Vendor Relationship Manager

Core Responsibilities

1. Understand the Vendor's Business: Develop deep knowledge of each vendor's model, products, competitors, and strategic

priorities. Identify key decision-makers, where they have excess capacity or growth ambitions, and maintain a documented

account strategy for every major vendor.

2. Serve as the Vendor's Business Analyst: Analyze performance by SKU, category, and geography, benchmarked against

competitors. Translate data into clear recommendations - shared with the vendor directly, not just filed internally.

3. Develop a Vendor Growth Strategy: Build a structured growth plan per strategic vendor - pricing, rebates, incentive

programs, payment terms, freight support, inventory commitments, marketplace authorization, geographic expansion,

exclusivity, promotional participation, returns support, and new distribution opportunities - prioritized by value and feasibility.

4. Own Commercial Negotiations: Lead negotiations using facts and history. Develop SKU-wise counterproposals instead of

cold rejection or blanket acceptance. Know when to hold firm, compromise, or escalate.

5. Build Strong Vendor Relationships: Develop trusted relationships with owners, senior leaders, and operational stakeholders.

Run structured business reviews, communicate difficult messages clearly, and maintain the relationship even through

disagreement.

6. Drive Business Development Within Accounts: Treat every account as a continuing BD opportunity - expand assortment,

channels, and territories; identify new brands or divisions and seek introductions to additional decision-makers within the

vendor's org.

7. Coordinate Internal Execution: Work with pricing, procurement, supply chain, catalog, and finance to ensure agreed terms

are implemented. Resolve internal bottlenecks and escalate commercial or relationship risks promptly.

8. Manage Vendor Performance & Risk: Track revenue, profitability, inventory, and service levels. Flag early signs of decline,

reduce dependency risk from vendor concentration, and ensure compliance with marketplace, legal, and documentation

requirements.

9. Use Data, CRM & AI Effectively: Maintain accurate pipelines and account notes in CRM. Use Excel/dashboards for analysis

and AI tools for research, prep, and automating routine reporting.

Key Performance Indicators

* Revenue growth and contribution margin improvement from assigned vendors

* Growth from existing vendor accounts; improved cost pricing, commercial terms, and rebates/incentives secured

* Assortment expansion; new channels, marketplaces, or geographies activated

* Recovery of declining or inactive vendor relationships; vendor retention and responsiveness

* Reduction in excess or aged inventory; improved payment terms

* Number and value of commercial opportunities identified; % of negotiations resulting in improved outcomes

working at a client of randstad india

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