Senior Program Manager, 3P Seafood Distribution, Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods Market (WFM) sources seafood through a complex network of third-party distributors whose performance directly determines what customers find on the shelf. This role owns that network from the contracts that govern it the relationships that sustain it and the strategic path forward for how WFM partners with 3Ps to meet quality availability and cost-to-serve goals at scale. You will be the single-threaded owner for 3P seafood distributor contract management and performance and the strategic architect helping WFM define what the right 3P model looks like going forward. This means owning both the operational rigor (contract terms service levels compliance) and the longer-horizon strategic thinking challenging assumptions about how WFMs seafood distribution network should be structured to protect quality differentiation and supply security over the long-term.

This is a high-visibility high-complexity role that sits at the intersection of Procurement Inventory Planning Store Operations Finance and Supplier Partnerships. The right candidate brings deep distributor contract experience strong financial modeling skills and the credibility to lead WFMs 3P strategy in a perishables environment where margin quality and supply continuity are non-negotiable.


Key job responsibilities
3P Seafood Distributor Contract Management & Negotiations
Own the full lifecycle of 3P seafood distributor contracts: from initial scoping RFP/RFQ and negotiation through execution renewal amendment and termination. This includes fee structures service-level agreements delivery schedules quality standards cold-chain requirements and cost-to-serve terms.
Lead negotiations on rate increases new service charges and contract amendments: building and defending WFMs counter-position with documented cost offsets volume commitments and business case modeling. When distributors issue unilateral rate changes own the response framework and resolution.
Develop and maintain a contract management framework: renewal timelines escalation triggers performance benchmarks and obligation tracking across all active 3P seafood distributor relationships. Maintain centralized repository of key terms expiration dates and open obligations.
Monitor distributor performance against contractual obligations: fill rates on-time delivery EDI compliance (including ASN accuracy) cold-chain integrity and spec adherence. Quantify gaps drive resolution and escalate when underperformance creates store-level or financial risk.
Partner with Finance to model contract economics: total cost of distribution landed cost impact by distributor and financial exposure from service failures or contract changes. Build business cases for contract restructuring consolidation or termination decisions.

3P Strategy & Path Forward for WFM
Lead the development of WFMs 3P seafood distributor strategy: defining what the right distributor model looks like across a 23 year horizon. This includes evaluating distributor consolidation opportunities exclusivity arrangements delivery frequency optimization co-investment structures and how 3P relationships ladder up to WFMs quality supply security and cost-to-serve goals.
Assess current 3P distributor network against WFMs regional supply requirements: identify coverage gaps redundancies cost-to-serve inefficiencies and capability constraints (e.g. cold-chain infrastructure processing capacity delivery frequency). Translate findings into actionable network design recommendations.
Design and manage distributor onboarding and qualification frameworks: defining the standards (quality compliance EDI cold-chain financial stability) new 3P partners must meet before going live. Own the go-live process for new distributor relationships including cross-functional readiness (Procurement IP Store Ops Finance).
Identify and evaluate opportunities for strategic 3P partnerships: including exclusivity arrangements co-investment in processing or logistics capacity and multi-year supply commitments that create competitive advantage for WFM. Build and present business cases to leadership for partnership structures that go beyond transactional distribution agreements.
Serve as WFMs primary point of escalation and resolution when distributor relationships reach inflection points: contract disputes service failures unilateral cost actions or capacity constraints that threaten store-level availability. Own the resolution playbook and the outcome.

Distributor Performance Management & Compliance
Build and own the 3P distributor scorecard: tracking performance across fill rate on-time delivery EDI/ASN compliance invoice accuracy spec adherence and cold-chain integrity. Use scorecard data to drive accountability conversations renegotiations and network-level decisions.
Own the delivery schedule coordination process between 3P distributors and WFM DCs: ensuring schedule changes are communicated cross-functionally to Procurement Inventory Planning and Store Operations before store-facing communications go out. Prevent coordination failures that create downstream supply risk.
Manage distributor compliance with WFM quality standards animal welfare certifications and labeling/documentation requirements. Escalate spec violations with financial impact quantification and a defined remediation timeline. Ensure compliance failures are resolved not absorbed silently.

Cross-Functional Alignment & Stakeholder Management
Serve as the connective tissue between 3P distributors and WFMs internal functions of Procurement Inventory Planning Store Operations Finance and Legal. Ensure distributor commitments are operationally real and that internal teams have what they need to execute against them.
Lead cross-functional working sessions to resolve distributor-related conflicts align on go-live readiness and unblock execution. Develop and deliver executive-level communications on distributor contract status negotiation outcomes strategic recommendations and path-forward options.
Manage competing priorities across DC Operations Finance and Supplier teams to maintain program momentum on distributor transitions new go-lives and contract renegotiations. Document program outcomes lessons learned and playbooks for future distributor management.


- 5 years of program or project management experience
- Experience using data and metrics to determine and drive improvements
- Experience owning program strategy end to end delivery and communicating results to senior leadership

- Masters degree or MBA in business operations human resources adult education organizational development instructional design or related field
- Knowledge of general AI tools
- Experience designing implementing and scaling upskilling apprenticeship or workforce development programs across large-scale operations or corporate environments including forecasting workforce needs and leveraging analytics to drive program decisions

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status disability or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process including support for the interview or onboarding process please visit for more information. If the country/region youre applying in isnt listed please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience qualifications and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical dental vision prescription Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans EAP Mental Health Support Medical Advice Line Flexible Spending Accounts Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage) 401(k) matching paid time off and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at TX Austin - 115600.00 - 160000.00 USD annually