Vendor Manager Softlines

Amazon is the largest ecommerce site in the Arab world. Every month, Amazon attracts more than 41 million visits to its catalogue of more than 8.5 million unique products in 35 different categories, including consumer electronics, household goods, fashion, watches, perfumes, toys, and baby products.
With more than 4,000 employees, We have offices and local operations in UAE, Egypt, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and leading Product and Engineering centers in Jordan and India, offering a unique opportunity to join the leading player in an ever growing and exciting industry.
Job Description:
We are looking for an experienced and entrepreneurial Vendor Manager to help grow our Softlines business introducing new brands to the Egyptian Market Segment while creating a best-in-class experience for Retail Categories.
Responsibilities include managing the full scope of the category and vendor portfolio, building and sustaining strategic relationships with key global and local manufacturers and suppliers, improving the end-to-end Amazon customer experience, and helping to shape the evolution of how customers shop online for these categories.
We are looking for a passionate customer and category advocate within Amazon, with proven analytical & negotiation capabilities and project management skills, strong attention to detail, the ability to effectively prioritize and multi-task, and a proven record of driving category growth.
The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with a passion for retail, a high level of flexibility and commitment, and the ability to hire and develop a high-performing team.
Responsibilities:
Customer Focus
Evaluates products and services to continually drive quality of customer experience
Aggregates and escalates industry trends; ensures team prioritizes customer obsession
Identifies opportunities to differentiate our customer experience from the competition
Strategy
Develops and implements action plans based on deep-dive analysis of product line metrics
Provides recommendation on business opportunities and long-term strategy for multiple sub-categories
Vendor Management
Expands current vendor selection and secures new brand selection
Focuses on strategic holdout or challenging vendors to increase selection
Drives strategic negotiations to deliver top- and bottom-line category growth
Builds long-term relationships by creating value, opportunities for growth, customer acquisition, and brand-building for multiple vendors
Increases vendor participation through deep knowledge of program opportunities
In-Stock Management
Manage inventory availability and inventory health including: improved in-stock, inventory planning, vendor operational improvement (efficiency, fill rates, lead times), systematic forecasting, efficiency improvement with vendors and within the fulfillment centers
Drive tools and process improvements that affect purchasing and vendor management workflows
Business Operations
Dives deep into inputs and understands the downstream impact of changes to pricing, selection, and convenience for multiple subcategories
Owns the Retail P&L for multiple subcategories; develops plans that drive revenue and margin improvement for the business
Audits all elements of multiple subcategory businesses
Identifies areas that need vendor attention and directs team to address issues; acts as escalation point, helping team and vendor(s) resolve conflicts
Creates long-term category solutions that automate or simplify category processes
Works with internal technical, cross-category, and tech teams to drive multi-system process changes
Key job responsibilities
Manage and maintain strong relationships with key vendors/suppliers:
Regularly communicate with vendors to understand their capabilities, challenges, and strategic priorities.
Negotiate favorable contract terms and pricing with vendors to drive cost savings and operational efficiencies.
Collaborate with vendors to develop joint business plans and identify opportunities for growth and innovation.
Optimize vendor performance and compliance:
Set clear performance metrics and objectives for vendors to ensure they meet Amazon's quality, delivery, and service level standards.
Monitor vendor performance data and provide timely feedback to drive continuous improvement.
Ensure vendors comply with Amazon's policies, procedures, and legal/regulatory requirements.
Coordinate cross-functional collaboration:
Work closely with internal teams (e.g., procurement, inventory planning, logistics) to align on vendor management strategies.
Provide subject matter expertise to support broader business initiatives that involve vendor relationships.
Communicate vendor-related updates, risks, and recommendations to key stakeholders.
Drive continuous improvement and innovation:
Identify opportunities to streamline vendor management processes and implement process improvements.
Evaluate new vendors and technologies that could enhance Amazon's product offerings or supply chain.
Participate in the development of vendor management strategies and best practices.
Manage vendor risk and business continuity:
Assess and mitigate risks associated with vendor performance, financial stability, and operational resilience.
Develop contingency plans to ensure business continuity in the event of vendor disruptions.
Collaborate with internal teams to implement effective vendor risk management practices.
- Bachelor’s degree. 7+ years of relevant experience in retail operations with a proven record of accomplishment of negotiations and delivering results.
- Proven experience leading cross-functional projects
- Ability to think and react in a high-energy, fast-paced Experience in vendor negotiations, pricing and promotion, inventory management, and product development.
- Influencing abilities and vendor management experience.
- Very strong analytical skills.
- Advanced experience with Excel, or other analytical/Business Intelligence tools.
- Highly polished communication skills - speaking, writing, presenting and negotiating.
- Ability to operate simultaneously and effectively in both tactical and strategic modes.
- A willingness to roll up sleeves to get things done.
- Experience launching a new country.
- Working in a start-up or early stage environment where you will be defining best practice for your function.