Supplier Manager

Supplier Manager

The Supplier Manager owns the relationship with important suppliers across multiple product categories in the Grainger portfolio. It requires product cost negotiation, developing strategic initiatives in partnership with suppliers, facilitating communication with other teams like Merchandising, Sales, and Supply Chain, and documenting and sharing best practices for the rest of the Supplier Management team. You will report to a Senior Supplier Manager or Director of Supplier Management. This position can be based in Lake Forest or Chicago and is onsite 3 days a week. It can also be remote based for out of state team members.

You Will :

• Develop a portfolio procurement strategy that connects Grainger's commercial strategy with the corresponding procurement support.
• Perform industry research to understand the supplier landscape, important cost drivers, and primary procurement challenges.
• Define best sources of supply for the business that meet customer needs, quality, and cost competitiveness.
• Lead negotiations that ensure sustainable access to the best industrial products in the category with the best program economics.
• Develop relationships with strategic suppliers at multiple levels, ensuring alignment in growth strategies, addressing challenges in operations on a timely manner, and making sure Grainger's customers' needs are met.
• Develop strategies in collaboration with other functional areas of Grainger (e.g., product assortment decisions, inventory levels and product availability, lead times, and quality).
• Organize work meetings and field visits to suppliers and trade shows.
• Facilitate product content and information gathering in partnership with the teams that support Grainger.com.
• Collaborate with peers to document and share best practices across all categories and continuously improve how we work.

Competencies :

You Have :

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible work environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one's employment.