Associate Vendor Relations Specialist

Job Summary
Lead client onboarding, new-client implementations, and related activities to ensure vendor experience is seamless and consistent.
Support Vendor Relations business functions such as, but not limited to: acting as site administrator for the vendor portal platform; serving as primary contact for new vendor on-boarding and associated responsibilities, acting as site administrator for the ZenDesk Ticket System.
Job Description
Vendor Relations SpecialistAbout Medline:
About Medline India:
Medline India was setup in 2010 in Pune, primarily as an offshore Development Centre and to augment resources for Medline Industries LP headquartered in Chicago, USA. We are a 1500+ strong and growing team of technology, finance and business support professionals who support our businesses worldwide towards a mission to make healthcare run better. We are proud to be certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ by the Great Place to Work Institute® (India) for the duration June 2025 – June 2026. We are an organization with a conducive work environment, ample opportunities to learn, contribute and grow with a highly empowered & engaged team. We encourage our people to share their best ideas and create new opportunities for our customers and ourselves to work together to solve today’s toughest healthcare challenges.
About Medline Canada:
Medline Canada stands at the forefront of healthcare, providing expertise and a breadth of solutions for every care setting. With 1100+ employees in Canada, including 200 dedicated sales and clinical professionals and distributing 50,000+ products through our network of nine distribution centers located coast-to-coast, Medline Canada is the largest provider of medical-surgical products and supply chain solutions serving all points of care in Canada.
About Medline Industries, LP:
Established in 1966, Medline Industries LP is a renowned global healthcare organization boasting 56 years of consecutive sales growth, exceeding $21 billion in annual sales. With a workforce of over 36,000 professionals spread across the globe, we operate in more than 125 countries and territories. As the largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies in the United States, Medline is uniquely positioned to offer comprehensive products, education, and support across the continuum of care. At present, Medline Industries, LP holds the esteemed position as the #1 market leader, delivering an extensive portfolio of over 550,000 medical products and clinical solutions. Our clientele includes hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, physician offices, home care agencies, providers, and retailers. We're proud to be recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Large Employers and Best Employers for Women. Additionally, the Chicago Tribune has consistently named us a Top Workplace for the past 12 years.
Why join Medline:
A direct, full-time employment in a large, stable, rapidly growing and yet profitable company.
First-rate compensation and benefits package.
Genuine individual growth potential in this new establishment.
Open door and highly ethical work culture, with due accountability.
Job Description:
The Vendor Relations Specialist will be responsible for executing new vendor setup and account management processes, managing vendor inquiries, and supporting product and pricing information requests for Medline Canada. This role involves collaboration with internal teams and external stakeholders to ensure efficient vendor management and product support.
Job Responsibilities:
Vendor Setup & Management:
Execute new vendor setup and account management processes as directed by the Vendor Relations (VR) team.
Ensure the Vendor Master Smartsheet and linked tools are updated with required information obtained through vendor setup processes.
Manage new account/updates, forms processes and tools updates.
Product Support:
Respond to vendor and product inquiries from the Vendor Relations mailbox, including product availability, cross-referencing, and sourcing using SAP, internet, and division support contacts.
Assign inquiries to the appropriate Associate/Vendor Relations Manager (AVRM/VRM) for support when preferred substitutes are unclear or if quality or pricing issues are raised.
Professionally respond to inquiries received in error (e.g. process owned by another department) or that can be self-managed by redirecting or providing self-serve instruction.
Engage with vendors to obtain product and pricing information supporting the product portfolio, including inquiries related to product availability, Medline Acquisition Cost, and gathering product details.
Support costing build-up for Sales/RFP quotes and inquiries by calculating and sharing accurate product costing details, using standard tools.
Gather inputs required from vendors for new item set up requests as directed by AVRM/VRM using the Vendor New Item Template.
Support item processes in SAP, including item creation and discontinuation/substitution processes, and draft discontinuation/substitution communications.
Perform vendor price analysis by reviewing and comparing current SAP pricing against new vendor pricing, ensuring UOM accuracy, identifying price changes, and assessing approval requirements and necessary system updates.
Operational Support:
Provide operational support to the VR team, including projects, reporting, and tools.
Perform additional tasks as necessary to support the day-to-day responsibilities of the Department.
Vendor Relations Specialist should meet the productivity and quality standards set by the Division.
Must Have
MBA in Operations or Supply Chain Management, or an equivalent graduate degree.
Proven ability to analyze complex data and provide clear, actionable insights.
Strong time management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks and maintain exceptional attention to detail.
Demonstrated success in collaborating with internal teams and external partners to achieve objectives within set timelines.
Proficiency in Excel functions, including VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, and data formatting.
Excellent English communication skills, both written and verbal.
Highly detail-oriented, deadline-focused, and committed to accuracy.
Self-driven team player with a strong work ethic.
Good to Have
Experience in vendor, material, or inventory management.
Intermediate proficiency in French (Preferred)
Familiarity with SAP, ERP systems, and warehouse management solutions.
Educational background in pharmaceutical sciences (B. Pharm or M. Pharm).
Working Hours:
10.30 am to 7.30 pm – daylight saving
11.30 am to 8.30 pm – non daylight saving
About Medline India:
Medline India was setup in 2010 in Pune, primarily as an offshore Development centre and to augment resources for Medline Industries LP headquartered in Chicago, USA. We are a 1500+ strong and growing team of technology, finance & and business support professionals who support our businesses worldwide towards a mission to make healthcare run better. We are proud to be certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ by the Great Place to Work Institute® (India) for the duration May 2023 – May 2024.
We are an organization with a conducive work environment, ample opportunities to learn, contribute and grow with a highly empowered & engaged team. We encourage our people to share their best ideas and create new opportunities for our customers and ourselves to work together to solve today’s toughest healthcare challenges.
About Medline Industries, LP:
Established in 1966, Medline Industries LP is a renowned global healthcare organization boasting 56 years of consecutive sales growth, exceeding $21 billion in annual sales. With a workforce of over 36,000 professionals spread across the globe, we operate in more than 125 countries and territories. As the largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies in the United States, Medline is uniquely positioned to offer comprehensive products, education, and support across the continuum of care.
At present, Medline Industries, LP holds the esteemed position as the #1 market leader, delivering an extensive portfolio of over 550,000 medical products and clinical solutions. Our clientele includes hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centres, physician offices, home care agencies, providers, and retailers. We are proud to be recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Large Employers and Best Employers for Women. Additionally, the Chicago Tribune has consistently named us a Top Workplace for the past 12 years.