Vendor Manager

Company Description

At Lakeshore, we create innovative learning materials and world-class guest experiences for teachers, parents and children. Since 1954, we’ve grown into a global community—with a thriving e-commerce business, multiple catalogs, over 50 stores, a peerless national sales force, plus international offices that support our preeminent supply chain division. But today we’re working better, smarter and faster than ever—and setting our sights even higher. We’re building an infrastructure designed for scalability, embracing data-driven decision-making and using technology to improve efficiency and ensure the best tools for the best work. Most importantly, we continue to invest in a diverse team of inquisitive top talent who fuel each other’s passions and curiosity, take risks, try new things and believe that every new day brings opportunities for growth.

Job Description

At Lakeshore, the products we bring to classrooms and homes start with the supplier relationships and sourcing decisions behind them. As a Vendor Manager on our Global Sourcing team, you’ll take ownership of complex, cross-functional sourcing projects—coordinating across Merchandising, Supply Chain, Quality and international partners to keep our vendor network running smoothly and our product pipeline on track. If you’re someone who thrives on solving layered supply chain problems independently and building partnerships that hold up under pressure, this role is built for you.

A day on the job looks like this:

• Leading complex, cross-functional sourcing projects end-to-end—from planning and stakeholder alignment through execution and follow-up—ensuring deliverables land on time and support broader business priorities
• Serving as the primary point of contact for assigned domestic and import vendors, managing day-to-day communication, performance follow-up and escalation resolution across Import Merchandising, Domestic Merchandising and Domestic OEM categories
• Driving resolution of supplier issues—including quality concerns, lead-time challenges, backorders, packaging changes, compliance requirements and cost negotiations—bringing clear recommendations and follow-through to every escalation
• Evaluating retail and commercial business needs to support annual pricing strategies, co-op negotiations and vendor cost reviews, balancing competing priorities to protect both the customer experience and business continuity
• Contributing to high-impact sourcing initiatives such as ERP implementation, distribution center projects, vendor manual updates and process improvements—applying your sourcing expertise to shape better tools and workflows
• Partnering with global and domestic suppliers as well as internal teams across six or more functions, translating complex information into clear, actionable direction for diverse audiences

Qualifications

Got the skills and experience? Here’s what we’re looking for: