Vendor Relations & Strategy Manager

Wheels, Inc.•Mississauga, ON

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Vendor Relations & Strategy Manager – Canadian Operations is a key individual contributor responsible for managing and optimizing a broad vendor network across the Canadian market, with an immediate focus on SAAQ and provincial Ministry partnerships. This role will serve as the primary liaison between Wheels and our Canadian vendor base, including licensing and compliance offices, dealerships, repair shops, and other third-party service providers, ensuring vendor performance aligns with operational expectations and service level agreements. The successful candidate will be fluent in English and preferably Canadian French, located in the Greater Toronto Area, and will be based out of our Mississauga office. They will play a strategic role in implementing the vendor management framework, analyzing performance through data tools, and driving continuous improvement across multiple categories. This position requires regular travel within Canada (20–30%) to foster in-person relationships and drive operational accountability.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in vendor management, supplier relations, or operational program management, preferably in automotive, logistics, or fleet services.
Fluent in English and preferably Canadian French.
Located in the Greater Toronto Area.
Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and BI reporting applications (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
Demonstrated ability to drive vendor strategy using performance metrics and analytics.
Strong business acumen and ability to collaborate and influence across cross-functional teams.
Ability to travel throughout Canada (approximately 20–30%).

Nice To Haves

Experience working with provincial and federal agencies (e.g., SAAQ) is highly desirable.
Bilingual (English and Canadian French) – fluent written and verbal communication required in both languages.

Responsibilities

Establish and execute the vendor management framework across all outsourced service categories in Canada.
Serve as the primary relationship manager for Canadian Ministries (e.g., SAAQ), dealerships, repair facilities, and more.
Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders (Operations, Procurement, Legal, etc.) to assess category maturity, conduct gap analyses, and shape future state operating models.
Lead initiatives to drive performance improvements and align vendor services with Wheels’ business goals.
Use dashboards and BI tools to collect, analyze, and visualize vendor KPIs, driving decisions around vendor allocation and strategic prioritization.
Set performance review cadence and facilitate vendor business reviews to identify risks, address issues, and promote a culture of continuous improvement.
Support vendor identification, onboarding, contract negotiation (in partnership with Procurement), and lifecycle management.
Ensure compliance with internal controls, regulatory standards, and contractual SLAs.
Make vendor volume allocation recommendations based on performance trends and data insights.
Identify and implement opportunities to streamline internal and vendor-facing processes.
Lead or support continuous improvement events (e.g., Kaizen) in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
Partner with IT to develop enhancements to tools and systems that support vendor performance tracking and reporting.
Provide actionable insights through both quantitative and qualitative analysis to inform vendor strategy and operational decisions.
Present vendor performance and strategic recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.
Partner with internal teams to promote use of top-performing vendors and support escalations as needed.
Represent Wheels with professionalism and integrity in vendor interactions.
Serve as a subject matter expert on vendor management in the Canadian market.