Vendor Relations Manager

We are seeking a full-time Vendor Relations Manager to join our growing operations team. You will own the relationships, contracts, and performance of our vendor base — ensuring we have the right suppliers, at the right terms, with the reliability and quality our production demands.

This is not a materials planning or inventory management role. You will focus on the strategic side of supply: who we buy from, under what terms, and how well they perform. You will work closely with our materials planning team, who handle day-to-day PO placement and inventory execution, so that your supplier agreements translate into smooth material flow.

You will report to the Director of Operations and work closely with the CEO and CFO. This is a rare opportunity to build and shape a world-class supplier base for one of the fastest-growing brands in CPG today.

The responsibilities listed below are not exhaustive. As Ancient Crunch scales, the requirements of this position will expand and adapt. The Vendor & Supplier Relations Manager is expected to lead new initiatives and assume additional duties consistent with this title and the long-term evolution of our vendor and supplier strategy.

• Goal: Build a strong, resilient, and cost-effective supplier base for all non-agricultural materials.
• Action: Identify, evaluate, and onboard suppliers for all materials except those from our farmers. Maintain a portfolio of qualified backup suppliers for all critical materials to eliminate single-source risk. Alongside this you will own our supplier base risk management.

• Goal: Secure favorable, clearly defined terms across the vendor base.
• Action: Lead negotiations on pricing, lead times, payment terms, minimum order quantities, and quality guarantees. Own and maintain all vendor contracts, ensuring terms are current, well-documented, and enforced.

• Goal: Hold vendors accountable to the standards Ancient Crunch requires.
• Action: Develop and maintain supplier scorecards tracking on-time delivery, quality acceptance rates, and responsiveness. Conduct regular business reviews with key suppliers. Drive corrective action (SCARs) when performance issues arise and see them through to resolution.

• Goal: Ensure all incoming materials from your vendor base meet Ancient Crunch quality standards.
• Action: Partner with the QA team to define material specifications and acceptable quality levels by supplier. Own the escalation path when suppliers deliver out-of-spec materials, working directly with vendors to resolve issues and prevent recurrence.

• Goal: Continuously improve the cost and value of the vendor base without compromising quality or reliability.
• Action: Conduct regular market benchmarking, solicit competitive bids, and identify opportunities for cost reduction through volume consolidation, alternate sourcing, or renegotiation. Bring recommendations to leadership with supporting analysis.

• Goal: Develop and lead your team
• Action: The team will start out small for vendor management but we expect it to grow rapidly. You will be able to to shape this growth and must be capable of managing the team effectively

• Experience: 3+ years in strategic sourcing, procurement, or vendor/supplier management, preferably in CPG or food manufacturing
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, or a related field preferred
• Location: Full-time onsite in Hackettstown, NJ. US-based applicants only.

• Contract negotiation: Demonstrated ability to negotiate pricing, terms, and agreements with suppliers
• Supplier relationship management: Track record of managing vendor performance through scorecards, business reviews, and corrective action
• Sourcing and qualification: Experience identifying, vetting, and onboarding new suppliers
• Organization and documentation: Ability to maintain clean contract records, supplier files, and performance data
• Communication: Comfortable working with a wide range of counterparts — domestic and international suppliers, internal operations, finance, and brand teams
• AI proficiency: Comfortable using modern AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) to enhance productivity

• Familiarity with packaging materials, print specifications, or packaging vendor management
• Experience with vendor management or ERP systems (SAP Ariba, Coupa, or similar)
• Knowledge of or passion for health/wellness, real food, premium CPG