Vendor Program Manager

Vendor Program Manager

Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee-owned, which means you're empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work. This position will be located in Fargo, ND.

Application Deadline : November 10, 2025. Please note that the position may be filled before or after the listed application deadline. Applications will only be accepted while the posting remains active.

Job Summary

Provides focused core category leadership and direction, manages and executes effective category strategies, secures strategic vendor alignment to increase sales and grow profits. Works with all Category Directors to track, maintain, and provide guidance on opportunities to maximize all vendor programs. Negotiates terms and programs with vendors and reps. Identifies strategy development and ownership of major category trends and initiatives. Develops, communicates, and maintains strategic vendor alignment strategies and platforms. Develops category plans, vendor performance plans, share of wallet analysis, and supports business development with target categories.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Develops assigned category strategy plan.
• Ensures growth and profitability of category sales.
• Create and maintain vendor programs within vendor program tracking software
• Develops vendor program reporting
• Communicates opportunities for program enhancements and growth to both Category Team, as well as Regional Leadership.
• Communicates opportunities to maximize Reward programs to appropriate business units.
• Ensures category health by understanding and monitoring profitability, reducing risk and streamlining alignments.
• Develops vendor evaluations and approvals.
• Develops vendor alignment grids for assigned categories to ensure profitability.
• Develops vendor segmentation strategy.
• Regularly meets with key vendors and jointly prepares strategies for the company on key assigned product lines in collaboration with all departments.
• Negotiates and ensures renewal and collects vendor rebate payments for assigned vendors.
• Negotiates terms and conditions for assigned vendor agreements.
• Develops cost methodology for assigned vendors.
• Develops category and subcategory plans for category reviews.
• Addresses escalated issues related to price level, mis-delivery, branch authorization and partner collaboration as it relates to our vendors relationship.
• Leads collaboration between all departments in reviews and vendor performance planning.
• Leads product line conversions and vendor consolidation processes.

Non-essential Functions

Qualifications

Skills and Abilities

Physical Requirements

Frequency at which you would carry / lift in a typical day : Occasionally 0 33% Frequently 34 66% Continuously : 67 100%

Physical Activity

Frequency at which you would do the following in a typical day :

Additional Information

This job description is a summary of the job duties and responsibilities and is not intended to cover all possible job duties and is subject to change at the employer's discretion.