Category Analyst

Border States Industries, Inc.; Fargo (ND); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee-owned company

ESOP

Health, dental, vision benefits

401(k) retirement plan

Job summary

Border States Industries, Inc. in Fargo, ND seeks a Category Analyst to support growth and profitability through evaluation of category analytics and strategies to improve margins, vendor performance, and cost optimization.

You will analyze vendor performance, ensure product hierarchy and nomenclature, support category objectives, collaborate with procurement on SAP data, and help maximize supplier incentive programs in a 100% employee-owned environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum four-year degree and two years of related work experience required.
• Strong working knowledge of the category preferred.
• Category management certificate preferred.
• Project management experience preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of Windows, Microsoft Office, Internet and SAP software.

Responsibilities

• Analyze vendor performance by comparing against benchmark metrics across industry, product, market and location.
• Ensure product hierarchy assignment and attribute strategy; build nomenclature and material groupings.
• Support category objectives, vendor initiatives and communications with strategic vendor plans.
• Provide analytics and category knowledge to support vendor strategies and opportunities.
• Document, analyze and close action items from vendor meetings and KPI improvements.
• Collaborate with Inventory Procurement to update SAP data and costing.
• Analyze forward buy opportunities and cost competitiveness.
• Answer day-to-day category/product questions as first point of contact.
• Analyze inventory breadth/depth from a strategic category perspective.
• Track vendor performance for incentive programs and cross-reference tables for vendors/products.

Skills

Category management

SAP software

Project management

Microsoft Excel

Windows OS

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Office

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Flexibility Option: Hybrid option available

Description:

Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee-owned, which means you’re empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work.

This position will be located in: Fargo, ND

Application Deadline: September 14, 2026.

Please note that the position may be filled before or after the listed application deadline. Applications will only be accepted while the posting remains active.

Pay Range:

*Individual compensation is determined based on several factors, including job-related skills and qualifications, education, relevant experience, work location, internal equity considerations, and the overall responsibilities of the position.

Job Summary

Supports the company's growth and profitability goals through the evaluation of category analytics with the intent to develop strategies for improving category health including: growing sales, profitability, improving terms and conditions, growing incentive programs reducing category fragmentation, evaluation of market relevant cost and negotiation of into stock cost, and improving margins.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Analyzes key vendor performance by making comparisons with available benchmark metrics from other similar vendor for industry, product, market, and location.
• Responsible for ensuring product hierarchy assignment, attribute strategy, market basket identification, build-out of nomenclature for product descriptions and material group assignments.
• Supports category objectives, vendor initiatives and communications consistent with strategic vendor performance plans.
• Supports the Category Manager in providing analytics, category knowledge and category analysis on which to base our vendor strategies to better capitalize on opportunities.
• Participates in vendor meetings and assists with documenting, analyzing and accomplishing action items related to vendor key performance indicator improvements.
• Collaborates with Inventory Procurement to facilitate changes and updates to SAP data and costing.
• Ensures proactive cost competitiveness cost continuity with market levels and analyzes forward buy opportunities.
• Acts as the first point of contact for day-to-day category / product related questions.
• Analyzes inventory breadth and depth from a strategic, category perspective.
• Tracks BSE performance for manufacturer incentive programs.
• Analyzes data to model Vendor and AD Incentive programs maximization.
• Responsible for creation of cross reference tables for strategic vendors and products.

Non-essential Functions

• Supports various vendor and industry events by preparing vendor scorecards and obtaining BSE feedback for various vendor and industry events.
• Assists in setting up new suppliers, materials, and material groups in SAP, vendor promotions, and cost aggregation.
• Ensures the distribution and replenishment of assigned vendor product literature for assigned vendors Attends and participates in meetings with suppliers.
• Assists in collecting, documenting and maintaining content, for rich product catalog content, promotional collateral, supplier scripts, and portal text/images
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor or designate.

Qualifications

• Minimum four-year degree and two years of related work experience required.
• Strong working knowledge of the category preferred.
• Category management certificate preferred.
• Project management experience preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of Windows, Microsoft Office, Internet and SAP software.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to use professional concepts, company policies/procedures and creativity to solve a wide range of problems.
• Ability and willingness to pursue continuous learning.
• Performs moderately complex problem solving with some assistance
• Analytical thinker with the ability to create and execute well-rounded category strategies.
• Attention to detail
• Excellent written, reading, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to be goal oriented and comfortable working with minimal supervision.
• Excellent customer service skills includes being competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged.
  

Physical Requirements

Frequency at which you would carry/lift in a typical day:
Occasionally 0 – 33% Frequently34 – 66% Continuously: 67 – 100%

• Lift from Waist:
  • < 10 lbs. - Not at all
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Lift from Floor:
  • < 10 lbs. - Frequently
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Frequently
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Carried for Distance:
  • < 10 lbs. - Not at all
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all

Physical Activity

Frequency at which you would do the following in a typical day:

• Sitting (a continuous period of being seated) - Continuously
• Standing (for sustained periods of time) - Frequently
• Walking (moving about on foot to accomplish tasks) - Frequently
• Bending/stooping (downward and forward) - Occasionally
• Crawling (moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet) - Not at all
• Climbing/Walking Stairs (ascending or descending) - Frequently
• Reaching (extending arms in any direction) - Frequently
• Crouching/squatting (bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine) - Occasionally
• Kneeling (bending legs at knee to come to rest on knee(s)) - Occasionally
• Balancing (maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling) - Occasionally
• Repetitive motion (substantial movement (motions) or the wrists, hands, and/or fingers) - Continuously
• Pivoting (movement in any direction with one foot, keeping the other in contact with the floor) - Occasionally
• Pushing/Pulling (using upper extremities to press against or draw or tug) - Occasionally
• Grasping (Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm) - Continuously
• Fingering (picking, pinching, typing; working with primarily fingers and not whole hand) - Continuously
• Talking (expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word) - Frequently
• Driving (the control and operation of a motor vehicle) - Occasionally
• Desk work (work usually performed at a desk) - Continuously
• Use of a computer - Continuously
• Use of a telephone - Frequently
• Hearing (Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels) - Continuously
• Exposure (to adverse weather & temperature conditions) - Not at all
• Travel (travel needed to perform job duties) - Occasionally

Additional Information

This job description is a summary of the job duties and responsibilities and is not intended to cover all possible job duties and is subject to change at the employer’s discretion. Employees must be able to perform the essential job duties and satisfy job requirements either with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Our History

Border States is a leader in the electrical supply distribution industry with approximately 130 locations in 31 states. Our employee-owners are second to none in delivering top-notch customer service and in demonstrating extra-ordinary people skills. We are one of the largest independent electrical distributors in the United States providing products and services to the construction, industrial and utility industries. Border States has a competitive benefit package and is a 100 percent employee-owned company. Employee-ownership is a significant part of our culture and our success stems from the dedication of our employee-owners. We practice open-book management and our employee-owners are empowered with clearly defined levels of authority to be innovative and decisive, allowing us to respond quickly to the needs of customers. Employee-owners understand their roles in the success of the company and care about customers’ needs, which drives our focus on adding value to everything we do. We recognize that not all customers are the same and each has specific requirements. Our employee-owners understand these diverse needs and have the commitment, resourcefulness and flexibility to outperform all others.

Values
As a Border States employee-owner, you’re responsible for living our mission, service philosophy and service standards.

Our Purpose
We believe unstoppable businesses shouldn't go it alone. We are owners - of relationships, of outcomes, of every moment these unstoppable businesses need to deliver.

Service Philosophy
We earn customer loyalty and confidence by caring about their needs and adding value to everything we do.

Service Standards
Border States employee-owners are competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged .

Your career
Join an experienced team at one of the largest electrical distributors in the United States. What are you waiting for?

Border States has a competitive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

Health, Dental and Vision Benefits
Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity
FSA & HSA
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
Disability Benefits
401(k) Retirement Plan
Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Paid Holidays
Paid Volunteer Time
Personal Leave time and more!
Border States provides bonuses to their employee-owners upon the achievement of branch and company goals.

Equal Opportunity For All

It’s not just the law. It’s something we’ve believed in since our founding. We value the diversity of all of our employee-owners and will always be an equal opportunity employer.

Drug Free/Smoke Free workplace

Employment may be contingent on the offered candidate successfully passing one or more of the following pre-employment screenings:

• Criminal background check (required for all positions)
• Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check (required for positions involving driving)
• Drug testing

The MVR check and drug testing vary by role and will be communicated to the offered candidate during the onboarding process and as applicable.