Vendor Account Manager

Title: Vendor Account Manager
Location: Elmhurst, IL
Hire Type: Full-Time
Compensation: $90,000 - $110,000
Benefits: Health, Dental, Vision, 401K, PTO

Must have Skill Set:

• Must have proven experience in a manufacturing environment. Candidates must have direct experience supporting manufacturing operations, production, purchasing, procurement, materials management, or supply chain.
• Must have vendor management and supplier relationship experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Must have experience with inventory management, purchasing, and production material planning.
• Must have experience managing purchase orders, vendor lead times, supplier quotes, reorder points, and safety stock.
• Need to have experience preventing and resolving material shortages that impact production schedules.
• Must have experience communicating with vendors and internal manufacturing teams to ensure materials are available to meet production deadlines.
• Proven experience with ERP systems, MRP reports, purchasing dashboards, or inventory planning systems.
• Proven ability to manage supplier performance, vendor quality issues, delivery commitments, and corrective actions.
• Must have strong communication, organization, problem-solving, and follow-through skills.
• Need to have the ability to prioritize urgent material needs, take ownership of issues, and proactively communicate risks to production and leadership.

Overview:

Job Duties: 

• Manage vendor relationships and communicate regularly regarding pricing, quality, delivery, and performance.
• Evaluate supplier performance and identify opportunities for cost savings and improved reliability.
• Partner with engineering to approve new vendors and parts.

• Ensure materials are available to meet manufacturing and production schedules.
• Manage inventory levels, purchase orders, reorder points, safety stock, and supplier lead times within the ERP/MRP system.
• Proactively identify and resolve material shortages, delayed orders, and supplier delivery issues.
• Coordinate with production, engineering, inventory, and order management to minimize production disruptions.
• Obtain and analyze vendor quotes, resolve purchasing discrepancies, and optimize purchasing costs.

• Coordinate supplier projects, track deadlines, and communicate updates to internal teams.
• Escalate supplier delays and material risks to leadership.
• Identify and recommend improvements to purchasing and supply chain processes.

• Partner with Quality to resolve supplier quality issues and coordinate returns, replacements, and credits.
• Ensure purchased parts are inspected and available for production in a timely manner.

Qualifications: 

• Proven experience working in a manufacturing environment.
• Direct experience in manufacturing purchasing, procurement, vendor management, materials management, inventory control, or supply chain operations.
• Experience managing suppliers, purchase orders, delivery schedules, and material availability.
• Experience supporting production schedules and resolving material shortages in a manufacturing or industrial setting.
• Working knowledge of inventory planning concepts, including reorder points, safety stock, supplier lead times, and demand planning.
• Experience using an ERP or MRP system to manage purchasing, inventory, and production materials.
• Experience reviewing supplier quotes, analyzing pricing, and supporting cost-effective purchasing decisions.
• Experience monitoring supplier performance, including quality, reliability, and on-time delivery.
• Experience coordinating with engineering, production, inventory, quality, or other cross-functional manufacturing teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including professional vendor communication and internal issue escalation.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Demonstrated ownership, urgency, problem-solving ability, and proactive follow-through.
• Ability to identify supply chain risks, develop corrective action plans, and keep stakeholders informed.
• Experience with project tracking or project management tools is a plus.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.