Senior Vendor Relationship Manager

Headquartered in North York, ON, with employees in Canada, the US, China and India, NewAge is an industry-leading manufacturer and distributor of premium home improvement solutions.

Our products are sold through major online retailers such as Lowes, The Home Depot, Costco, Amazon, and Wayfair as well as our own e-commerce site. But what makes us unique is that we provide a truly cohesive customer experience, from free expert assistance designing and planning new spaces to delivery and professional installation.

Our collaborative, inclusive team atmosphere nurtures personal growth, career advancement and job satisfaction, as evidenced by our certification as a Great Place to Work in Canada.

With tremendous pride, we continue to receive a growing number of industry accolades including over 75 unique product patents, awards for our team of expert designers, prominent ranking on the Profit 500 list of Canada’s fastest growing companies, and the naming of our founders to the Top 40 under 40 in Canada by BNN Bloomberg.

We are also proud to be the official jersey emblem partner of the New Orleans Pelicans and have forged strategic partnerships with USA Hockey and Habitat for Humanity. These partnerships reflect our passion for teamwork, excellence, and community involvement.

As our journey to becoming the preferred choice for premium home improvement solutions continues, we’re adding ambitious, driven, passionate members to our team who are inspired to be their best and ready to make a difference.

The Senior Vendor Relationship Manager oversees the creation, negotiation, execution, and analysis of vendor agreements with contract manufacturers. Develops and executes strategic plans that diversify and optimize the company’s supplier base through strategic contract manufacturing plans. Working directly with management and executives within the Product Development, Global Sourcing, Supply Chain, Quality Control, Finance and Legal departments to determine business relationship requirements, procurement risks and to ensure that vendors comply with the terms of the contract

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Generate and implement efficient contract manufacturing strategies for offshore manufacturing partners
• Leads the management of contracts and relationships with international and domestic Suppliers
• Develop and maintain relationships with external vendor partners through tact, negotiation and diplomacy that is required to ensure NewAge's overall objectives and commitment to growth are reached.
• Draft, execute and Manage vendor relationship contracts through all stages of the agreement lifecycle
• Conduct and manage the negotiations for the global sourcing team by responsibly leveraging volume potential to lower product costs and ensure alignment with company strategies
• Works with and seeks appropriate advice from Legal on contract amendments, determining contract risks, potential resolutions/disputes, and claims.
• Work collaboratively with all Business Unit Category Management teams to identify the objective before entering each supplier negotiation.
• Research and anticipate shifts in the negotiating power of suppliers, such as currency and raw materials changes
• Understands contractual terms and conditions, and their commercial implications to the business in order to effectively manage vendor agreement(s) and relationship(s)
• Reads, analyzes, provides advice and applies the contract in daily transactions and in resolving disputes.
• Evaluates vendor performance and ensures the prompt and thorough resolution or escalation of performance issues.
• Engages business partners to ensure active participation, ensuring roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, including Legal, Global Sourcing, Product Development, Quality Control, and Finance
• Provide support and advice on new potential businesses opportunities
• Manage communication with multiple vendors in multiple time zones with an understanding that communication may be necessary after regular business hours.
• Perform cost breakdown and scenario analysis, and benchmarking to ensure target prices and margin are achieved.
• Assist with RFQ process, Supplier Evaluations, Supplier Self-Assessments, SMETA Audits
• Collaborate with Product Development team and Engineering team to support research and development process of new products and additional suppliers
• Lead a team of vendor coordinators to execute on strategic objectives and continuously improve on contract execution

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Supply Chain Management Professional certification or similar is considered an asset.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field such as Engineering, Supply Chain would be an asset.
• 10+ years of work experience as a global sourcing manager or procurement manager.
• 5+ years team management experience
• Previous experience working with contract manufacturers across global markets, specifically Asia and Europe
• Understanding of standard contractual terms and conditions to mitigate legal and business risk
• Previous experience negotiating product cost
• Experience with consumer products which are sold at retail.
• Honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness to handle confidential information
• Understanding of market dynamics and sound business judgement.
• Takes balanced risks to promote growth of ideas, comfortable in high pressure environments
• Strong project management and leadership skills.
• Outstanding negotiation and sustain networking relationships.
• In-depth knowledge of product sourcing, production, and product development processes
• Able to understand and leverage industry trends and manufacturing practices
• Strong understanding of social, environmental, and process audit requirements for manufacturers and whether they could be qualified as an approved vendor.
• Sense of ownership and pride in your performance and its impact on company’s success
• Comfortable with figures and in collecting, analyzing and interpreting data.
• Solid judgement with the ability to make good decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• International Travel up to 4-6 weeks per year

NEWAGE OFFERS:

• Salary and bonus is based on experience and highly competitive for the right candidate
• Benefits package
• An opportunity within a growing, fast-paced company, well established in its industry
• Fun! We celebrate successes and hold special events to build strong teams.
• Our teams work under a remote-first Hybrid model, with the ease of having our North York office accessible for collaboration and/or quiet workspace.

HOW TO APPLY:

If you’re intrigued by job profile described above, we invite you to apply with your resume and cover letter illustrating how you would be an ideal fit with our team. We thank all interested candidates for applying and will contact those who qualify for an interview. No phone calls please. Offers of employment are contingent on the successful completion of a thorough background check.

NewAge Products is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusion and diversity. We provide employment accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If contacted for an employment opportunity, please advise Human Resources if you require any accommodation.