Experience

AM Best

• United States
• Financial Services
• 500 - 600 Employee

• Vendor Management Specialist

  • Feb 2023 - Present

  Manage a portfolio of multiple vendor engagements across all departments, while driving operational efficiencies and providing client services. Build and maintain long-lasting relationships with vendors. Negotiate product pricing and contracts with vendors. Assist with updating, renewing, and canceling vendor contracts. Communicate product-related issues and concerns to vendors. Facilitate communications between vendors and stakeholders. Track vendor performance and mitigating actions while compiling reports as needed. Support resolution of vendor activities, inquiries, issues, incidents, service requests, and escalations. Maintain vendor and contract data in the system of record and ensure reports and performance targets are met, reported, and submitted from vendors to be uploaded in the system. Coordinate with Accounts Payable to assure that vendors are fully reviewed before initial payment. Manage the periodic review of vendors and track expiring due diligence, insurance and tax documentation. Assist in reviewing, updating and enhancing vendor management procedures. Manage ticketing system for internal requests. Show less



Barnes & Noble College

• United States
• Retail
• 700 & Above Employee

• Assistant Buyer

  • Feb 2017 - Apr 2022

  Responsible for item SKU/UPC setup and maintenance in the system for new and existing styles.Assist vendors with product development and branding to get approval from university clients and licensing.Worked hand in hand with vendors, keeping regular correspondence while maintaining and updating vendor matrix line lists.Main contact for purchase order creation and changes, and monitored daily to ensure deliveries were on time and received by stores.Managed setup and assortment for new accounts for department, and assured goods arrived prior to new store openings. Developed and kept strong relationships with Regional Managers and other field employees.Troubleshoot and solved vendor and client issues such as short shipments, late deliveries, damaged goods and RTVs in a timely manner while assisting stores with individual requested orders.Collaborated with both marketing and ecommerce teams to develop promotion initiatives, and ensure image and web descriptions were uploaded for all products.Successfully executed "Hot Market" special order requests from clients with tight deadlines on time.Implemented processes and procedures for all "Hot Market" Athletics programs for university clients, and oversaw all graphic selections for approval.Monitored the collegiate sporting events in real time, ensuring product was promptly and correctly populated on the web.Point person for EDI setup, new vendor setup and vendor questions.Managed and trained temporary employees in the department.Maintained relationship with store managers to aid with refunds and returns. Show less

• General Merchandise Coordinator

  • Jun 2014 - Feb 2017

  Created and detailed purchase orders for all departments at 750+ bookstores for 30+ vendors.Main point of contact for vendor or bookstore questions, issues and requests.Helped buyer select products for upcoming athletic seasons.Setup new item input forms for new products in the RMS ORACLE system.Worked closely and assisted with onboarding new vendors into the RMS ORACLE system.Built and maintained relationship with vendors, assisting and processing all orders and helping as needed.Managed Zendesk, a customer support ticketing system for digital book returns, concerns and questions.Creating school faculty lists for colleges and uploaded new users to access database.Maintained relationship with store managers while having daily communication to aid with refunds and user accounts. Show less