Associate Category Manager – Supply Chain

Ace Hardware; Oak Brook (IL); On-site; USD 88,000 - 111,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Health insurance

Vacation days

Company car

Job summary

Ace Hardware is seeking an Associate Category Manager to support strategic management of Supply Chain spend categories, driving sourcing initiatives and cost optimization. You will collaborate with internal partners to optimize decisions, manage supplier relationships, and strengthen spend governance while leveraging analytics and AI-enabled tools.

Ideal candidates have 3–5 years of sourcing or procurement experience, an undergraduate degree in a related field, and strong communication skills to

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant field.
• 3–5 years of sourcing, buying or procurement experience.
• Strong analytical, organizational and project management skills.
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication.

Responsibilities

• Partner with stakeholders on supply chain and distribution sourcing initiatives; align requirements and manage RFx events.
• Research suppliers, markets, and trends to support category strategies.
• Communicate business value and recommendations to drive informed decisions.
• Develop project summaries, reports, and sourcing documentation.
• Leverage procurement tech, data analytics and AI-enabled tools to improve research and recommendations.
• Support indirect procurement goals, including savings, spend under management and contract coverage.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Data analysis

Sourcing

RFx events

Procurement

Communication

Education

Undergraduate degree in Procurement/IT/Supply Chain/Finance

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Procurement software/tools

Job description

The Associate Category Manager will support the strategic management of Supply Chain spend categories, including the development, execution, and management of sourcing initiatives across indirect and capital expenditures. This role will conduct data analysis to identify cost optimization opportunities, support the development of negotiation strategies, and maintain ongoing communication with key stakeholders. You will collaborate with internal partners to optimize sourcing decisions, manage supplier relationships, and strengthen the governance of organizational spend.

What You’ll Do

• The Associate Category Manager will partner with business stakeholders on primarily supply chain and distribution-related sourcing initiatives. Responsibilities include obtaining stakeholder alignment, gathering business requirements and data, developing and managing RFx events, analyzing results, consulting with Procurement leadership on negotiation strategies, communicating recommendations, and demonstrating the value delivered through the sourcing process.
• Conduct supplier, market, and industry research to understand category trends, competitive dynamics, emerging technologies, and supplier capabilities in support of category and sourcing strategies.
• Build alignment around recommendations by clearly communicating business value, addressing stakeholder questions, and supporting informed decision–making.
• Develop clear project summaries, reports, presentations, sourcing documentation, and knowledge resources.
• Leverage procurement technology, data analytics, and emerging AI-enabled tools to improve research, analysis, sourcing efficiency, and the quality of business recommendations.
• Support Indirect Procurement departmental goals, including sourced savings, spend under management, contract coverage, process rigor, and stakeholder engagement.

Who You Are

If you have a passion for procurement, a professional presence, an aptitude for relationship building, experience supporting supply chain initiatives, and the curiosity to learn and drive results, we welcome you to apply!

Required Skills

• An undergraduate degree in relevant areas such as Procurement, IT, Supply Chain, Marketing, Business Management, Operations, or Finance.
• Ability to build relationships with stakeholders to gather requirements and specifications from departments and category experts.
• Must possess 3-5 years of relevant experience (e.g. – sourcing, buying or procurement).
• Must have strong analytical, problem solving, organization and project management skills.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Experience in e-sourcing/contracts management tool.

Preferred Skills

• Knowledge of the supply chain, distribution, logistics or related spend categories.
• Experience supporting supplier negotiations and competitive sourcing events.
• Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint, with the ability to analyze data and communicate recommendations clearly.
• Familiarity with data visualization, automation, or AI-enabled productivity and analytical tools.

Compensation Details

$88400 - $110700 per year

Why should you join our team?

We live our values - W.E.L.I.G.H.T (Winning, Excellence, Love, Integrity, Gratitude, Humility, and Teamwork). Gratitude. Humility. Love. You don’t often see values like these in most corporate statements, but Ace is different. These things are important to us. They represent our commitment to the company, our employees, to Ace retailers and to the Ace brand.

In addition to providing our employees a great culture, Ace also offers competitive benefits* that address life’s necessities and perks, many of which expand and improve year after year, including:

• Incentive opportunities, based on role/grade level (company growth over the past 5 years resulted in incentives being paid out at an average of 122% of your target opportunity!)
• Generous 401(k) retirement savings plan with a fully vested matching contribution the first year in addition to quarterly contributions and annual discretionary contribution (once eligibility requirements have been met). Over the past 5 years, company contributions (matching, quarterly & discretionary) for fully eligible employees have averaged 10% of total eligible compensation
• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision and disability – up to 26 weeks short-term disability and long-term disability) & life insurance benefits for you and your dependents
• 21 days of vacation immediately available (prorated in the first year) and up to 6 paid holidays depending on the month of hire
• Company Car, phone and fuel card are provided for field-based positions
• Your career at Ace is more than just a job. It’s a chance to be part of something meaningful. We help locally-owned businesses thrive and make an impact in their communities – and we support our employees in doing the same by offering an annual Ace Cares Week, 20 hours off work per year to volunteer at an organization of your choice, opportunities to help Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Ace Helpful Fund through the Ace Foundation
• Ace invests in every employee we hire, with a key focus on development and coaching. We offer on-site classes, facilitator-led courses, and a generous tuition assistance program, plus a performance management approach that goes beyond the typical annual review
• We know the work environment matters. That’s why Ace holds frequent campus events like Employee Appreciation Week, vendor demos, cookouts, and merchandise sales
• We bring them to you! Services such as mobile spas, auto maintenance, car wash and detailing, dry cleaning, dentists, eye doctors, flu shots, recycling and more!
• Employee discounts on Ace merchandise (including top brands like Weber, Traeger, Yeti, Craftsman, DeWalt and more), travel, fitness, computers and thousands more

• Birth/Adoption bonding paid time off
• Adoption cost reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – access to free visits to therapists and lawyers, guidance on financial matters, elder and childcare, and assistance with tickets to entertainment events
• Identity theft protection

* Benefits are provided in compliance with applicable policies.

We want to hear from you!

When most people think of career opportunities with Ace Hardware, they often think of the helpful cashiers and sales associates at their local store. However, have you also considered the people behind the scenes who select, promote, ship and process the invoices for more than 75,000 products? Maybe you haven’t, but we’d like you to. Because together we help our customers take care of their homes. Come find out why a career with the Ace Hardware Corporation is one of America’s best kept secrets.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Ace Hardware Corporation is committed to a policy of promoting equal employment opportunities. The company recognizes the importance of diversity and leveraging the skills and talents of all people to the mutual advantage of each individual and the organization. The company is committed to the prevention of employment discrimination related to race, religion, color, sex (including sexual harassment), gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, disability and military or veteran status, sexual orientation or any other action covered by federal or applicable state/local laws.

Disclaimer

The pay range for this position starts as listed in the job posting, but could be higher based on education and experience. Please note, compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each opening. We take into consideration the minimum requirements outlined in the job description, such as an individual’s education, training and experience, the position’s work location, required travel (if any), and external market conditions when determining the final salary for potential new hires.

Be aware that salary estimates published via alternate online job boards may not be a true representation of the actual pay range offered for this position. Please refer to the Ace position description for the accurate starting pay range information and feel free to discuss this with a Talent Acquisition professional if you are chosen to move forward with an interview.

This written “Position Description” is not intended to cover all aspects of the position listed. It is meant to cover the basic/general essential job functions of a particular position. Ace Hardware Corporation reserves the right to change job duties, including essential job functions, according to business necessity.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.