Supplier Relationship Specialist

Position Summary

The Supplier Compliance Specialist is responsible for driving supplier adherence to transportation requirements, routing instructions, operational processes, documentation standards, and supplier technology requirements.

This role serves as the primary liaison between suppliers and internal teams to identify, investigate, and resolve supplier compliance issues that impact shipment execution, visibility, service performance, data quality, and financial completion.

The position supports the organization's Supplier Compliance initiative and Visibility objectives by improving supplier performance, reducing operational exceptions, and increasing transportation execution consistency. A key responsibility of this position is to drive adoption of the Supplier Portal, including transitioning existing suppliers from manual or legacy processes into the portal, onboarding new suppliers, providing training, and monitoring ongoing utilization and compliance.

The Supplier Compliance Specialist will use operational and compliance data to identify trends, target recurring non-compliance, educate suppliers, and drive measurable improvements in supplier performance.

Key Responsibilities

Supplier Compliance Management

• Monitor supplier compliance with customer routing guides, shipping instructions, and transportation requirements.
• Investigate routing and compliance violations and work with suppliers to implement corrective action, including:

o Incorrect or incomplete Bills of Lading (BOLs)

o Failure to follow routing instructions

o Shipping earlier than authorized

o Shipping without properly scheduling required pickups

o Incorrect shipment or routing information

o Failure to follow required portal or shipment-notification processes

• Document and follow-up on supplier compliance regarding issues, trends, violations, and corrective action efforts.
• Escalate repeat or high-risk supplier issues to leadership and key stakeholders.
• Maintain supplier accountability through ongoing monitoring and performance management.

Supplier Portal Adoption & Training

• Lead supplier onboarding and migration into approved supplier technology platforms and portals.
• Develop and maintain supplier implementation plans and onboarding schedules.
• Provide supplier training on portal functionality, shipment creation, documentation requirements, and compliance expectations.
• Monitor portal utilization and address adoption barriers.
• Maintain supplier training materials, process guides, and knowledge resources.

Operational Compliance

• Monitor compliance related to: 
  • Routing adherence
  • Transportation instructions
  • Pickup scheduling
  • Shipment readiness
  • On-time shipping requirements
  • Visibility and milestone reporting
• Partner with Operations and Customer Service teams to resolve supplier-caused execution failures.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on reducing operational exceptions and increasing execution reliability.

Documentation & Financial Compliance

• Ensure suppliers provide complete and accurate shipment documentation.
• Resolve issues involving: 
  • Bills of Lading (BOLs)
  • Purchase Orders
  • Shipment references
  • Proof of shipment documentation
  • Customer-required documentation
• Support reduction of unbilled shipments and invoice delays caused by supplier documentation deficiencies.
• Identify recurring documentation issues and implement preventive actions.

Performance Management & Analytics

• Analyze supplier performance and compliance data to identify trends and root causes.
• Develop recurring supplier compliance reporting and dashboards.
• Monitor supplier KPIs and communicate performance results to leadership.
• Prioritize supplier engagement activities based on operational impact, customer risk, and financial exposure.
• Use analytics to drive supplier improvement initiatives and accountability programs.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with: 
  • Operations
  • Transportation Planning
  • Customer Service
  • Finance and Accounts Payable
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Technology teams
• Support enterprise initiatives related to Visibility, operational execution, supplier onboarding, financial accuracy, and continuous improvement.
• Act as the centralized point of contact for supplier compliance issues across the organization.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Supplier Compliance Metrics

• Routing Compliance Rate
• Transportation Instruction Compliance Rate
• Pickup Compliance Rate
• On-Time Shipment Readiness
• Supplier Corrective Action Completion Rate

Visibility Metrics

• Tracking Compliance
• Milestone Reporting Accuracy
• Data Completeness
• Visibility Score Improvement

Supplier Portal Metrics

• Supplier Portal Adoption Rate
• Supplier Portal Utilization Rate
• Supplier Onboarding Completion Time
• Supplier Training Completion Rate

Documentation & Financial Metrics

• BOL Accuracy Rate
• Missing Documentation Resolution Time
• Unbilled Shipment Reduction
• Invoice Enablement Performance

Operational Metrics

• Exception Reduction
• Supplier-Caused Delay Reduction
• Shipment Execution Accuracy
• Compliance Trend Improvement

Qualifications

Preferred Experience

• 3–5 years of experience in Transportation, Logistics, Supply Chain, Supplier Management, Carrier Management, Customer Service, or Compliance.
• Experience working directly with suppliers, carriers, customers, or external business partners.
• Experience with TMS platforms, supplier portals, transportation technologies, and reporting tools.
• Experience analyzing operational data and driving process improvements.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong communication and relationship management skills.
• Ability to influence supplier behavior and drive accountability.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills.
• Proficiency in Excel, reporting tools, and dashboard analysis.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Detail-oriented with strong documentation and compliance focus.
• Ability to train and educate suppliers on processes and technology platforms.

Strategic Purpose

The Supplier Compliance Specialist serves as a critical link between suppliers and internal operations, helping improve shipment visibility, routing compliance, supplier accountability, billing accuracy, and operational execution. The role directly supports organizational objectives related to Visibility, service performance, operational efficiency, and supplier performance management.