How To Write a Vendor Relationship Manager Resume
To write an eye-catching vendor relationship manager resume, demonstrate your background in building lucrative partnerships and driving business process improvements. Show potential employers you can bring a fresh perspective and help them improve their companies on a financial and operational level. This guide provides a variety of expert tips and advice to help you translate your career into an accomplishment-driven resume.
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
1. Write a brief summary of your vendor relationship manager qualifications
Craft a compelling opening summary to grab the hiring manager’s attention and entice them to read further. Include relevant details such as your years of experience and three to four skills that match the job description.
As a vendor relationship manager, your role involves communicating internally and externally with third parties on a daily basis. Emphasizing your leadership capabilities in your profile will send a clear message to the hiring manager that you can collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and manage high-level relationships with vendors.
Profile Example #1
A Vendor Relationship Manager with three years of experience specializing in business process outsourcing (BPOs), continuous improvement, and program management. Adept at identifying opportunities to improve the customer experience and operational efficiency.
Profile Example #2
A Vendor Relationship Manager with five years of experience within the healthcare industry, specializing in operations management, contract negotiation, vendor relations, and process improvement. A proven track record of interfacing with vendors and cross-functional teams to ensure the on-time delivery of materials and equipment in hospital environments.
2. Outline your vendor relationship manager experience in a compelling list
When building your professional experience section, always emphasize your achievements over job responsibilities. Think about the benefits you can bring to an organization and how your experience provides proof. Use concise, active language and bullet points to explain this for each of your past jobs.
Combine action verbs with past challenges and the solutions you used to overcome them, backing up each claim with actual metrics when possible. For example, you might write that you “built long-term relationships with vendors and conducted contract negotiations, resulting in a 10% reduction in procurement costs year over year.”
Professional Experience Example #1
Vendor Relationship Manager, GrubHub, Pittsburgh, PA May 2019 – Present
- Oversee management of vendor relationships and BPOs, analyze quality metrics and KPIs, identify process gaps, and drive continuous improvements to enhance the customer experience, resulting in a 15% improvement in customer satisfaction
- Lead the development of new training programs for third-party support call centers to improve communication between support agents, restaurants, and customers
- Negotiate vendor contracts valued at $60K-$140K and ensure vendor compliance with contractual terms and obligations
Professional Experience Example #2
Vendor Relationship Manager, Syracuse Medical Hospital, Syracuse, NY May 2018 – Present
- Manage relationships with 15+ vendors for the procurement and sourcing of medical supplies, equipment, and IT services for a high-volume hospital with 300-beds
- Conduct negotiations for vendor contracts valued at $150K-$700K per year, identify and select new vendors, and secure optimal pricing, resulting in a 15% cost reduction
- Coordinate with cross-functional teams to review operational metrics and ensure quality services and products from vendors
3. Add your vendor relationship manager education and certifications
Degrees, certifications, and other credentials create trust, helping potential employers see you as a more appropriate applicant. They also help qualify your experience and add to the narrative of your career.
For example, if you have a business degree, employers can confidently expect you to bring business and management skills to your work as a vendor relationship manager. Likewise, a communications or marketing degree might help employers understand your knowledge and experience in building relationships and reaching out to target audiences.
Include your relevant education data in short, easy-to-scan sections, such as those shown in the examples.
Education
Template
- [Degree Name]
- [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
Example
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Business Administration
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA | 2018
Certifications
Template
- [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
Example
- Certified Regulatory Vendor Program Manager, Bank Training Center, 2019
4. List your key vendor relationship manager skills and proficiencies
Enhance your resume by including relevant key skills, especially when you have experience and knowledge that matches what the employer asks for in their job listing.
Say the employer lists procurement and logistics as requirements. If you have a background in supply chain logistics or as an assistant procurement manager in a past job, include those highly relevant skills in your summary and professional history.
You can use the list of common vendor relationship management skills below as a start. But include your own unique skills and experience to create a resume that stands out from the crowd.
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Budget management | Business administration |
| Change management | Client relations |
| Communication | Contract negotiation |
| Cross-functional leadership | Customer service |
| Key performance indicators (KPIs) | Logistics |
| Operations management | Process improvement |
| Procurement | Program management |
| Project management | Request for proposal (RFPs) |
| Risk management | Service level agreements (SLAs) |
| Stakeholder management | Supplier management |
| Supply chain management | |
How To Pick the Best Vendor Relationship Manager Resume Template
Communication and relationship-building are of utmost importance for vendor relationship managers, so find a template that helps highlight those traits. Choose one with plenty of room to share your past accomplishments so you can demonstrate your ability to negotiate new contracts and collaborate with business partners.
Select a clean, professional design that is easy to scan. Avoid design frills that don’t add value to your document, and choose a template that makes use of consistent fonts.
Vendor Relationship Manager Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
Sarah Allen
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Your Street, Syracuse, NY 12345
Profile
A Vendor Relationship Manager with five years of experience within the healthcare industry, specializing in operations management, contract negotiation, vendor relations, and process improvement. A proven track record of interfacing with vendors and cross-functional teams to ensure the on-time delivery of materials and equipment in hospital environments.
Professional Experience
Vendor Relationship Manager, Syracuse Medical Hospital, Syracuse, NY
May 2018 – Present
- Manage relationships with 15+ vendors for the procurement and sourcing of medical supplies, equipment, and IT services for a high-volume hospital with 300-beds
- Conduct negotiations for vendor contracts valued at $150K-$700K per year, identify and select new vendors, and secure optimal pricing, resulting in a 15% cost reduction
- Coordinate with cross-functional teams to review operational metrics and ensure quality services and products from vendors
Vendor Relationship Manager, Buffalo Medical Center, Buffalo, NY
May 2016 – May 2018
- Oversaw 12 relationships with vendors, evaluated contract terms, performed pricing negotiations, and served as the point of contact for vendors and stakeholders
- Spearheaded an initiative to transition from a third-party vendor to an internal IT department, delivered proposal to hospital stakeholders, and achieved executive buy-in, resulting in a $200K reduction in annual costs
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Business Administration
University of Syracuse, Syracuse, NY September 2012 – May 2016
Key Skills
- Vendor Relationship Management
- Procurement
- Cross-functional Collaboration
- Change Management
- Process Improvement
Frequently Asked Questions: Vendor Relationship Manager Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for vendor relationship manager resumes?-
Using action verbs on your resume helps you write a more compelling, dynamic document. The right action verbs help qualify your accomplishments and let employers know you’re an experienced vendor relationship manager. Words like “collaborated,” “cultivated,” and “built” speak to your ability to build relationships. And verbs such as “managed,” “oversaw,” and “established” position you as a responsible, proactive professional.
Use some of the verbs from the list below to capture the essence of your experience on your resume.
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Analyzed | Built |
| Collaborated | Communicated |
| Conducted | Cultivated |
| Developed | Drove |
| Established | Evaluated |
| Identified | Implemented |
| Improved | Managed |
| Nurtured | Oversaw |
| Partnered | Sourced |
How do you align your resume with a job description?-
Employment opportunities in business and financial occupations are expected to grow at a faster-than-average pace through 2032, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Positioning yourself as a strong candidate for positions you want in this market can help increase your chances of landing an interview or a job. Do that by taking time to align your resume with the employer’s job listing.
Read the job listing and note down specific requirements, such as certifications, skills, or experience the employer wants to see in candidates. Match those requirements with your own qualifications, ensuring you include them all on your resume. Use the employer’s verbiage whenever possible. For example, if the employer wants process improvement experience and you have a Six Sigma credential, talk about your “Six Sigma Process Improvement Certification.”
What is the best vendor relationship manager resume format?-
The reverse chronological resume format provides a number of benefits for vendor relationship managers. It puts the emphasis on your professional work history, presenting it in an organized manner that establishes a narrative for your past accomplishments. When you incorporate bullet points and other formatting, you create a story that’s easy for hiring managers to scan and understand.
Putting your most recent accomplishments first tends to highlight your most impressive work history. It also lets potential employers understand your career growth and how you’ve added skills and networking over time to become a more effective vendor relationship manager.
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A cover letter provides more room to share pertinent details about your experience and qualifications. It also lets you demonstrate your communication skills and ability to connect quickly with someone — potentially important traits for someone who will be tasked with managing vendors. Check out our business cover letter examples for some ideas on how to format and write your letters, but ensure you customize each one for the application at hand.
