Senior Vendor Manager, Books

Amazon.com hires people from all types of backgrounds, into positions based all over the world. We recruit the best and brightest. Why Join Amazon.com? At Amazon, we believe that every day is still Day One. A day to take a first step. A day to look forward to new challenges. And today is that day for you. It's your day to be a part of something great. Your day to make your ideas come to life. And your day to join a company that redefines itself every day. That's the energy and excitement behind Amazon. Senior Vendor Manager, Books The US Books team is looking for an exceptionally motivated and talented Vendor Manager.  This individual will be responsible for driving margin improvement through highly focused vendor account management and related Amazon project management. General areas of responsibility include:  VENDOR RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT Serves as the liaison between Amazon and wholesale book vendor partners Partners with existing vendors to negotiate terms improvement and develop new incentive programs Establishes new distributor and wholesale accounts in support of selection expansion and margin improvement Leads supplier business reviews BUSINESS, INVENTORY and OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Manages processes in the most efficient world class vendor to customer supply chain service in the multi-billion dollar Books business Negotiates contractual terms  Monitors and analyzes supplier performance to identify potentially negative impacts to contract execution Develops solutions and works closely with numerous internal (ie. buyers, account managers, technical groups) and external (ie. suppliers, carriers) parties to implement solutions and process improvements Ensures operational excellence across wholesale supplier base; resolves escalated vendor-driven operational issues PROJECT MANAGEMENT Identifies and leads cross-departmental projects to improve efficiencies and increase margin within books purchasing Works with various internal teams to help drive tools and process improvements that affect vendor management workflows Troubleshoots and drives resolution for systemic issues that preclude margin enhancement Develops vendor negotiation timelines, ensures negotiations team meets goals and milestones; provides negotiation status updates and metrics The ideal candidate possesses superb business judgment with a track record of successful high-level negotiations and internal/external relationship management This individual performs in a highly demanding role in an ambiguous environment, with limited direct oversight He/She is a proven leader, who delivers individual results, while driving others to do the same in a team/matrix environment Exceptional communication (oral and written), attention to detail, organizational skills, and analytical acumen are necessary for success in this position The candidate generates and evaluates various forecasts, metrics, and analyses He/She is adept at problem-solving and managing multiple priorities effectively and efficiently Intermediate knowledge of MS Office is required, as well as an ability to learn web-based software applications and other internally-developed systems A retail/e-commerce background desired.  A bachelor's degree is required, MBA or graduate degree highly desired