Vendor Manager

Vendor Manager

Supplier Relationships, Engagement & Performance

Location

Houston, Texas

Employment

Full-time

Reports To

Senior Leadership

Travel

Periodic, as business needs require

Base Salary

$65,000 - $75,000

Target Bonus

Annual performance bonus

About Cue Crane

Cue Crane, a Nettxio service line, connects customers with a national network of crane, lift, and equipment providers through a managed procurement platform and service. We coordinate sourcing, competitive bidding, deployment support, compliance workflows, and closeout while customers retain commercial approval authority.

Position Summary

The Vendor Manager owns the health of Cue Crane's supplier network. This person builds lasting relationships, keeps suppliers engaged and compliant, evaluates performance, and helps qualified suppliers receive relevant opportunities to compete for work. The role combines relationship management with accountability: advocating for suppliers internally while ensuring they meet Cue's service, safety, documentation, and commercial requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Supplier Relationships & Engagement

· Serve as the primary relationship owner for suppliers, including owners, sales teams, dispatchers, operations contacts, and accounts receivable contacts.

· Maintain scheduled check-ins and supplier business reviews based on activity, strategic importance, and relationship health.

· Understand each supplier's equipment capabilities, service areas, capacity, growth goals, constraints, and concerns.

· Document commitments, open issues, and follow-up actions, and ensure issues are driven to resolution.

· Build trust with suppliers while clearly communicating Cue expectations, policies, and standards.

Supplier Engagement & Opportunity Flow

· Work with Operations to ensure qualified suppliers receive bid opportunities aligned with their equipment, geography, capabilities, and availability.

· Track bid participation, response rates, wins, losses, declines, and periods of inactivity.

· Identify why strong suppliers are not participating and address process, communication, coverage, or relationship barriers.

· Help suppliers improve quote quality, responsiveness, and competitiveness without sharing confidential competitor information or promising future work.

· Maintain a healthy balance of supplier opportunity and competition so qualified suppliers remain engaged in the Cue network.

Performance Management & Accountability

· Maintain supplier scorecards covering responsiveness, quote accuracy, pricing competitiveness, deployment reliability, safety compliance, documentation, equipment condition, service quality, change-order discipline, and invoice accuracy.

· Review performance trends with suppliers and internal stakeholders, recognize strong performance, and establish corrective actions when needed.

· Monitor repeat service failures, cancellations, late responses, invoice issues, or other patterns that can affect customers or Cue.

· Escalate recurring issues and recommend preferred status, probation, suspension, or removal through the appropriate internal approval process.

Onboarding, Compliance & Readiness

· Coordinate supplier qualification and onboarding, including agreements, tax forms, insurance, licensing, certifications, and required safety documentation.

· Maintain accurate supplier records and track expirations and renewals before they impact eligibility to receive work.

· Flag missing, expired, or non-compliant requirements and coordinate appropriate restrictions through established Cue workflows.

· Verify completion of required documentation and reviews without substituting for technical safety approval.

Network Coverage & Supplier Development

· Identify geographic, equipment, and capacity gaps in the supplier network and recruit qualified providers against actual customer demand.

· Monitor supplier concentration risk and maintain viable backup options in priority markets.

· Keep equipment capabilities, service areas, key contacts, and capacity information current in Cue systems.

· Support expansion into new markets and equipment categories by sourcing and qualifying suppliers that meet Cue standards.

Commercial Alignment & Supplier Enablement

· Train suppliers on Cue's platform, bidding expectations, scope clarity, approved change requests, cancellation requirements, closeout, and invoicing processes.

· Support pricing and terms discussions within approved authority and escalate exceptions as required.

· Ensure suppliers understand their commitments before accepting work and know how to raise issues through the proper Cue channels.

· Identify recurring friction in the supplier experience and coordinate improvements with Operations, Finance, Safety, and Product.

Payment Follow-Through & Issue Resolution

· Act as a supplier advocate when invoice, purchase order, payment, credit, or remittance questions arise.

· Coordinate with Finance and Operations to identify blockers, assign internal ownership, and track issues through resolution.

· Communicate verified status updates to suppliers and escalate unresolved or aging issues appropriately.

· Do not promise payment dates, alter approved commercial terms, or authorize payments outside established authority.

Supplier Reporting & Continuous Improvement

· Maintain relationship notes, scorecards, compliance status, open issues, and action plans in Cue systems.

· Provide a recurring supplier-health report covering engagement, compliance, performance, coverage gaps, opportunities, and relationship risks.

· Surface supplier feedback and market intelligence that can improve Cue processes, technology, pricing visibility, and supplier experience.

· Partner with leadership to define preferred-supplier strategies and supplier-development priorities as Cue grows.

Qualifications

· 3+ years of experience in vendor management, supplier relationships, procurement, equipment rental, branch operations, account management, or a related customer-facing operational role.

· Crane, construction, lifting, logistics, or heavy-equipment industry experience strongly preferred.

· Strong relationship-building, negotiation, issue-resolution, organization, and follow-through skills.

· Ability to hold suppliers accountable professionally while protecting long-term relationships.

· Comfort working with supplier scorecards, spreadsheets, business systems, compliance records, and performance data.

· Ability to coordinate across Operations, Finance, Safety, Product, and leadership without relying on direct reporting authority.

· Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to represent Cue professionally with external partners.

Compensation & Benefits

· Base salary range: $65,000 - $75,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications.

· Target annual performance bonus: %, based on company and individual performance objectives.

· Eligible for company-sponsored benefits in accordance with applicable plan terms, policies, and eligibility requirements.

Work Environment & Travel

This is a Houston-based role. The position may require periodic travel to supplier locations, customer meetings, industry events, and operational sites based on business needs. The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Cue Crane and Nettxio Inc. are Equal Opportunity Employers. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Reasonable Accommodation

Cue Crane and Nettxio Inc. provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in connection with the application process and the performance of essential job functions, as required by applicable law.

Job Description Disclaimer

This job description describes the general nature and level of work performed in this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Responsibilities and priorities may change based on business needs.

Pay: $62,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• On-site gym
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person