Vendor Management Associate Jobs in Lindstrom, MN

Hollstadt Consulting is a management and technology consulting firm dedicated to placing professionals at engagements where they will excel. When you work with us, you'll work with a refreshingly real company led and staffed by seasoned experts who are also down-to-earth, good people. We're committed to treating you with respect and helping you achieve your career aspirations.

Since 1990, Hollstadt has been a trusted partner to more than 150 domestic and global companies and has successfully completed over 3,000 projects. Our continued growth has created challenging and rewarding opportunities for accomplished IT and Business Consultants. Hollstadt Consulting is an equal opportunity employer including disability/veteran.

By applying for this job, you agree to receive calls, AI-generated calls, text messages, or emails from Hollstadt Consulting and its affiliates, and contracted partners. Frequency varies for text messages. Message and data rates may apply. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. You can reply STOP to cancel at any time.

Job Description

Location: Hybrid, Oak Park Heights, MN

Duration: Contract through December 31, 2026 with strong likelihood of extension

Rate : $65-$71/hour W2

We are seeking a Senior Project Manager / Program Manager to lead two concurrent warehouse automation initiatives supporting large-scale operational transformation. This role will oversee the successful planning, coordination, execution, and delivery of complex automation programs involving multiple business units, external vendors, and enterprise technology teams.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced project leader who excels at managing complex dependencies, coordinating cross-functional teams, and driving execution across large operational initiatives. While these projects involve warehouse automation technologies, this is not an engineering design role. Instead, the successful candidate will provide leadership, governance, and execution oversight to ensure all business, operational, facility, and technology workstreams remain aligned from planning through implementation and go-live.

• Lead two simultaneous warehouse automation initiatives through planning, execution, testing, implementation, and operational stabilization.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams across Operations, Engineering, Facilities, Supply Chain, Logistics, IT, and external vendors.
• Manage project governance, schedules, risks, budgets, dependencies, and executive reporting.
• Partner closely with automation vendors to ensure deliverables, timelines, and implementation milestones remain on track.
• Coordinate facility readiness, implementation sequencing, testing, validation, data readiness, integrations, cutover planning, and go-live activities.
• Monitor project health, proactively identify risks, remove roadblocks, and drive issue resolution.
• Facilitate steering committee meetings and communicate project status to executive leadership.
• Ensure consistency in governance, communication, and execution across multiple concurrent initiatives.

• 8+ years of Project Management or Program Management experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives.
• Proven experience delivering large-scale projects within manufacturing, warehouse, logistics, supply chain, or distribution environments.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects or workstreams.
• Demonstrated success managing external vendors and holding implementation partners accountable.
• Strong experience leading projects through planning, execution, testing, implementation, and go-live.
• Experience managing project schedules, budgets, risks, dependencies, and executive reporting.
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication skills.
• Proven ability to coordinate technical and business teams while driving alignment across multiple functional areas.

• Warehouse automation implementation experience.
• Manufacturing automation projects.
• Distribution center modernization initiatives.
Material Handling Equipment (MHE) implementations.
• Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems (ASRS).
• Conveyance, sortation, packaging, or automated material flow systems.
• Warehouse Management Systems (WMS).
• Warehouse Control Systems (WCS).
• Systems integration projects involving enterprise applications.
• Facility readiness or capital equipment implementation experience.
• Change management and organizational transformation experience.

The ideal candidate is an experienced program leader who thrives in complex environments with multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and evolving timelines. They excel at coordinating cross-functional teams, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring projects remain aligned from planning through successful implementation. Rather than serving as the technical expert, they bring structure, accountability, and execution discipline to complex operational transformation initiatives.

Hollstadt offers medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, paid sick leave, and retirement benefits to eligible employees. With three different medical plans to choose from, you can enroll in the coverage you need from individual to family, or anywhere in between!

Hollstadt is based on retention and relationships. We get to know your strengths and career wishes throughout your assignment and then start remarket discussions 6-8 weeks prior to your end date. By being proactive, we are able to keep your down time between assignments as short as possible, unless you choose otherwise.

Hollstadt offers on-demand training through our consultant portal. Trainings give our consultants the continuing education they need to excel on their projects. Many of our courses apply towards continuing education credits and we have an entire training hub dedicated to upskilling in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

One popular benefit is our 401(k) match on the first 4% of your contributions. Hollstadt wants to help you reach your long-term financial goals and understands that planning for your future is critical. Consultants also have access to support from a Financial Advisor.

We appreciate and reward loyalty. Join Hollstadt, stay for 5 years, and we’ll give you a $5,000 Longevity Award bonus! Additionally, we know great talent knows other great talent. If you are on contract with Hollstadt and refer one of your connections who gets placed, we’ll pay you $1,000!

We have made a significant investment in building a support program for our consultant team - so you never have to feel like you are going it alone. We also have a Consultant Coach program which acts like a 'work buddy' to provide a safe ear for questions or concerns at your client site.