Supplier Operations Analyst

W. W. Grainger; Lake Forest (IL); Hybrid; USD 67,000 - 112,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision, life coverage

PTO 18 days + 6 holidays

401(k) with 6% company match

Employee discounts and tuition support

Family/parental leave programs

Job summary

Grainger, a leading MRO distributor, is seeking a Sourcing Supplier Operations Analyst for a hybrid role with three onsite days weekly at Chicago or Lake Forest, IL. You will onboard suppliers, manage data, and monitor performance to ensure reliable operations.

You should have 2+ years in operations or supplier management, and be proficient with Smartsheet, SharePoint, and Power BI to drive improvements and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in related field.
• 2+ years in Operations, Sourcing, or Supplier Management.
• Experience with workflow/data tools to manage work queues and report status.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Experience analyzing supplier issues and driving improvements.

Responsibilities

• Execute day-to-day supplier operations for an assigned portfolio, triaging requests and recording outcomes.
• Onboard new sourcing suppliers and educate on internal processes.
• Coordinate issue resolution and escalations to reduce service disruption.
• Maintain trackers and share status updates with internal partners.
• Review supplier operations with suppliers and drive process improvements.
• Monitor service metrics and address root causes with corrective actions.

Skills

Supply chain experience

Cross-functional collaboration

Power BI

Smartsheet

SharePoint

Data analysis

Process improvement

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Smartsheet

SharePoint

Power BI

Job description

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Location:

LAKE FOREST, IL, US, 60045-5202

Work Location Type:

Hybrid

About Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc. is a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America and Japan. At Grainger, We Keep the World Working®by serving more than4.6 million customersworldwide with maintenance, repair andoperating(MRO) products and value-added solutions delivered through innovative technology and deep customerexpertise. Known for its commitment to service and purpose-driven culture, the Company reported2025 revenue of$17.9 billion. For more information, visitwww.grainger.com.

Compensation

The anticipated base pay compensation range for this position is $67,300.00 – $112,200.00. This role is eligible for an incentive target of up to 5% or $, based on the achievement of individual and company performance objectives in accordance with the current terms of the incentive program which are subject to change.

Rewards and Benefits

With benefits starting on day one, our programs provide choice and flexibility to meet team members' individual needs, including:

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment and 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
• 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
• Employee discounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
• Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents.

For additional information and details regarding Grainger’s benefits, please click on the link below:

The pay range provided above is not a guarantee of compensation. The range reflects the potential base pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual base pay compensation will depend, in part, on factors such as geographic work location and relevant experience and skills.

The anticipated compensation range described above is subject to change and the compensation ultimately paid may be higher or lower than the range described above.

Grainger reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion at any time, consistent with applicable law.

This position is not eligible for any form of sponsorship now or in the future. Individuals requiring sponsorship (e.g. OPT or H1B visa status) should not apply. Only individuals authorized to work in the United States now and for the foreseeable future will be considered for this position.

The Sourcing Supplier Operations Analyst executes day-to-day supplier operational activities in support of transactional supplier relationships to ensure accurate, timely, and efficient operations through Sourcing's network of 14k suppliers. This role performs supplier onboarding and supplier data maintenance, serving as a primary point of contact for suppliers and internal partners. Coordinates issue resolution and escalations using standard processes and best practices. Monitors supplier service metrics and operational performance, identifies root causes of execution failures such as order delays, responsiveness issues, or communication gaps, and works directly with suppliers and internal teams to implement corrective actions. This role focuses on consistent execution, process adherence, and continuous improvement to strengthen supplier performance and operational reliability. This is a hybrid position requiring 3 days per week onsite at either the Chicago or Lake Forest, IL office locations.

You Will

• Execute day-to-day supplier operational interactions for an assigned supplier portfolio by triaging inbound requests, applying documented standard work, and recording outcomes in approved tools to support timely quoting, order execution, and post-order support.
• Onboard new sourcing suppliers, educate suppliers about internal process and best practices, and perform supplier maintenance throughout the supplier lifecycle.
• Coordinate supplier issue resolution and escalations by using the defined escalation path, facilitating cross-functional handoffs, and tracking actions to closure to reduce service disruption and operational risk.
• Support supplier-related execution activities and projects by maintaining trackers, sharing status through standard updates, and aligning required actions with internal partners to meet defined service expectations and timelines.
• Partner with suppliers to review supplier operations, make recommendations to improve interactions with Grainger, and influence change.
• Use supplier service metrics reporting to review operational performance, identify root causes of issues such as responsiveness, order execution failures, or communication gaps, and partner with suppliers to address them.
• Partner with suppliers to recommend process improvements, implement corrective actions, and monitor progress to ensure measurable performance improvement over time.

You Have

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience in supply chain, business, engineering or other related fields.
• 2+ years in Operations, Sourcing, Vendor or Supplier Management, or other related experience.
• Experience with workflow and data tools (e.g., Smartsheet, SharePoint, navigate reporting platforms like Power BI) to manage work queues, document actions, and report status and performance.
• Experience collaborating cross functionally and managing supplier and internal stakeholder interactions by clarifying requirements, sequencing work, and aligning actions through documented communication to support timely execution and issue resolution.
• Experience analyzing supplier service and execution issues using structured problem-solving methods, operational data, and metric trends to identify causal factors and define corrective actions.
• Experience applying a continuous improvement approach by reviewing execution results against standard work, identifying recurring gaps through data and feedback, and implementing incremental process changes to improve accuracy, cycle time, and operational readiness.

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, should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, including, but not limited to use of our website, any part of the application, interview or hiring process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.