At Lakeshore, we create innovative learning materials and world-class guest experiences for teachers, parents and children. Since 1954, we’ve grown into a global community—with a thriving e-commerce business, multiple catalogs, 60 retail stores, a peerless national sales force, plus international offices that support our preeminent supply chain division. But today we’re working better, smarter and faster than ever—and setting our sights even higher. We’re building an infrastructure designed for scalability, embracing data-driven decision-making and using technology to improve efficiency and ensure the best tools for the best work. Most importantly, we continue to invest in a diverse team of inquisitive top talent who fuel each other’s passions and curiosity, take risks, try new things, and believe that every new day brings opportunities for growth.

We are currently seeking a Manager, Global Sourcing - Accelerated to join our team. In this role, you will monitor vendor performance—particularly new vendors—to ensure they meet quality and delivery requirements. The position also requires collaborating with global cross-functional product teams to secure favorable pricing, quality, delivery and relationship management, and partnering with the Asia team to ensure vendors meet requirements and execute plans using expert data gathering. Applicants should have advanced experience, ideally as part of regional U.S.– or European-headquartered companies and with product or industry experience similar to Lakeshore Learning Materials. The ideal candidate also possesses aptitude in contract negotiation techniques tailored to an Asia supply chain.

A day on the job looks like this:

• Monitor the performance of vendors and assess their ability to meet quality and delivery requirements, especially with new vendors
• Implement end-to-end strategies for vendor diversification to deliver sustainable value and ensure vendors can truly commit to the plan and are sustainable in terms of timeline and cost
• Work with vendors in factories to observe capabilities and build plans to meet sourcing goals. Once approved, implement the plan with the vendor
• Collaborate with global cross-functional product teams to ensure vendors provide the most favorable pricing, quality, delivery and relationship management to meet company goals and objectives
• Partner with the Asia team (Engineering, Quality) to ensure vendors can meet requirements and execute plans using expert data gathering
• Maintain extensive daily communication with global teams in the U.S., Hong Kong, Vietnam and China
• Consolidate projects and recommend vendor solutions based on NPD activities
• Execute complex projects, provide updates to leadership independently and manage tasks and outcomes
• Lead vendor management strategic implementation, working with on-the-ground labs to identify vendor deficiencies and recommend solutions to prevent product timeline slowdowns
• Ensure strong working relationships with all vendors and external partners to meet ATP goals

Got the skills and experience? Here’s what we’re looking for:

• Bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) or equivalent from four-year college in related field. An advanced degree is a plus
• Fluency in Chinese and English (minimum), Vietnamese (preferred)
• 8+ years of experience in the field
• 6+ years of experience in a similar position
• 6+ years of experience managing projects
• 8+ years of experience in global plastics, or furniture sourcing
• Superb written and verbal communication skills and the ability to collaborate with team members from all levels/areas of the organization
• Excellent understanding of the supply chain process as it relates to B2B and retail environments
• Skilled at growing and curating vendor partnerships and relationships to promote best outcomes
• Excellent knowledge in plastics or furniture products and cost structure, interpersonal and negotiation skills with a proven ability to create and maintain positive working relationships with new and existing vendors and partners
• Awareness of and planning for proactive mitigation around strategic and global procurement challenges
• Awareness of strategic and global procurement issues and vendor negotiations
• Intermediate to advanced level of proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Great organizational skills including ability to prioritize and meet deadlines
• Good judgment in independent, routine, day-to-day decision-making
• Ability to clearly share complex information and ideas verbally and in writing, providing the right amount of detail to meet audience needs
• Proactive in seeking out the diverse perspectives and talents of others to influence own work
• Ability to deliver results consistently and independently
• Ability to takes advantage of stretch opportunities to learn and contribute more broadly to the team
• Ability to lead others to complete assigned tasks and meet goals; hold self and direct reports accountable for outcomes; communicate clear goals and accountabilities to team members; and acknowledge and celebrate team efforts and accomplishments

And here’s our end of the bargain! 

• Competitive compensation based on skills and experience
• Paid leave for new parents to support work/life balance and family bonding
• Generous employee discount
• Casual dress…and we really mean it

At Lakeshore, we know our diversity makes us stronger, and when everyone feels included and valued, we all win. We strive to embrace our differences and create an intentionally diverse and inclusive community that is representative of the teachers, families and children we serve.

We know we couldn’t do the extraordinary things we’re doing without the people on our team. Thanks to the passion and enthusiasm of this spectacular group, Lakeshore is more than a great place to work—it’s a great experience to be part of. Day in and day out, we give everything we’ve got to create products that instill a sense of wonder and foster a true love of learning. To help maintain this high bar for success, we’re constantly on the lookout for people to join us. So if you’re a down-to-earth professional who shares our desire for making a difference, we’d love to hear from you. 
 
To learn more about Lakeshore, visit www.lakeshorelearning.com/careers 
 
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
People are selected to become members of the Lakeshore family based on skill, merit and mind-boggling talent—not based on race, color, creed, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, marital status, domestic partnership status, military status, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, alienage, AIDS or AIDS-related complex status, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, status as a victim of domestic violence, physical or mental disability, rural workers, carriers of infection diseases or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If things aren’t equal, we all lose. 

To learn about how we collect and use Applicant information, please visit our Employee/Applicant Privacy Policy. INDRLL1