Manuel Rojas
Bridgeport
Summary
Strategic sales professional with a robust background in vendor management and client engagement. Skilled in assessing customer needs and developing tailored solutions that drive satisfaction and loyalty. Dedicated to fostering strong partnerships and utilizing data analytics for informed decision-making.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Manager of Vendor Relations
Protos Security
Norwalk
09.2022 - Current
- Serves as the senior point of contact for vendor relationships across assigned regions and strategic accounts, ensuring consistent service delivery, operational alignment, and vendor performance standards.
- Oversees and mentors the Vendor Relations team, providing guidance, training, coaching, and performance management to ensure departmental goals and KPIs are achieved.
- Reviews and approves pricing requests, rate increases, and special pricing exceptions to ensure alignment with company financial targets, market competitiveness, and client expectations.
- Collaborates closely with Sales, Operations, Strategic Accounts, and Executive Leadership on RFPs, client bids, and large-scale security program implementations.
- Oversees the preparation, distribution, execution, and tracking of vendor partner agreements, contracts, renewals, NDAs, and service addendums.
- Analyzes vendor performance metrics including punctuality, fulfillment rates, quality scores, escalation trends, and client satisfaction data to drive operational improvements.
- Oversees vendor corrective action plans and escalations involving service failures, compliance concerns, staffing shortages, or client complaints.
- Partners with Compliance and Legal teams to ensure all vendors meet contractual, licensing, insurance, and regulatory requirements.
- Establishes departmental processes, workflows, and best practices to improve operational efficiency, reporting accuracy, and vendor engagement consistency.
- Oversees Salesforce/vendor management system accuracy, ensuring account profiles, pricing structures, contracts, and contact records remain current and properly maintained.
- Conducts market analysis and competitive benchmarking to identify pricing trends, service gaps, and opportunities for vendor network optimization.
Manager of Vendor Relations
Protos Security
Norwalk
03.2022 - 09.2022
- Acts as the main point of contact for the vendors within their geographically assigned portfolio.
- Established relationships with key stakeholders in vendor companies, including owners, executives, decision makers, operators, and security supervisors, to enhance collaboration and support.
- Understands and is knowledgeable of Vendor service offerings, levels of service, vertical specialization, price levels and other company attribute data to ensure the best Vendor to Client match.
- Acts as an interdepartmental liaison to share pertinent Vendor information with Operations, Compliance, Quality Assurance, Corporate Development, Sales and Strategic Accounts.
- Collaborated with VRM team to share best practices, fostering consistency across geographical vendor portfolios and enhancing overall vendor management.
- Proactively assessed, clarified, and validated customer needs on an ongoing basis, communicated them internally, developed plans, and oversaw execution.
- Created and delivered regular reporting and feedback for vendors, tailoring frequency to market penetration, to monitor and improve vendor satisfaction levels.
- Evaluates Client feedback survey data about assigned vendors' work performance and responds with additional necessary expansion of the vendor network.
Territory Sales Manager (Connecticut)
Barnwell House Of Tires
Bridgeport
11.2020 - 03.2022
- Coordinated sales efforts to exceed organizational goals
- Built relationships with new and existing fleets to enhance service offerings
- Evaluate customer needs to be able to recommend products and services based on specific needs or interests
- Work in unison with operations staff to ensure customers' needs are being met
- Work with major manufacturers to find solutions for fleets
- Coordinate and respond to RFP's/bids/sale quotes
- Managed a 12-month call cycle to ensure consistent engagement with clients
- Monitor performance and cost savings into fleets
- Provide outstanding customer service to every customer
- Use problem solving skills to address customer concerns and/or issues
Account Manager
Salesone LLC: Inox / BodyVibe / Invictus / Licenses
Norwalk
06.2017 - 03.2020
- Sell and negotiate pricing on our different wholesale jewelry brands (INOX Jewelry, Body Vibe Body Jewelry, Invictus Body Jewelry, Hollis Bahringer, Licensed Brands)
- Guide clients in ordering and purchasing from our wholesale jewelry brands
- Established relationships with international and domestic customers to enhance engagement and loyalty
- Maintained professional relationships with international and domestic customers to support retention and satisfaction
- Provide excellent customer service by addressing questions and concerns in a professional manner
- Informed customers about new product releases to drive ongoing interest and sales
- Identify new opportunities for buyers and recommend it for their business
- Meet monthly and yearly sales goals (Achieved 2018 Sales budget & saw 10% increase in sales)
- Represented company at Jewelers International Showcase (JIS) to promote products
- Showcased products as vendor at JCK Las Vegas
- Displayed products as vendor at Retail Jewelers Organization (RJO)
Client Advisor
Prestige Volkswagen of Stamford
Stamford
02.2016 - 06.2017
- Assessed customer vehicle needs through targeted questioning and active listening
- Assisted clients in navigating the vehicle purchasing or leasing process
- Provide vehicle product demonstrations and test drives
- Work with management to structure leases and purchases
- Coordinated vehicle delivery with detailed explanations of features, operation, warranty, and servicing
- Achieve or exceed monthly sales goals while maintaining a high level of CSI
- Professionally greet and offer assistance to showroom guests in a friendly energetic manner
Territory Sales Representative
Grainger
Hartford
08.2015 - 02.2016
- Creating and executing a territory sales plan that meets or exceeds stated revenue and profit targets
- Identified and pursued new customer acquisition opportunities within assigned territory to expand market reach
- Selling to existing Grainger customers in assigned territory
- Meeting regularly with customers in sales territory to understand their evolving MRO needs
- Educated customers on Grainger offerings and purchasing options, including seller direct, phone, and Grainger.com
- Conducting cold calls to acquire new customers in assigned sales territory
- Built long-term, productive relationships with new customers to enhance customer loyalty and retention
- Served as Grainger's primary representative to communicate value proposition in assigned territory
- Monitoring real-time opportunities at new businesses and/or business expansion in assigned territory
- Optimizing call routes to maximize time in the field and overall efficiency
- Identifying and executing local marketing activities to enhance local presence and grow sales
Marketing and Sales Analyst
LatinosinHigherEd.com
Woodbridge
08.2014 - 08.2015
- Research competitor marketing strategies
- Tracked account activity results to assess effectiveness of marketing strategies
- Identify leads through social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn)
- Conduct research on prospective national accounts to promote services
- Marketed and promoted services via social networking sites, email campaigns, direct mail, and partnerships
- Generated business through daily outside calls to prospective clients
- Attend trade-shows and conferences to promote and market business
- Maintain daily quota of calls and weekly sales goals
- Attain and exceed 100% of any assigned individual or team revenue goal
- Understand key competitors and position our products' advantages
Student Manager
University of Hartford - Office of Institutional Advancement
West Hartford
01.2012 - 05.2015
- Conducting cold calls to prospective donors including parents of students and friends of the University.
- Contacted alumni to achieve the goals of the Anchor Fund using critical thinking and listening skills.
- Explained Anchor Fund services and addressed inquiries to enhance donor engagement
- Collaborated with student reps to address inquiries and communicate fundraising goals
- Managed call center operations during scheduled shifts.
- Conducted performance evaluations and reviews.
- Obtained alumni and donor information such as name, address, and donation method, and entered information into computer database.
- Raised $25,000 in total gifts and pledges during my time at the call center.
Marketing and Sales Intern
LatinosinHigherEd.com
Woodbridge
05.2014 - 08.2014
- Marketed and promoted services via social networking sites, email campaigns, direct mail, and partnerships
- Identify leads through social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn)
- Generated business through daily outside calls to prospective clients
- Maintain daily quota of calls and weekly sales goals
- Attain and exceed 100% of any assigned individual or team revenue goal
- Attended trade shows and conferences to promote brand and engage potential clients
- Research competitor marketing strategies
- Understand key competitors and position our products' advantages
- Conduct research on prospective national accounts to promote services
- Assist with the development of a marketing strategy
Education
MBA - Marketing
University of Hartford
West Hartford01-2024
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration, Marketing
University of Hartford
West Hartford, CT01-2015
Bachelor of Arts - Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
University of Hartford
West Hartford, CT01-2013
High School Diploma - Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Central High School
Bridgeport, CT06-2011
Skills
- Vendor management
- Vendor partnerships
- Vendor contracts
- Vendor performance analysis
- Contract negotiation
- Risk assessment
- Compliance adherence
- CRM platforms
- Customer relationship management
- Strategic planning
- Team leadership
- Negotiation and conflict resolution
- Effective communication
- Adaptability and flexibility
Current Position
Senior Manager of Vendor Relations at Protos Security
Languages
English
Full Professional
Spanish
Full Professional
Portuguese
Limited
Timeline
Senior Manager of Vendor Relations
Protos Security
09.2022 - Current
Manager of Vendor Relations
Protos Security
03.2022 - 09.2022
Territory Sales Manager (Connecticut)
Barnwell House Of Tires
11.2020 - 03.2022
Account Manager
Salesone LLC: Inox / BodyVibe / Invictus / Licenses
06.2017 - 03.2020
Client Advisor
Prestige Volkswagen of Stamford
02.2016 - 06.2017
Territory Sales Representative
Grainger
08.2015 - 02.2016
Marketing and Sales Analyst
LatinosinHigherEd.com
08.2014 - 08.2015
Marketing and Sales Intern
LatinosinHigherEd.com
05.2014 - 08.2014
Student Manager
University of Hartford - Office of Institutional Advancement
01.2012 - 05.2015
MBA - Marketing
University of Hartford
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration, Marketing
University of Hartford
Bachelor of Arts - Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
University of Hartford
High School Diploma - Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Central High School