Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Vendor Support Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

As our new Vendor Support Coordinator, you will be the central hub for all vendor-related activities. You'll serve as the primary point of contact, building and nurturing strong professional relationships with our suppliers. Your mission is to ensure timely and effective support, resolve inquiries, and facilitate smooth onboarding and operational processes. This position is critical to maintaining the health of our supply chain and requires a blend of exceptional communication skills, organizational prowess, and a proactive, problem-solving mindset.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Customer Service Representative
Administrative Assistant
Junior Buyer

Advancement To:

Vendor Relationship Manager
Procurement Specialist
Supply Chain Analyst

Lateral Moves:

Contract Administrator
Accounts Payable Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Act as the primary, front-line point of contact for all vendor inquiries, providing timely, professional, and accurate responses via email, phone, and internal ticketing systems.
Facilitate the complete end-to-end vendor onboarding process, including collecting and verifying necessary documentation (W-9s, insurance certificates), setting up accounts in our system, and providing initial training on company portals and procedures.
Maintain and meticulously update the vendor database and contact information within our ERP/CRM systems to ensure absolute data integrity and accuracy for communications and transactions.
Proactively build and nurture strong, positive relationships with new and existing vendors to foster long-term, collaborative, and mutually beneficial partnerships.
Thoroughly investigate and resolve a wide range of vendor-related issues, such as payment discrepancies, shipping errors, and product quality concerns, by coordinating effectively with internal departments like Accounts Payable, Logistics, and Quality Assurance.
Monitor vendor performance against contractual service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs), meticulously documenting performance and escalating persistent issues to the Vendor Manager for strategic review.
Assist in the preparation and distribution of regular performance reports and materials for quarterly business reviews with key strategic vendors.
Process and manage purchase orders from creation to fulfillment, ensuring accuracy in pricing, quantity, and delivery specifications before submission to vendors.
Collaborate closely with the procurement team to support sourcing activities, including distributing requests for quotes (RFQs) and gathering preliminary supplier information for evaluation.
Support the contract management lifecycle by diligently tracking contract expiration dates, renewal periods, and ensuring all parties are in compliance with contractual terms.
Educate and guide vendors on company policies, compliance requirements (e.g., ethical sourcing, data security), and procedural changes to ensure adherence and a smooth operational flow.
Triage and route complex vendor issues to the appropriate internal teams or senior management, while maintaining clear ownership of the issue until a satisfactory resolution is confirmed with the vendor.
Develop and maintain a comprehensive internal knowledge base, including FAQs and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), for common vendor support topics to improve team efficiency and consistency.
Coordinate and schedule meetings between vendors and internal stakeholders for project kick-offs, performance reviews, and critical issue resolution sessions.
Assist the Accounts Payable team by researching and reconciling complex invoice discrepancies and providing necessary documentation to facilitate timely and accurate payments.
Generate and analyze reports on vendor activity, inquiry trends, and resolution times to identify opportunities for process improvement and enhanced vendor satisfaction.
Manage all vendor-facing mass communication, including newsletters, system outage notifications, and policy updates, ensuring messaging is clear, consistent, and professional.
Actively participate in cross-functional projects aimed at enhancing the overall vendor experience and optimizing supply chain efficiency.
Conduct regular audits of vendor information, certifications, and documentation to ensure ongoing compliance with company policies and regulatory standards.
Provide crucial administrative support to the Vendor Management and Procurement departments as needed, including scheduling, reporting, and high-volume data entry tasks.
Track and report on vendor compliance with key corporate initiatives, including sustainability, diversity, and ethical sourcing programs.
Act as a subject matter expert on the vendor portal, assisting suppliers with navigation, troubleshooting technical issues, and driving adoption of self-service tools.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to uncover vendor performance trends.
Contribute to the organization's vendor management strategy and technology roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate their vendor and data needs into actionable requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the procurement and operations teams.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

High proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, formulas) and PowerPoint.
Hands-on experience with ERP or P2P (Procure-to-Pay) systems such as SAP, Oracle, Coupa, or NetSuite.
Familiarity with CRM platforms like Salesforce for managing communications and relationship data.
Experience using helpdesk or ticketing systems (e.g., Zendesk, Jira Service Desk) for tracking and managing inquiries.
Strong and accurate data entry skills with a proven ability to handle large volumes of information.
Foundational understanding of procurement, supply chain, and accounts payable principles and processes.
Ability to generate, read, and interpret reports from various business intelligence and operational systems.

Soft Skills

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to articulate complex information clearly and concisely.
Strong interpersonal skills and a customer-service orientation focused on building and maintaining positive professional relationships.
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking abilities to investigate issues from root cause to resolution.
Superior organizational and time-management skills, with the capacity to manage multiple competing priorities and deadlines effectively.
A high level of attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy in all aspects of work.
Proactive, resourceful, and self-motivated with the ability to work independently and as a vital part of a collaborative team.
Patience, empathy, and unwavering professionalism, especially when handling difficult conversations or frustrated stakeholders.
Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced and constantly evolving business environment.
Foundational negotiation and conflict resolution skills to help find mutually agreeable outcomes.
A continuous improvement mindset, always seeking opportunities to make processes more efficient and effective.

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
Communications
Finance

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2-4 years of experience in a vendor support, procurement, customer service, or accounts payable role.

Preferred:

Experience in a role that involves direct, daily interaction with external suppliers, partners, or B2B clients is highly desirable.