Supplier Relationship Manager

E&I Cooperative Service, Inc.; Mission (KS); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A non-profit cooperative is seeking a Supplier Relationship Manager to enhance supplier engagement and ensure contract compliance. The role involves managing supplier performance, conducting reviews, and collaborating with colleagues for continuous improvement. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree, strong analytical skills, and over 5 years of relevant experience. The position is remote, requiring national travel to company events. Join a team focused on delivering value to educational institutions across the nation.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in supplier management, sourcing, or contract administration.
• Experience with supplier scorecards and segmentation models.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Conduct regular supplier reviews and maintain scorecards.
• Track supplier risks and manage corrective actions.
• Ensure suppliers meet contractual obligations.

Skills

Supplier management

Analytical skills

Communication

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Sourcing software (Jagger, Ariba, Coupa)

Salesforce

Job description

JOB TITLE: SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP MANAGER
LOCATION: REMOTE

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Who We Are

At E&I Cooperative Services, we are transforming how universities and schools buy the goods and services they need to operate and thrive. By leveraging the power of cooperative purchasing, we help our 6,000+ member educational institutions save time, contain costs, and redirect critical resources to their core mission of education and research. With over 90 years of experience and a trusted brand, we now operate like a high‑growth startup—launching innovative technology, data, and service solutions to meet the evolving needs of the education sector.

As a Supplier Relationship Manager, you will play a critical role in advancing value for our members by executing E&I’s supplier engagement strategy and ensuring supplier performance aligns with contract terms, member expectations, and strategic sourcing goals. By managing supplier reviews, performance metrics, and cross‑functional collaboration, this role directly supports stronger supplier partnerships and better outcomes for the institutions we serve.

Are you energized by the opportunity to use supplier performance analytics, strategic relationship management, and cross‑functional collaboration to drive meaningful change in higher education procurement? If so, we’d love for you to join our growing team.

What Makes E&I Unique

• Mission-Driven Impact: At E&I, your work directly supports the success of educational institutions nationwide, from universities to K‑12 schools.
• Growth Culture: We are passionate about the power of culture to create conditions for excellence. We believe in the power of linking arms and lifting each other up in pursuit of common objectives. And we invest heavily in the personal and professional development of every single member of our team.
• The Best of All Worlds: We’re ninety years old - but act like a startup. We’re a non‑profit cooperative - with a high‑growth enterprise mindset. We work hard – and play hard. We love success - but reward failure that comes from bold ideas and big swings. We combine tradition with innovation, passion with purpose, and ambition with heart.

What You Will Do

The Supplier Relationship Manager (SRM) is responsible for executing E&I’s supplier engagement strategy within assigned categories. This role ensures supplier performance aligns with contract terms, member expectations, and strategic sourcing goals. Additionally, the SRM is responsible for managing post‑award supplier performance and engagement within assigned categories as part of the Supplier Relationship Management Team (SRMT). The SRM will manage supplier reviews, track performance metrics, and collaborate with sourcing and Growth and Engagement teams (GET) to drive continuous improvement and member value.

This role actively participates in our Deliberately Developmental Organizational (DDO) Culture, with the willingness to be open‑minded, identify, and make improvement on your growth edges. Support your colleagues’ development by providing feedback, utilizing development tools and practices as a team sport to further the growth, development and ultimately enhance innovation in our organization. This is accomplished through the cultivation and embodiment of our Core Values: Relentless Learning, Candor with Care, Proud Owners, Better Together and Member Obsessed.

How You Will Do It

Supplier Engagement & Performance (50%)

1. Conduct regular supplier reviews and maintain scorecards to assess contract health and performance.

2. Have the ability to present to suppliers, internal stakeholders and others, strategic insights and methods to enhance the supplier relationship and drive overall goals with suppliers, including increasing overall scorecard results.

3. Track supplier risks, manage corrective actions, and support renewal/amendment processes.

4. Collaborate with Cat VP’s, SME’s to align supplier messaging (not marketing but positive and constructive feedback to speak with one E&I voice) and member feedback loops.

Contract Compliance & Optimization (30%)

5. Ensure suppliers meet overall contractual obligations and public procurement standards.

6. Support sourcing managers in RFx development, negotiation, and contract execution.

7. Maintain documentation and performance reports.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration (20%)

8. Partner with Category Management, GET, and Legal to resolve supplier issues and optimize contract value.

9. Contribute to SRM program development and participate in sourcing team initiatives.

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, or related field

Qualifications

• 5+ years in supplier management, sourcing, or contract administration.
• Strong analytical skills and experience with supplier scorecards and segmentation models.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, specifically Excel and PowerPoint and knowledge of general sourcing software such as Jagger, Ariba, Coupa, etc.; helpful to have experience with Salesforce.
• Excellent communication and relationship‑building abilities.
• Familiarity with cooperative sourcing and public sector procurement preferred and strong commercial experience required.

Travel Requirements

National Travel to company sponsored events (25%)

E&I is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal opportunities for employment and advancement without regard to an individual’s race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected by local, state, or federal law.