Soft Skills
- Strong negotiation & influencing skills - to secure favorable supplier terms and drive performance.
- Problem-solving & decision-making - ability to act quickly under pressure and resolve supply disruptions.
- Adaptability & resilience - capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced, global environment.
- Excellent communication - both verbal and written, with an ability to present supply chain data to senior leadership.
Top 3 Must Have Skill Sets
- Supply chain management expertise - strong knowledge of end-to-end supply chain operations, including planning, sourcing, logistics, and distribution.
- Supplier relationship management - ability to build, maintain, and negotiate with external suppliers, ensuring performance, compliance, and cost efficiency.
- Inventory & capacity planning - skills in managing supply levels to meet demand without overstocking or shortages.
- Project management experience however, the manager is looking for resumes from candidates with a supplier management background. Not project managers.
Possible Extension
Yes
Red Flags
- No supplier management experience.
- Mostly PM experience.
- Multiple jobs in a short period of time.
Interview Process
2 rounds of interviews.
- 1st round with me via Teams.
- 2nd round panel with several members of my team.
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