Vendor Management Specialist
Charles River Laboratories International
For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.
Job Summary
BASIC SUMMARY: The Vendor Relationship Manager will be responsible for end-to-end management of instrument-focused vendor relationships from the Charleston, SC office (on-site). This involves serving as the primary liaison to foster strong partnerships, managing performance through periodic reviews, and coordinating internal and external communication. This role also handles all contract-related duties and acts as the point of escalation for critical issues.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: • Manage the full lifecycle of vendor relationships, focusing on instruments and critical components.• Conduct periodic vendor performance reviews, communicating key performance metrics, and collaborating on process and service improvements.• Serve as the primary relationship owner, fostering a positive and collaborative partnership with vendors.• Act as the subject matter expert (SME) for all vendor contracts, conducting thorough contract reviews.• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product Management and key stakeholders to lead the onboarding and integration of new instrument vendors, ensuring strategic alignment, operational readiness, and seamless product delivery.• Coordinate internal subject matter experts (SMEs) to address specialized topics as needed.• Function as the primary escalation point for critical issues and customer pain points related to instruments.• Liaise with the Quality Assurance (QA) team on change management processes and ensure all Supplier Quality Agreements are in place.• Facilitate and coordinate cross-functional communication to ensure alignment.• Lead the vendor selection process, coordinating input from QA, finance, technical teams, and other critical stakeholders.
Skills and Abilities:• Strong negotiation skills and a proven track record of securing favorable terms.• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to build rapport with vendors and internal stakeholders.• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities to assess vendor performance and resolve complex issues.• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills to manage multiple contracts and vendor relationships simultaneously.• Proficiency with vendor management software (VMS) and Microsoft Office Suite.• Familiarity with industry-specific regulations and quality standards (e.g., in the pharmaceutical, biotech, etc).
Job Qualifications
QUALIFICATIONS:Education: A bachelor’s degree in: Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, or related technical field.
Experience: • A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in vendor management, procurement, sourcing, or related role. • Demonstrated experience in contract negotiation and management, including a solid understanding of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and contractual terms. • Proven ability to build and maintain strong, positive relationships with third-party vendors• Experience in vendor selection and performance review processes, including the ability to analyze performance metrics and drive process improvements• Experience with change management and ensuring compliance with quality assurance (QA) and regulatory requirements, especially concerning supplier agreements.
Compensation Data
The pay range for this position is $105k – 115k. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, and location.
Competencies
About Microbial SolutionsOur Microbial Solutions business group has a comprehensive portfolio of endotoxin testing, microbial detection and microbial identification products and services is unlike any other, and has been purposefully designed to meet the complex and ever-changing needs of the industry. We help clients to ensure product safety and quality with easy-to-use yet robust testing solutions that satisfy regulatory requirements, support critical decision making and improve operational efficiencies.
About Charles RiverCharles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.
With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world. And in 2019, revenue increased to $2.62 billion.
At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly supported the development of 80% of the drugs approved by the FDA in the last five years.
We’re committed to providing benefits that elevate your quality of life. Based on your position these may include: bonus/incentives based on performance, 401K, paid time off, stock purchase program, Health and wellness coverage, employee and family wellbeing support programs, and work life balance flexibility.
Equal Employment OpportunityCharles River Laboratories is an Equal Opportunity Employer – all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, veteran or disability status.
It is unlawful in some states (including Massachusetts) to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
If you are interested in applying to Charles River Laboratories and need special assistance or an accommodation due to a disability to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the resume submission process, please contact a member of our Human Resources team by sending an e-mail message to crrecruitment_US@crl.com. This contact is for accommodation requests for individuals with disabilities only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.
For more information, please visit www.criver.com.