Vendor Manager Interview Prep
At Amazon, our goal is to be the world’s most customer-centric company by delivering innovative products, services, and ideas. The vendor manager (VM) interview is designed to identify candidates who have the business accumen, behavioral skills, and cultural fit required to help us achieve this mission.
What does a vendor manager do at Amazon?
The primary role of a vendor manager (VM) is to be accountable for business results for the vendors and categories you manage. VMs manage performance product portfolios, including developing vendor relationships, negotiating terms and contracts, expanding product selection, setting prices, setting inventory forecasts, developing marketing programs, driving sales and margin improvements, and creating a best-in-class customer experiences.
Vendor manager traits
Knowledgeable
VMs have a deep understanding of the vendor’s purpose, target audience, and market.
Data-driven
VMs use data and analytics to make decisions and improve performance.
Results-driven
VMs focus on delivering high-quality results that meet or exceed expectations.
Customer-obsessed
VMs innovate by starting with the customer and working backwards.
Communicative
VMs communicate effectively with vendors, stakeholders, and customers.
Strategic
VMs think strategically, aligning vendors, business objectives, and long-term goals.
The process
To be considered for a VM role, you must first submit a job application. If you meet the basic qualifications for the role, you’ll be asked to complete an online assessment. Depending on the outcome of the online assessment, you may be asked to complete a phone screening. If your phone screening is successful, a recruiter will contact you to arrange an interview loop.
Job Application
Online Assessment
Phone Screening
Interview Loop
Interview Outcome (within 5 business days)
Phone screening
Your phone screening will be with a senior leader on our team. It will last 60 minutes. Half of the time will be spent on behavioral questions that focus on our Leadership Principles, and the other half will be spent on functional questions that relate to your vendor management experience.
Interview loop
Your loop will include five 55-minute interviews where you’ll meet with members of our product management community.
You’ll have the chance to discuss your experiences and expertise in several areas that help us determine success at Amazon.
These areas include competencies that are based off of our Leadership Principles, which different interviewers will be assigned to evaluate.
Behavioral interview
A significant portion of the conversation will focus on how you’ve demonstrated our Leadership Principles in your past jobs. This is because past behavior is an indicator of future success. We won’t ask brain teasers. Instead, we’ll focus on the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of your experiences, as well as the ‘why’ of your decisions.
Each interviewer will typically ask two or three behavioral-based questions about successes or challenges and how you handled them using our Leadership Principles.
How to prepare
First, think about your most memorable experiences in your previous jobs and recall specific details. Amazon is a data-driven company, so your answers should include metrics or data where applicable. Then, consider how you applied the Leadership Principles in your experiences.
Have examples that showcase your expertise and demonstrate how you’ve taken risks, succeeded, failed, and grown. Make sure your answers are well-structured. Use the STAR method to frame your responses.