Torchora
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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Vendor Support Analyst

💰 $45,000 - $65,000

IT SupportVendor ManagementSupply ChainProcurementOperations

🎯 Role Definition

At the heart of our operational ecosystem, the Vendor Support Analyst serves as a vital liaison between our organization and its network of vendors. This role is a blend of customer service, technical troubleshooting, and administrative diligence, focused on fostering positive, productive, and long-lasting vendor relationships. The analyst is the first point of contact for vendor inquiries, responsible for resolving issues, facilitating communication, and ensuring that vendors have the support they need to meet our business requirements. This position is critical for mitigating supply chain risks, ensuring compliance, and optimizing the overall efficiency of our procurement and payables processes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Customer Service Representative
  • IT Helpdesk Technician
  • Accounts Payable/Receivable Clerk
  • Junior Procurement Assistant

Advancement To:

  • Senior Vendor Support Analyst or Team Lead
  • Vendor Relationship Manager
  • Procurement Specialist or Buyer
  • Supply Chain Analyst

Lateral Moves:

  • Business Analyst
  • Contracts Administrator
  • Compliance Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Act as the primary, front-line point of contact for all inbound vendor inquiries, expertly addressing questions related to invoicing, payment status, system access, and compliance requirements via email, phone, and support portals.
  • Diligently manage and resolve vendor-related issues and disputes, including payment discrepancies, purchase order mismatches, and shipment problems, by investigating root causes and coordinating with internal departments like Accounts Payable and Procurement.
  • Facilitate the end-to-end vendor onboarding process, which includes gathering necessary documentation, verifying information, and configuring vendor access in our internal systems and portals.
  • Provide comprehensive technical support and training to vendors on how to effectively use our vendor portals, e-invoicing platforms, and other related software tools.
  • Meticulously maintain and update the central vendor master database, ensuring all contact information, banking details, tax forms (like W-9s), and compliance certificates are accurate and current.
  • Triage and escalate complex or sensitive vendor issues to senior analysts, Vendor Managers, or other appropriate internal teams, while maintaining ownership of the issue until a satisfactory resolution is confirmed.
  • Develop and maintain a comprehensive knowledge base, creating clear and concise documentation, FAQs, and training guides to empower vendors for self-service and to support internal team members.
  • Proactively communicate important company updates, policy changes, and system upgrades to the vendor community to ensure alignment and prevent future support issues.
  • Monitor vendor performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs), generating regular reports to help identify trends, risks, and areas for improvement.
  • Build and nurture strong, professional relationships with key vendor contacts, fostering a collaborative environment built on trust and mutual success.
  • Assist in the review and verification of vendor compliance with contractual obligations, company policies, and regulatory requirements.
  • Collaborate closely with the Accounts Payable team to investigate and resolve aged invoices and credit holds, ensuring timely payments and maintaining good financial standing with partners.
  • Document all support interactions, investigations, and resolutions with a high level of detail in the company's ticketing system (e.g., Zendesk, ServiceNow) for tracking and reporting purposes.

Secondary Functions

  • Support the Procurement team during vendor sourcing and selection processes by providing historical performance data and support insights.
  • Participate in cross-functional projects aimed at improving vendor-related processes, such as system implementations or workflow enhancements.
  • Analyze support ticket data to identify recurring vendor issues and recommend systemic solutions or process improvements to reduce ticket volume.
  • Assist in conducting periodic vendor business reviews by preparing performance dashboards and support-related metrics.
  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis related to vendor spending, performance, and support trends.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by ensuring vendor data integrity and accessibility.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs related to vendors into clear engineering or reporting requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies if the support team operates within an agile framework.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • ERP/P2P Systems: Hands-on experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Procure-to-Pay (P2P) systems such as SAP, Oracle, Coupa, or Ariba.
  • CRM/Ticketing Software: Proficiency in using customer relationship management (CRM) or support ticketing platforms like Salesforce, Zendesk, Jira, or ServiceNow to manage and track cases.
  • Microsoft Office Suite: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUP, pivot tables, formulas) for data analysis and reporting, along with strong skills in Word and PowerPoint.
  • Vendor Portals & VMS: Familiarity with navigating and troubleshooting various Vendor Management Systems (VMS) and supplier-facing portals.
  • Data Analysis: The ability to query, analyze, and interpret data to identify trends, create reports, and support decision-making. Basic SQL knowledge is a strong plus.
  • Database Management: Understanding of database principles for maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the vendor master file.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional Communication: The ability to communicate clearly, professionally, and empathetically with a diverse range of vendors and internal stakeholders, both verbally and in writing.
  • Problem-Solving & Analytical Thinking: A knack for investigating complex issues, identifying the root cause, and implementing effective, long-term solutions rather than just temporary fixes.
  • Customer-Service Orientation: A genuine desire to help and a patient, positive attitude, even when dealing with frustrated or demanding contacts.
  • High Attention to Detail: Meticulous in reviewing documents, entering data, and tracking information to prevent errors and ensure compliance.
  • Relationship Building: The interpersonal skills to build rapport and establish trust with vendor partners, turning transactional interactions into strategic partnerships.
  • Time Management & Organization: Proven ability to prioritize and manage a high volume of tasks and inquiries simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Associate's Degree or equivalent relevant work experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Finance or Accounting
  • Information Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1-3 years of experience in a role involving customer support, vendor relations, accounts payable, or procurement.

Preferred: Experience working directly in a vendor support or B2B support role. Familiarity with a manufacturing, retail, or tech industry supply chain is highly desirable.

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