Supplier Relationship Specialist

CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen); Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

CLA, a top 10 national professional services firm, seeks a Supplier Relationship Specialist to support contract administration and supplier relationships within its Information Technology team in Milwaukee. The role emphasizes contract analysis, vendor negotiations, and process improvements, requiring strong communication and problem-solving skills.

The position offers growth in a collaborative environment with cross-functional stakeholders, ensuring accurate records, timely renewals, and cost

Qualifications

• 1 year of experience required
• Experience in contract management, analysis, and vendor management preferred
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience considered in lieu of a degree

Responsibilities

• Support the review, preparation, routing, and administration of supplier agreements. Monitor timelines, renewals, and related metadata; escalate issues as needed.
• Negotiate terms with vendors, develop relationships, evaluate suppliers, assist with RFPs, and monitor performance for compliance.

Skills

Contract management

Vendor management

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

ERP systems

Excel

Reporting tools

Job description

CLA is a top 10 national professional services firm where our purpose is to create opportunities every day, for our clients, our people, and our communities through industry-focused wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax, consulting, and outsourcing services. Even with more than 8,500 people, 130 U.S. locations, and a global reach, we promise to know you and help you.

CLA is dedicated to building a culture that invites different beliefs and perspectives to the table, so we can truly know and help our clients, communities, and each other.

CLA is growing and seeking to hire an experienced Supplier Relationship Specialist to join our talented Information Technology team. The position offers growth, flexibility and a collaborative work environment.

In this position you should have the following; excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate at all levels. Strong problem solving and creative skills and the ability to exercise sound judgment. Most important, demonstrate a high level of integrity and dependability with a strong sense of urgency and results-orientation.

This role supports contract administration, supplier relationship activities, analysis, and process execution across assigned suppliers and agreements. They work within established procedures, partner with internal stakeholders and suppliers, maintain accurate records, prepare analysis, and elevate risks or decisions that require senior or manager involvement. They contribute ideas and support for improvements across the contract lifecycle and supplier management processes.

How you’ll create opportunities in this Supplier Relationship Specialist role:

• Contract Administration and Analysis: Support the review, preparation, routing, and administration of supplier agreements in collaboration with internal review teams and other stakeholders. Perform contract analysis using established guidance to identify key obligations, business terms, renewal dates, usage considerations, and potential risks for review by senior team members or management. Maintain complete and accurate contract records, documentation, amendments, renewals, and related metadata. Monitor assigned agreements, their timelines, coordinate follow-up, and elevate issues or decisions outside established authority. Analyze spend, usage, renewals, and contract information to identify potential cost‑saving or value‑improvement opportunities. Support implementation and tracking of approved cost‑optimization actions without compromising required quality or service.
• Vendor Relationship Support: Negotiate terms and conditions with vendors to secure the best possible outcomes for the company. Develop and maintain strong relationships with vendors and suppliers. Evaluate and select vendors based on quality, cost, and reliability; assist with RFPs as needed. Create RFP templates to support business and project teams. Monitor vendor performance and ensure compliance with contractual terms. Complete tasks for assigned suppliers, agreements/renewals, and areas of responsibility with guidance appropriate to the complexity and risk of the work. Support the Lead and Senior Supplier Relationship Specialists with supplier‑related projects, tasks, reporting, and stakeholder coordination.

What You Will Need

• 1 year of experience required
  • Experience in contract management, analysis, and vendor management preferred
• 1 - 3 years of relevant experience in contract administration, procurement, supplier/vendor management, business operations, financial analysis, or related field preferred
• Bachelor's degree or a combination of relevant experience and training may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Technical Competencies

• Demonstrated organizational and time‑management skills, attention to detail, analytical judgment, and the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Effective written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work constructively with internal stakeholders and external suppliers
• Experience working within defined processes and escalating issues appropriatel
• Comfortable in a technical environment with a large variety of technology tools and can easily adapt to rapidly changing technology including agentic solutions
• Familiarity with ERP systems.
• Excel proficiency and familiarity with other reporting, licensing and analytics tools ideal.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

Click here to learn about your hiring rights.

Wellness at CLA

To support our CLA family members, we focus on their physical, financial, social, and emotional well-being and offer comprehensive benefit options that include health, dental, vision, 401k and much more.

To view a complete list of benefits, click here.