Category Manager

Dana Incorporated; Novi (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Dana Incorporated in Novi, Michigan seeks a Category Manager to analyze market and sales data, develop insights, and drive category growth. This role partners with customers, sales, marketing, and leadership to optimize assortment, pricing, and profitability.

You will generate standardized reports, build dashboards in Power BI, and communicate trends to internal and external customers while guiding inventory and pricing decisions to increase revenue.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field.
• 5 years of progressive experience in analytics for automotive aftermarket.
• Ability to translate data into actionable business recommendations.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Professional conduct with internal and external teams.

Responsibilities

• Generate standardized and ad hoc reporting from internal and external data sources.
• Manage large data sets to produce concise reports and presentations.
• Deliver reports on time within established timelines.
• Develop and maintain sales and inventory dashboards for customers.
• Communicate trends and insights to customers and internal teams.
• Recommend assortment, inventory, and pricing changes to improve profitability.
• Monitor competitive landscape and communicate developments.
• Conduct in-store audits of planograms and merchandising strategies.
• Develop and implement category management strategies aligned with goals.
• Forecast and support BU reviews of forecasts.
• Manage assigned customer accounts as needed.

Skills

Analytical skills

Team collaboration

Problem solving

Communication

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Business

Tools

Power BI

ERP/MRP

Microsoft Office

Job description

Dana is a global leader in the supply of highly engineered driveline, sealing, and thermal-management technologies that improve the efficiency and performance of vehicles with both conventional and alternative-energy powertrains. Serving two primary markets – passenger vehicle and commercial truck equipment – Dana provides the world's original-equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket with local product and service support through a network of nearly 100 engineering, manufacturing, and distribution facilities.

Job Purpose

The Category Manager is responsible for analyzing market, customer, consumer, and sales data to develop actionable insights and strategic recommendations that drive category growth, improve customer satisfaction, increase profitability, and maximize return on investment. This role partners closely with customers, sales, marketing, and business unit leadership to identify opportunities, optimize assortment and pricing strategies, and support long-term category growth initiatives.

Job Duties And Responsibilities

• Generate standardized and ad hoc reporting utilizing both internal and external data sources.
• Efficiently manage large amounts of data to produce clean, concise and insightful finished reports and presentations utilizing the Microsoft Office suite of programs, Microsoft Power BI and other visual analytics software.
• Responsible for on time delivery of completed reports within the established or designated timelines.
• Develop and maintain customized point of sales reporting tools and dashboards to effectively communicate sales and inventory trends to the customer. Upon request, follow up with ad hoc queries to support, validate or better illustrate trends in the business.
• Communicate business trends and insights to internal and external customers.
• Utilizing the accumulated data and market knowledge, make recommendations to both internal and external customers on changes in assortment, inventory, and pricing that will result in increased top revenue and bottom line profitability.
• Understand the competitive landscape, retailer pricing and communicate any developments and changes to customers and internal teams.
• Conduct in store audits of planograms as needed and merchandising tactics and report to internal teams.
• Develop and implement category management strategies aligned with business goals.
• Develop and maintain forecasting tools as well as supporting required BU reviews of forecasts.
• Perform other duties as required including management of assigned customer accounts.

Education And Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business or related field.
• 5 years of progressive experience analyzing sales, inventory, pricing, and market trends within the automotive aftermarket industry, with a proven ability to translate data into actionable business recommendations.
• Skilled at problem solving including ability to identify and resolve issues and contribute to team success.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills
• Ability to work with people at all levels within and outside Dana in a professional manner.
• Must possess the confidence, intellectual capabilities, and energy to be a promotable person within the organization.

Skills

• Proficient computer skills with ERP/MRP applications, Microsoft Office Applications and Microsoft Power BI.
• Demonstrated strong analytical skills.
• Ability to work in a team environment and independently.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt quickly to changing business priorities, customer needs, market conditions, and evolving data requirements in a fast-paced environment.
• Courteous, clear, and professional manner in dealing with internal and external customer base.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills – written and oral.
• Strong team building, and people skills including the ability to resolve conflicting interests and obtain cooperation.
• Strategic thinking with a customer-focused and results-oriented mindset.
• A proven track record of cross-functional interaction

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.