Vendor Manager

Job description

This is an exciting role within the Services & Logistics – Commercial team. As a Sourcing Manager, you will work with a dynamic team of professionals to build a culture of continuous improvement and drive supply chain initiatives. You will lead efforts to evaluate and negotiate sourcing options, manage the project pipeline, and influence decision-making at the management and executive levels to ensure cost savings, margin improvement, and supply chain resiliency. What You'll Do Sourcing Strategy: Define and execute sourcing strategies within all segments of the logistics operations, including ownership of the related project pipeline. Partner Management: Engage in strategic partner management, collaborating with matrixed teams to drive improved logistics and customer delivery experience. Be able to discuss and represent partner wins or issues for resolution in Global Business Reviews (GBR). Continuous Improvement: Drive cost savings and operational efficiencies by implementing continuous improvement to logistics performance, service/mode adjustments, and warehouse optimization. Leadership & Execution: Lead sourcing events, manage project deliverables, timelines, negotiations, and contractual compliance. Risk Mitigation: Communicate with cross-functional executives regarding risk mitigation strategies, long-range planning, and supply chain resiliency. Project Management: Prepare the supply chain and manage continuity for project implementations and partner change management, utilizing methodologies such as Agile to support improvement programs. Who You'll Work With You will work with cross-functional teams including order management, planning, repair, manufacturing, and finance. You will act as a counterpart and soundboard for the Partner Management and Sourcing Excellence functions, aligning on key parameters with Global Logistics Planning and engaging directly with Services & Logistics leadership. Through these partnerships you will: Drive supply chain cost savings activities Lead suppliers change and team expectations by actively driving suppliers to meet or exceed committed changes Prepare the supply chain and manage continuity for project implementations and partner change management Utilize appropriate resources and influence the streamlined delivery of projects/changes Analyzes supply chain issues, facilitates solutions and proposals, and communicates plans and status in an executive manner Who You Are Experience: 8+ years of global logistics/transportation sourcing experience. An extensive background in Logistics Management Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain Management is required. Experience in the High Tech Telecommunications or Networking Equipment industry is highly desired. Education: BA/BS degree required; MBA or graduate degree preferred. Strategic Thinking: Ability to analyze complex information in short periods of time, transfer logistic partner dynamics into a business context, and recommend risk/escalation mitigation strategies. Communication: Excellent executive-level communication, influencing, and negotiation skills. Exceptional active listening and reading comprehension. Leadership: Demonstrated experience leading with cross-functional impact, managing competing priorities, and promoting a culture of support and innovation. Adaptability: Energetic, flexible, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, changing environment. Why Cisco? At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint. Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere. We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.