Category Manager - Channel & Directed Spend

Position Summary:

The Category Manager – Channel & Directed Spend is responsible for owning and executing category strategies across assigned product categories, with a strong emphasis on Channel and Directed spend optimization, supplier value capture, and profitable growth. This role leads fact-based negotiations, drives early quick-win savings opportunities, and partners closely with Sales, Integrated Supply, Sourcing, Finance, and Operations to optimize assortment, pricing, and supplier performance. The Category Manager plays a critical role in eliminating low-value spend, consolidating volume with strategic partners, and delivering measurable margin and cost improvements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Category Strategy & Execution: Develop and execute category plans aligned to enterprise objectives, including assortment optimization, pricing actions, and supplier strategies.
• Channel Spend & Value Capture: Identify, prioritize, and execute low-hanging savings opportunities (pricing gaps, rebates, volume leverage, SKU rationalization) to drive near-term and sustained run-rate impact.
• Supplier Negotiations: Lead data-driven supplier negotiations using structured fact packs and line-review methodologies; quantify, secure, and track commercial outcomes.
• Supplier Management: Own strategic supplier relationships, performance reviews, cost reduction initiatives, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Analytics & Fact-Based Decision Making: Analyze Category and Supplier level sales to identify opportunities, build business cases, and support negotiations and category decisions.
• Spend Consolidation: Partner with Integrated Supply and Industrial teams to eliminate tail suppliers, redirect volume, and ensure smooth execution of supplier transitions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Sales, Finance, Operations, IT, and Marketing to ensure category initiatives are executed effectively and aligned with customer needs.
• Market & Competitive Insights: Monitor market pricing, competitor behavior, and product alternatives to strengthen negotiation leverage and category positioning.
• Performance Tracking & Governance: Track savings realization, run-rate impact, and in-year benefits; ensure results are documented and sustained.
• Other duties as assigned by departmental leadership.

Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing, or related field.
• 2–4 years of experience in category management, sourcing, procurement, or commercial roles, preferably in B2B or industrial distribution environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading supplier negotiations and delivering measurable cost, margin, or pricing improvements.
• Strong analytical and financial skills; ability to work comfortably with spend data, pricing analysis, and business cases.
• Ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously and execute with speed and discipline.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills across commercial, operational, and finance teams.
• Experience with ERP systems and analytics tools (Excel required; Power BI/Tableau a plus).

Success Metrics:

• Delivered run-rate cost savings and margin/rebate improvement vs. targets
• Execution of quick-win opportunities within first 90 days of category initiatives
• Supplier performance improvements and successful spend consolidation
• Accuracy and credibility of savings tracking and financial results

Work Environment & Physical Demands:

Reasonable accommodations will be evaluated and may be implemented to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of this position.

• Routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, etc.
• Regularly required to talk and hear.
• Frequently required to sit.
• Occasionally required to stand and walk.
• Must be able to get self to and from various work locations. This typically requires a valid driver’s license to operate a moving vehicle (personal, company, and/or rental).
• May be required to wear various forms of protective equipment (shoes, gloves, protective eyewear, etc.) when making sales calls and/or visiting warehouse, manufacturing, customer and/or supplier facilities.
• May be exposed to facilities subject to seasonal temperature fluctuations (hot in summer, cold in winter) and conditions (dirt, smoke, concrete surfaces, etc.) when viewing and/or demonstrating products.
• Occasionally required to lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus.
• Long periods of time working on a computer and performing repetitive key-boarding activities is required.