Category Manager

EIS; United States; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading industrial company is seeking a Category Manager – Bearings to drive revenue growth and margin expansion for their Bearings portfolio. The ideal candidate will have 5+ years of experience in category management, preferably in industrial distribution, with a strong understanding of bearings. Responsibilities include developing category strategies, managing supplier relationships, and optimizing inventory performance. This role necessitates strong financial acumen and effective negotiation skills, with up to 25% travel required.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in category management or strategic sourcing.
• Experience within industrial distribution is strongly preferred.
• Proven success negotiating with global manufacturers.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a 1–3-year category strategy aligned with growth objectives.
• Drive revenue, gross margin, and inventory performance.
• Collaborate with Sales to drive category growth initiatives.

Skills

Strong financial acumen

Proficient in ERP/MRP systems

Experience managing vendor agreements

Effective negotiator with executive presence

Strong communication and presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree

MBA or CPM/CPIM certification

Tools

Advanced Excel

Job description

Summary: The Category Manager – Bearings is responsible for developing and executing the category strategy to drive revenue growth, margin expansion, and working capital optimization within the Bearings portfolio. This role owns supplier relationships, inventory performance, and cross-functional alignment across sales, operations, and finance.

The ideal candidate will combine strong commercial acumen with technical product knowledge of bearings (ball, roller, mounted units, specialty bearings), and a deep understanding of distribution dynamics in industrial and MRO markets.

Essential Duties, Responsibilities, and Accountabilities

(Include the following; however, other duties may apply.)

Category Strategy & Financial Performance

• Develop and execute a 1–3-year category strategy aligned with company growth objectives
• Drive revenue, gross margin, and inventory performance (turns, GM, DOS)
• Identify white space opportunities, line expansions, and rationalization initiatives
• Lead cost savings initiatives, rebate optimization, and margin improvement programs
• Build and maintain category scorecards and KPIs
• Serve as primary commercial contact for strategic bearing suppliers (e.g., SKF, Timken, NTN, NSK, Schaffler, RBC, etc.)
• Negotiate pricing, rebates, freight terms, payment terms, and inventory programs
• Lead Joint Business Planning (JBP) with key suppliers
• Monitor supplier performance (OTIF, lead times, quality, cost changes)
• Manage supply risk and dual-source strategies where appropriate

Inventory & Demand Planning

• Collaborate with SIOP/Demand Planning to optimize stocking strategy and safety stock levels
• Manage lifecycle (NPI, phase-in/phase-out, obsolescence mitigation)
• Improve forecast accuracy and reduce excess/slow-moving inventory
• Align stocking strategies with customer segment needs
• Collaborate with Pricing and Commercial team to develop competitive pricing strategies by segment and channel
• Monitor market trends including steel costs, import pressures, tariff exposure, and competitive activity
• Partner with Sales to support large bids, project pricing, and contract negotiations

Cross Functional Leadership

• Partner with Sales to drive category growth initiatives and training
• Support Marketing on promotions, campaigns, and technical positioning
• Coordinate with Operations to address capacity, lead times, and logistics constraints
• Present category performance updates to executive leadership

Qualifications:

To perform this job satisfactorily, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelors Degree required; MBA or CPM/CPIM certification preferred
• 5+ years of experience in category management, product management, or strategic sourcing
• Experience within industrial distribution is strongly preferred
• Bearings, or power transmission product knowledge, highly desirable
• Proven success negotiating with global manufacturers.

Technical & Commercial Skills:

• Strong financial acumen (margin analysis, rebate modeling)
• Proficient in ERP/MRP systems and advanced Excel
• Understanding of industrial bearing applications (motors pumps, conveyors, gearboxes, etc)
• Experience managing vendor agreements and contracts
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical capability
• Effective negotiator with executive presence
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Results-driven with high ownership mentality

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Supplier rebate attainment
• Inventory turns & working capital reduction
• New product / line expansion impact
• Hybrid
• Travel up to 25% for supplier visits, trade shows, and customer meetings

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all requirements and responsibilities and as such, is subject to change without notice based on the needs of the business and/or department.