Location Requirement: Applicants must be based in either the Greater Portland, Oregon area or Brooklyn, New York, and be available to work in-office on a hybrid schedule (3 days per week).

Our family of brands is comprised of Schoolhouse, the lighting, home furnishings, and lifestyle brand based in Portland, Oregon; Food52, the community-driven cooking and home company, based in Brooklyn, New York; and Dansk, the heritage home brand founded in 1954.

About the Role
The Vendor Operations Coordinator is an integral part of the Supply Chain team. This is a communication and detail-heavy role, involving daily interaction with vendors, both drop-ship and owned inventory partners. This role oversees new vendor onboarding, sets standards for vendor engagement, and tackles new challenges with a proactive and solution-oriented approach. Coordination with cross-functional teams is essential. The position requires strong technical acumen, comfort using data to make informed decisions, excellent communication skills, and the ability to seamlessly collaborate with both internal and external stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Vendor Management & Operational Execution

• Manage vendor onboarding processes and provide continuous support to vendors throughout their lifecycle with FSD
• Monitor and manage drop ship orders from placement to delivery, ensuring compliance with company policies and customer expectations.
• Define and manage vendor SLAs, hold partners accountable for fulfillment accuracy, stock availability, shipping timelines, and return standards.
• Address and resolve customer inquiries and complaints related to drop ship orders, providing timely and accurate information.
• Work to improve customer satisfaction by ensuring orders are fulfilled correctly and delivered on time.
• Lead regular business reviews with key vendors to discuss performance, identify opportunities for growth, and ensure alignment with FSD's strategic objectives.

Strategy Development, Program Building & Enablement

• Identifies and implements technology and process improvements to streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and reduce human error.
• Build and define the core drop ship program, including scalable processes, operational workflows, and vendor standards.
• Lead the fulfillment strategy development for FSD’s drop ship capabilities, aligning with broader digital, assortment, and fulfillment initiatives.
• Define and evolve FSD’s digital order fulfillment strategy, including delivery standards, returns processing, and customer care protocols.
• Contributes to strategic initiatives aimed at growing the dropship program and expanding the product assortment available to customers.
• Ensure all drop ship processes adhere to company policies, industry regulations, and contractual agreements.
• Maintain up-to-date documentation related to drop ship processes, supplier agreements, and customer communications.
• Act as a primary operational liaison between vendors and internal stakeholders: Merchandising, Planning IT, Customer Experience, Supply Chain, Finance, and Digital Marketing.

Financial Ownership & Performance Management

• Own and report on key financial metrics, including cost per order, vendor profitability, and system cost efficiency.
• Partner with Finance to ensure accurate invoice reconciliation, shipping cost analysis, and tracking of fulfillment expenses.
• Leverage data to identify cost-saving opportunities and margin improvement strategies across the drop ship ecosystem.
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and develop dashboards to track and monitor program health and identify areas for optimization.
• Generate and analyze reports on drop ship performance metrics, identifying trends and opportunities for improvement.

Professional Skills and Abilities

• 5+ years of prior experience in vendor management and/or supply chain operations
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, and adaptable to change
• Effective at planning, organizing, decision-making, and problem solving
• Exceptional ability to build, manage, and strengthen both internal stakeholder and external vendor/partner relationships
• Proficiency in technical tools and a focus on quality and innovation
• Experience working and thriving in a highly cross-functional environment
• Tech savvy and able to adapt to new systems and processes
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and drive actionable insights
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet tight deadlines

Qualifications

• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and SAP
• Prior experience in a vendor-focused role, with a keen eye for detail
• Previous experience working in an ERP (Order Management; Inventory Management) and working knowledge of EDI

WORKING AT FOOD52

Food52 is committed to providing our team with a competitive benefits package. Some of our benefits include:

• Health benefits (medical, dental, and vision)
• Unlimited paid time off
• Monthly fitness reimbursement
• Generous employee discount across our brand portfolio
• 401K
• FSA / HSA

EEO STATEMENT

Food52 is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace, providing equal employment and advancement opportunities to all team members. We value diversity and recruit, hire, and promote individuals solely based on talent, qualifications, competence, and merit. We evaluate candidates without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristics as required by law and as a matter of our company values.