Partnerships & Negotiations Manager

Overview

The Sprouts Partnerships & Negotiations Manager serves as the embedded negotiation and partnership expert supporting Sprouts' category management organization. Rather than replacing category managers in supplier negotiations, the SP&N Lead works alongside category teams to prepare, guide, facilitate, coach, and improve every stage of the negotiation and Joint Business Planning process. Using Portager.ai as the primary negotiation platform, the SP&N Lead ensures category teams consistently follow Sprouts' negotiation methodology, communicate effectively, develop strong strategies, uncover supplier priorities, and maximize enterprise value. This role combines negotiation coaching, project management, facilitation, analytics, and strategic problem solving. The position is designed as a developmental assignment for high-potential Category Managers and Assistant Category Managers who aspire to future merchandising leadership.

Overview of Responsibilities

Negotiation Coaching

• Partner directly with Category Managers to develop negotiation strategies and preparation plans.
• Analyze supplier proposals, identify leverage opportunities, and evaluate alternatives.
• Develop messaging and improve negotiation execution.
• Conduct post-negotiation reviews to identify learnings and improve future outcomes.

Portager.ai Expertise

• Serve as an expert user of Portager.ai.
• Guide merchants through negotiation preparation and ensure complete data quality.
• Compare supplier proposals and support scenario analysis.
• Capture negotiation outcomes and maintain negotiation documentation.

Joint Business Planning

• Partner with category teams to develop Joint Business Plans.
• Facilitate planning sessions and document initiatives.
• Assign ownership, track KPIs, monitor progress, and maintain accountability.

Training & Development

• Deliver hands-on training on negotiation preparation, partnership building, and Joint Business Planning.
• Coach category managers in real time before, during, and after supplier negotiations.
• Facilitate workshops and role-plays that build skill and confidence across category teams.
• Onboard new category managers on Sprouts' negotiation methodology and tools.
• Flag capability gaps to the Director, SP&N to shape future training priorities.
• Plan and facilitate supplier planning meetings, Quarterly Business Reviews, strategic planning sessions, cross-functional preparation meetings, and internal alignment meetings.

Project Management

• Coordinate multiple supplier initiatives by tracking milestones, monitoring commitments, managing timelines, escalating risks, driving accountability, and following up on action items.

Relationship Development

• Help merchants build stronger supplier relationships.
• Help teams better understand supplier priorities and identify collaborative opportunities.
• Support constructive conflict resolution and mutual value creation.

Continuous Improvement

• Share negotiation best practices and recommend process improvements.
• Train new users on Portager.ai.
• Capture organizational learnings and improve negotiation consistency across categories.

Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

• Category Manager or Assistant Category Manager experience.
• 3-7 years of merchandising experience.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Excellent project management capabilities.
• Outstanding communication skills.
• Demonstrated leadership potential.

Critical Competencies

• Strategic problem solving and critical thinking.
• Collaborative negotiation.
• Project management and organizational skills.
• Influence without authority.
• Executive communication and facilitation.
• Analytical thinking and relationship management.
• Adaptability and results orientation.

Success Measures

• Negotiation process compliance.
• Merchant satisfaction with coaching.
• ai adoption.
• Quality of Joint Business Plans.
• Timely completion of initiatives.
• Financial value delivered.
• Supplier relationship improvement.
• Category manager capability development.

Benefits

In addition to a rewarding career, Sprouts offers a comprehensive program to help support you and your family. These programs include:

• Competitive pay
• Sick time plan that you can use to support you or your immediate families health
• Vacation accrual plan
• Opportunities for career growth
• 15% discount for you and one other family member in your household on all purchases made at Sprouts
• Flexible schedules
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 401(K) Retirement savings plan with a generous company match
• Company paid life insurance
• Contests and appreciation events throughout the year full of prizes, food and fun!

Eligibility requirements may apply for the following benefits:

• Bonus based on company and/or individual performance
• Affordable benefit coverage, including medical, dental and vision
• Health Savings Account with company match
• Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts for healthcare and dependent care
• Company paid short-term disability coverage
• Paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers
• Paid holidays

Get Paid Every Day!

Sprouts Farmers Market offers DailyPay - if you’re hired as an eligible employee, you’ll be able to transfer the money you’ve already earned at no extra cost, and get it the next business day, for free.  We offer DailyPay so you don’t have to wait for payday to access the money you’ve already worked for. With DailyPay, you can see how much you’ve made every day and you can transfer your money any time before payday.

 You can learn more by visiting https://www.dailypay.com/partners/sprouts-farmers-market/.

Why Sprouts

Grow with us!

If you have a passion for inspiring people and a flair for fresh food, consider applying for a job at Sprouts! With a focus on customer service, our neighborhood grocery stores offer high-quality, farm fresh produce, natural meats, plenty of scoop-your-own bulk goods and much more in a fun, friendly, old-fashioned farmer’s market setting.  Come grow your career in healthy living with a fast-paced, rapidly growing company and teams that pride themselves on empowering others along their journey.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by people assigned to this work. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and requirements. Sprouts’ management reserves the right to amend and change duties, responsibilities, and requirements to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.

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