Professional Resume Template for
Vendor Relations Manager
Douglas J. Thornton
Atlanta, GA
(404) 555-0139
douglas.thornton@email.com
linkedin.com/in/douglas-thornton-vendor | douglasthorntonportfolio.com
Professional Summary
Collaborative Vendor Relations Manager with 6 years of tenure establishing strategic partnerships, negotiating SLA contracts, and auditing performance metrics for general operations. Proven track record of managing annual vendor budgets up to $3.5M, cutting third-party service costs by 15% through structured bidding processes, and resolving contract conflicts with zero litigation. Proficient with procurement platforms, contract lifecycle management tools like Ivalua and DocuSign CLM, and performance dashboards. Capable of driving supplier compliance and SLA alignment across multiple business units.
Work Experience
Vendor Relations Manager — Apex Global Logistics
Atlanta, GA | June 2023 – Present
- Led strategic relations with 45 critical corporate vendors, executing monthly performance reviews and reducing compliance deviations from service level agreements (SLAs) by 24% over 18 months.
- Negotiated 12 enterprise-level service agreements valued at $3.5M, implementing competitive bidding protocols to lower annual vendor operational expenses by 16%.
- Developed a centralized supplier risk assessment matrix, auditing 30 high-risk vendors and implementing mitigation plans that reduced critical service disruptions by 34%.
- Collaborated with legal counsel and department heads to resolve 6 major SLA contract disputes, recovering $88,000 in service credits and avoiding external arbitration fees.
Associate Vendor Relations Specialist — Vanguard Business Solutions
Atlanta, GA | June 2020 – June 2023
- Coordinated the end-to-end onboarding workflows for 85 new suppliers, reducing average registration and credential verification cycle times from 26 days to 16 days.
- Tracked supplier key performance indicators (KPIs) for 6 major departments using visualization dashboards, helping to improve vendor delivery timeliness from 84% to 96%.
- Audited over 40 vendor invoices monthly, identifying billing errors and service scope discrepancies that successfully recovered $52,000 in contract overcharges over a 2-year span.
- Supported request for proposal (RFP) processes for 7 major service categories, evaluating 22 vendor proposals and contributing to a 14% reduction in initial bidding costs.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Georgia State University · Atlanta, GA · 2020
Skills
Vendor relations, Contract negotiation, SLA monitoring, Supplier auditing, Risk mitigation, RFP management, Strategic sourcing, Category management, Budget forecasting, Dispute resolution, DocuSign CLM, Ivalua, Salesforce CRM, Tableau, Jira, Microsoft Excel
Projects
Global Supplier Consolidation Initiative
Role: Lead Vendor Manager
Tools: Ivalua, Tableau, Microsoft Excel, Slack
Consolidated 14 office supply and facilities vendors into 3 primary partnerships, saving 16% in annual spend and improving service delivery metrics by 22%.
SLA Compliance Dashboard Integration
Role: Project Manager
Tools: Salesforce CRM, Power BI, Jira, DocuSign CLM
Integrated real-time SLA tracking across 5 major service departments, reducing vendor ticket resolution times by 30% and automating compliance reporting.
Certifications
- Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) – Institute for Supply Management (ISM) (2023)
- Project Management Professional (PMP) (2024)
Additional information
- Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Conversational)
- Volunteer Work: Mentorship chair for the Atlanta Association of Procurement Professionals (2022-present)
- Availability: 2 weeks notice
Job Market Insights
Market data and opportunities for
Vendor Relations Manager
Job Market Insights
$72,000
-
$112,000
Avg:
$92,000
Growth Outlook:
The employment outlook for Vendor Relations Managers and Purchasing Managers in the United States remains solid, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 5% job growth from 2024 to 2034. As companies strive to optimize supply chains and reduce operational overhead, the need for professionals skilled in contract negotiation, vendor compliance, and risk mitigation will increase. Emerging automation software will streamline administrative work, permitting managers to focus on strategic partnerships. About 58,700 positions are projected annually over the decade.
5% growth over 10 years
Key Skills Required
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