Overview
Join the Vancouver Christmas Market as our Vendor Manager and take the lead in supporting the diverse community of food, beverage, retail, artisan and specialty vendors that help bring the Market to life each season.
As the primary point of contact for 80–90+ vendors, you'll oversee vendor relationships, contracts and payments, sales and financial performance, operational coordination, and the overall vendor experience from pre-production through Market operations and move-out.
This is a hands-on management role for someone who combines exceptional relationship-building and organizational skills with strong commercial judgment. You'll work directly with vendors to help them succeed while collaborating closely with Operations, Finance, Marketing and leadership to ensure the vendor program contributes to an exceptional guest experience and strong Market performance.
Vendor recruitment for the 2026 season will be substantially completed before this position begins. Your focus will be on managing and strengthening the current vendor portfolio, evaluating performance throughout the season, and helping shape vendor retention, recruitment and commercial strategy for future Markets.
What You'll Do
- Serve as the primary point of contact for 80–90+ Market vendors, building strong relationships while maintaining clear expectations and accountability.
- Oversee vendor onboarding, documentation, contracts, insurance, payments, permits and operational requirements.
- Manage vendor communication throughout pre-production, Market operations and post-production.
- Track vendor sales, commissions, revenue and financial performance in collaboration with Finance.
- Analyze sales and operational results to identify trends, opportunities and areas requiring improvement.
- Work directly with vendors to strengthen product assortments, pricing, merchandising, presentation and overall commercial performance.
- Monitor vendor compliance, product quality, presentation, customer service and Market standards.
- Coordinate vendor access, deliveries, replenishment, infrastructure requirements, service requests and other operational needs with the Operations team.
- Resolve vendor concerns and operational challenges professionally while balancing individual vendor needs with overall Market priorities.
- Maintain accurate vendor and financial records using QuickBooks Online, Microsoft Excel and our Vendor Management platform.
- Collaborate with Marketing to promote vendor products, stories and seasonal offerings.
- Support vendor engagement, appreciation and recognition initiatives throughout the season.
- Coordinate vendor move-out, inspections, outstanding payments and end-of-season reconciliation.
- Evaluate vendor performance and make recommendations regarding retention, replacement, contract terms, category development and future recruitment.
- Help identify and recruit future vendors that strengthen the Market's distinctive, high-quality and authentic European offering.
What We're Looking For
We're looking for someone who can comfortably move between relationships, numbers and operations. You may come from events, festivals, hospitality, retail, food and beverage, markets, venue management or another environment where you've managed a large and varied group of business partners.
The successful candidate will ideally have:
- Experience managing vendors, exhibitors, tenants, suppliers, clients or other external business partners.
- Strong relationship-management, negotiation and conflict-resolution skills.
- Experience working with contracts, pricing, commissions, budgets, revenue targets or financial reconciliation.
- Strong commercial judgment and an ability to identify opportunities to improve performance.
- Excellent organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail.
- Strong Microsoft Excel skills and confidence working with financial and operational data.
- Experience with QuickBooks Online or comparable financial software.
- Experience with vendor management, CRM, event management or similar digital platforms.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- The ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- A calm, professional and solutions-focused approach to resolving challenges.
- Experience collaborating across Operations, Finance, Marketing and leadership teams.
Working at the Market
The Vancouver Christmas Market is a fast-paced, highly collaborative live-event environment. During installation and Market operations, this position requires substantial on-site availability and flexibility to work evenings, weekends, early mornings, statutory holidays and extended hours as operationally required.
The role involves extensive walking and standing, outdoor work in changing winter weather, and occasional lifting of up to 50 lbs.
A hybrid work arrangement may be available during suitable portions of the post-Market closeout period.
What We Offer
- Annual salary of $75,000–$80,000, prorated for the fixed employment term and based on experience
- Extended health care, subject to plan eligibility and the terms of employment
- Employee Appreciation Program
- Free Market passes and seasonal perks
- A collaborative and dynamic work environment
- The opportunity to build strong relationships with an incredible community of local and international vendors
- The opportunity to help shape the future vendor mix and commercial strategy of one of Vancouver's signature seasonal events
Please Apply With RESUME and COVER LETTER That Highlights Your Relevant Experience in This Area.
Pay: $75,000.00-$85,000.00 per year
Application question(s):
- Are you available to work on-site in Vancouver and work evenings, weekends, early mornings, statutory holidays and extended hours as operationally required?
- Do you have professional experience managing vendors, exhibitors, tenants, suppliers, clients or other external business partners? Please Briefly explain.
- How many years of professional experience do you have in vendor management, event management, hospitality, festivals, markets, retail, food & beverage or a comparable environment?
- Do you have experience working with budgets, revenue, commissions, invoices, payments or financial reconciliations?
- Are you comfortable working outdoors for extended periods in changing winter weather, with extensive walking and standing and occasional lifting of up to 50 lbs.?
- Do you have experience using QuickBooks Online or comparable accounting/financial software?
- Did you read the entire job posting to know how to apply to this job correctly?
Work Location: In person
