Vendor Relations & Strategy Manager - Canada

Wheels, Inc; Mississauga; On-site; CAD 129,000 - 182,000; Full time

Job summary

Wheels, LLC is seeking a Vendor Relations & Strategy Manager for Canadian operations in Mississauga. The ideal candidate will manage vendor relationships, optimize performance across a broad vendor network, and ensure compliance with operational expectations. This role requires bilingual proficiency (English and Canadian French) and involves strategic responsibilities alongside regular travel across Canada.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Extended health, dental, and vision care

Virtual health services

Paid time off and holidays

Retirement plan with company match

Discount programs

Wellness programs

Qualifications

• Proven experience with vendor management frameworks.
• Fluency in English and Canadian French required.
• Strong analytical skills to drive vendor performance improvements.

Responsibilities

• Manage vendor relationships and performance expectations.
• Analyze vendor KPIs using dashboards and BI tools.
• Drive continuous process improvements within vendor operations.

Skills

Vendor Management

Negotiation

Data Analysis

Relationship Building

Education

8+ years in vendor management or operational program management

Bilingual in English and Canadian French

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

Vendor Relations & Strategy Manager - Canada

Join to apply for the Vendor Relations & Strategy Manager - Canada role at Wheels, LLC

Vendor Relations & Strategy Manager - Canada

Join to apply for the Vendor Relations & Strategy Manager - Canada role at Wheels, LLC

Job Overview

The Vendor Relations & Strategy Manager – Canadian Operations is a key individual contributor responsible for managing and optimizing a broad vendor network across the Canadian market, with an immediate focus on SAAQ and provincial Ministry partnerships. This role will serve as the primary liaison between Wheels and our Canadian vendor base, including licensing and compliance offices, dealerships, repair shops, and other third-party service providers, ensuring vendor performance aligns with operational expectations and service level agreements.

The Vendor Relations & Strategy Manager – Canadian Operations is a key individual contributor responsible for managing and optimizing a broad vendor network across the Canadian market, with an immediate focus on SAAQ and provincial Ministry partnerships. This role will serve as the primary liaison between Wheels and our Canadian vendor base, including licensing and compliance offices, dealerships, repair shops, and other third-party service providers, ensuring vendor performance aligns with operational expectations and service level agreements.

The successful candidate will be fluent in English and Canadian French, located in the Greater Toronto Area, and will be based out of our Mississauga office. They will play a strategic role in implementing the vendor management framework, analyzing performance through data tools, and driving continuous improvement across multiple categories. This position requires regular travel within Canada (50%) to foster in-person relationships and drive operational accountability.

Key Responsibilities - Essential Functions

• Establish and execute the vendor management framework across all outsourced service categories in Canada.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for Canadian Ministries (e.g., SAAQ), dealerships, repair facilities, and more.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders (Operations, Procurement, Legal, etc.) to assess category maturity, conduct gap analyses, and shape future state operating models.
• Lead initiatives to drive performance improvements and align vendor services with Wheels’ business goals.
• Use dashboards and BI tools to collect, analyze, and visualize vendor KPIs, driving decisions around vendor allocation and strategic prioritization.
• Set performance review cadence and facilitate vendor business reviews to identify risks, address issues, and promote a culture of continuous improvement.
• Support vendor identification, onboarding, contract negotiation (in partnership with Procurement), and lifecycle management.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, regulatory standards, and contractual SLAs.
• Make vendor volume allocation recommendations based on performance trends and data insights.
• Process Improvement :
• Identify and implement opportunities to streamline internal and vendor-facing processes.
• Lead or support continuous improvement events (e.g., Kaizen) in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
• Partner with IT to develop enhancements to tools and systems that support vendor performance tracking and reporting.
• Provide actionable insights through both quantitative and qualitative analysis to inform vendor strategy and operational decisions.
• Communication and Stakeholder Collaboration :
• Present vendor performance and strategic recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Partner with internal teams to promote use of top-performing vendors and support escalations as needed.
• Represent Wheels with professionalism and integrity in vendor interactions.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on vendor management in the Canadian market.

Leadership Responsibilities

• This is an individual contributor position
• Strong relationship-building and negotiation skills with a customer-centric mindset.
• Experience working with provincial and federal agencies (e.g., SAAQ) is highly desirable.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and BI reporting applications (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
• Demonstrated ability to drive vendor strategy using performance metrics and analytics.
• Strong business acumen and ability to collaborate and influence across cross-functional teams.
• Ability to travel throughout Canada (approximately 50%).

Education And Experience

• 8+ years of experience in vendor management, supplier relations, or operational program management, preferably in automotive, logistics, or fleet services.
• Bilingual (English and Canadian French) – fluent written and verbal communication required in both languages.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS, PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work Environment : This position is in Mississauga, Ontario and operates in a professional office environment.

Positions Type / Standard Schedule : This is a Full-time position, Monday through Friday.

Travel : Regular travel (approximately 50%) is expected for this position.

Physical Demands : While performing the duties of this job, the employee must regularly talk and hear, and use hands and fingers to operate call center tools.

DISCLAIMER

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

We're proud to offer a competitive salary, extended health, dental and vison care, virtual heath, paid time off, & paid holidays, retirement with company match, exclusive discount programs, wellness programs, and more.

Pay Range : $129,825-$181,755

The base salary range for this position is listed above. This position is eligible to participate in the annual incentive plan which is based on company performance and individual performance. Compensation ranges are based on several factors including geographic location. Final offer amounts are determined by factors including, but not limited to, experience, credentials, education, certifications, skill level required for the position, the scope of the position, and geographic location. Actual pay offered will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

EEO Statement Wheels is a Drug-Free Workplace. All employment is contingent on successful completion of drug and background screening.

Wheels is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer and administers all personnel practices without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or domestic partnership status, disability, protected veteran status or military status, genetic information, or any other category protected under applicable law. Wheels is committed to taking affirmative steps to promote the employment and advancement of minorities, women, persons with disabilities and protected veterans.

Seniority level

Seniority level

Mid-Senior level

Employment type

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Job function

Business Development and Sales

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Wheels, LLC by 2x

Get notified about new Strategy Manager jobs in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada .

Managing Director, Strategy & Operations

Managing Director, Strategy & Operations

Director of Business Operations and Strategy

Senior Strategy and Operations Consultant

Analyst, Corporate Strategy and Mergers & Acquisitions

Consultant – Strategy & Transformation-R-241474

Senior Strategy Manager, Strategic Channel Transformation Lead (Remote)

Business Analyst (Intermediate) 8733-0611

Associate Managing Consultant – Strategy & Transformation-R-242994

Business Analyst (Intermediate) 8366-1612

Sr. Manager, Strategy, Insights & Research

We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.

J-18808-Ljbffr

Create a job alert for this search

Vendor Manager • Mississauga, Peel Region, Canada