Principal Vendor Manager, Vendor Strategy

AI in this role

How often have you had an opportunity to define the strategic direction for a critical business function within one of the world's most complex logistics networks? If you want to join a fast-paced, innovative team that is reinventing fleet maintenance at scale, this is the place for you.

The Global Fleet and Products organization is seeking a Principal Vendor Strategy Manager to own and drive vendor strategy for our fleet maintenance business supporting Middle Mile and Last Mile assets (tractors, trailers, box trucks, hostlers, and delivery vans). This is a high-impact role where you will define multi-year vendor strategies, own overall maintenance vendor operative model, design contract frameworks with embedded performance mechanisms, and build the analytical models that inform network-level investment decisions.

You will operate with significant autonomy in an ambiguous, rapidly evolving space — developing new frameworks where limited precedent exists. Success requires the ability to influence VP-level leaders, lead complex multi-stakeholder negotiations, and build repeatable mechanisms that scale across a diverse vendor portfolio. You will interface with C-Suite executives at vendors ranging from startups to industry leaders, and earn trust across Amazon teams including finance, legal, operations, and technology to deliver measurable outcomes against uptime, cost, and quality targets.

The ideal candidate combines deep strategic sourcing expertise with a bias for action, comfort with ambiguity, and a track record of delivering structural cost improvements while raising the performance bar across a vendor ecosystem.

Key job responsibilities
- Own vendor maintenance strategy, developing contracts and owning negotiating strategy to drive cost-effective and performance focused strategies
- Maintaining relationships with 3P vendors, while continually scouting for additional ones
- Develop internal and external financial views around volumes, labor rates, service speed and other key requirements which will drive cost.
- Creating, Evaluating and auditing contracts while seeking ways to improve and enhance the quality of services purchased and the timeliness of deliveries
- Conducting cost analyses and setting benchmarks for improvement
- Develop risk management strategies to mitigate capacity shortages, including geographic diversification and contingency planning across the vendor network
- Working closely with the company legal department to make sure contracts and terms are favorable
- Build effective stakeholder and internal customer relationships, understanding budgetary targets and influencing spend decisions, ensuring a high service levels, and adding value in other categories
- Measure actual vs planned savings; as savings trends are identified, own action plans to meet goals and develop solutions
- Influence Director and VP-level roadmaps and data-driven strategy decisions
- Set the direction for the vendors to demonstrate a management style that encourages participation and ownership, along with a continuous focus on action, customer satisfaction, support personnel satisfaction and cost management
- Own savings targets and develop mechanisms to measure actual vs. planned performance and drive action plans

Basic qualifications

- 7+ years of with Excel experience
- 7+ years of account management, project or program management or buying experience
- Bachelor's degree, or 7+ years of professional or military experience
- Knowledge of Microsoft Access or SQL
- Experience using data to influence business decisions
- Experience driving internal cross-team collaboration
- Experience with business analysis and P&L management
- 10+ years of vendor management experience
- 5+ years of multi-million dollar contract negotiation experience
- Experience owning end-to-end vendor strategy including selection, contracting, performance management, and exit planning

Preferred qualifications

- Experience driving direction and alignment with cross-functional teams
- MBA
- Experience in significant team leadership from a managerial position in the transportation delivery industry, or a similar logistics environment
- Familiarity with fleet management systems (CMMS, telematics, work order platforms)
- Experience managing vendor performance through scorecards, QBRs, and continuous improvement frameworks

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, AZ, Tempe - 144,200.00 - 195,000.00 USD annually
USA, TN, Nashville - 129,800.00 - 175,500.00 USD annually
USA, VA, Arlington - 144,200.00 - 195,000.00 USD annually
USA, WA, Bellevue - 144,200.00 - 195,000.00 USD annually

How we rate this

Principal Vendor Manager, Vendor Strategy at Amazon rates 35 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Little AI. AI is not part of the work.