Vendor Management Specialist

Role Overview

• Serve as the day-to-day owner of the company’s vendor management lifecycle — onboarding, classification, performance tracking, renewal, and offboarding
• Partner with internal stakeholders (marketing, IT, legal, finance, operations) to define vendor requirements and evaluation criteria
• Lead the quote collection process (RFQs/RFPs where applicable), ensuring timely and comparable submissions
• Partner with internal business owners to ensure vendors meet commercial, quality, social, and environmental expectations
• Own lower-dollar negotiations (renewals, scope adjustments, pricing discussions, remediation timelines)
• Support senior leaders in larger or more complex negotiations by preparing materials, tracking commitments, and documenting outcomes
• Maintain vendor standards, onboarding processes, and performance frameworks
• Drive clarity and follow-through on corrective action plans
• Support commercial and non-commercial vendor discussions related to standards, expectations, and performance
• Prepare leaders for negotiations by organizing trade-offs across cost, risk, performance, and values
• Ensure contractual terms align with operational realities
• Build strong, trust-based relationships with both internal stakeholders and external partners
• Identify and escalate vendor-related risks in partnership with cross-functional teams
• Coordinate response plans when performance gaps or compliance issues arise
• Facilitate structured decision-making when escalation or vendor transitions are needed
• Help ensure vendor practices align with B Corp standards and other certifications
• Support tracking of vendor commitments tied to social, environmental, and ethical standards
• Translate evolving standards into clear vendor requirements and internal workflows
• Prepare clear, executive-ready summaries on vendor performance, risk exposure, and improvement initiatives
• Identify opportunities to improve vendor management tools, workflows, and reporting
• Help mature the process as the company grows
• Leverage technology (including AI tools) to improve efficiency and visibility

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience in vendor management, operations, procurement, supply chain, or similar cross-functional environments
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex workstreams with multiple stakeholders
• Strong project management skills — you bring clarity, organization, and follow-through
• A natural relationship builder who can influence without direct authority
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and balancing competing priorities
• Strong written and verbal communicator
• Curious, systems-oriented, and motivated to continuously improve how things work
• Personally aligned with high standards of integrity and accountability
• Experience in food, agriculture, or complex supply chains is preferred
• Experience working in or with certified B Corporations is preferred
• Commercially minded with strong judgment and pragmatism is preferred
• Comfortable navigating tension between cost, speed, and standards is preferred
• Experience leveraging AI to improve processes, systems, etc. is preferred

Benefits

• Health: medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, an employer-funded HSA, and short & long-term disability benefits
• Financial: 401(k) with generous employer match
• Annual bonus based on company performance
• Time off: unlimited paid time off policy, 20 weeks parental leave, an executive team that encourages a good work/life balance
• Personal growth: Annual Learning & Development stipend, and access to a range of personal and professional coaching solutions through BetterUp
• Food: a free Custom Classic ButcherBox each month and weekly lunch reimbursement
• Others: reimbursement for wellness activities, an exceptional EAP, fertility benefits, life insurance and more