Senior Manager, Business Operations & Strategy

W.W. Grainger, Inc.; Santa Ana (CA); Hybrid; USD 144,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance starting day one

6% 401(k) match

PTO 18 days + 6 holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Student loan refinancing

Financial counseling

Maternity/nursing leave

Job summary

Grainger in Santa Ana, CA, seeks a Senior Manager, Business Operations & Strategy to partner with the President and leadership to translate strategic priorities into coordinated plans and measurable results. This hands-on role builds repeatable workflows and an operating infrastructure to support scale, collaborating with Commercial, Engineering, Supply Chain and Manufacturing teams.

You will drive annual plans, dashboards, and executive decisions, ensuring accountability, cadence, and rapid

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree as listed or equivalent experience.
• MBA or equivalent preferred.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and presenting to executives.
• Experience creating end-to-end project plans and delivering results.
• Knowledge of operating cadences, KPIs, and dashboards.

Responsibilities

• Partner with President and Leadership Team to translate strategy into annual plans and priorities.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives from definition to adoption with defined milestones and risks.
• Establish leadership cadence, reviews, KPIs, and dashboards to surface risks and drive decisions.
• Coordinate plans across Commercial, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing.
• Design and implement repeatable order-to-delivery workflows with clear ownership.
• Build and govern shared business resources and catalogs to keep information current.
• Assess organizational scale needs and align staffing, facilities, and systems.

Skills

Strategy development

Cross-functional leadership

Executive communication

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Business/Economics/Operations/Engineering

Master's Degree MBA or equivalent

Tools

Business intelligence tools

Workflow/tools management

Job description

Work Location Type: Hybrid

Req Number 336657

About Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc. is a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America and Japan. At Grainger, We Keep the World Working® by serving more than 4.6 million customers worldwide with maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products and value-added solutions delivered through innovative technology and deep customer expertise. Known for its commitment to service and purpose-driven culture, the Company reported 2025 revenue of $17.9 billion. For more information, visit www.grainger.com.

Compensation

The anticipated base pay compensation range for this position is $144,100.00 - $240,100.00. This role is eligible for an incentive target of up to 20% or $, based on the achievement of individual and company performance objectives in accordance with the current terms of the incentive program which are subject to change.

Rewards and Benefits

With benefits starting on day one, our programs provide choice and flexibility to meet team members' individual needs, including:

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment and 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
• 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
• Employee discounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
• Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents.

For additional information and details regarding Grainger's benefits, please click on the link below:

https://experience100.ehr.com/grainger/Home/Tools-Resources/Key-Resources/New-Hire

Grainger Benefits

The pay range provided above is not a guarantee of compensation. The range reflects the potential base pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual base pay compensation will depend, in part, on factors such as geographic work location and relevant experience and skills.

The anticipated compensation range described above is subject to change and the compensation ultimately paid may be higher or lower than the range described above.

Grainger reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion at any time, consistent with applicable law.

Overview of Grainger Frictionless Group

Imagine a supply room with no checkout line, paperwork, scanning, or waiting -- a worker walks in, takes what they need to get the job done, and walks out. Cameras and sensors recognize the items and allocate costs automatically. Grainger Frictionless Group builds and deploys this type of technology to drive value for our customers and so their teams can spend time on the work, not on paperwork.

Join our growing team in Santa Ana, California, as Senior Manager, Business Operations & Strategy to partner directly with the President and leadership team, combining strategy with hands‑on execution to build the repeatable workflows and operating infrastructure that help our business scale.

Position Details

As a Senior Manager, Business Operations & Strategy you will translate business strategy and priorities into coordinated plans, clear decisions, and measurable results. Reporting to the President of Grainger Frictionless Group and partnering with other functional leaders, you will strengthen execution, operating discipline, and data‑driven decision making. This hands‑on position builds repeatable workflows and business infrastructure that improve predictability and support organizational scale.

Location:

You are able to work in Santa Ana or Alisa Viejo on a hybrid basis. The expectation is 3 days in the office.

You Will

• Partner with the President and Leadership Team to evaluate products, markets, and operating approaches and translate strategic choices into annual plans, quarterly priorities, and executive recommendations.
• Lead priority cross‑functional initiatives from problem definition through implementation and adoption, managing owners, milestones, dependencies, risks, and measurable business results within delegated authority.
• Establish the leadership operating cadence, business reviews, KPIs, and dashboards to surface risks, frame decisions, document commitments, and drive follow‑through.
• Coordinate integrated operating plans across commercial, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing teams, connecting customer demand with product readiness, materials, labor, capacity, and delivery commitments.
• Design and implement repeatable order‑to‑delivery workflows with clear decision rights, handoffs, controls, standard work, process owners, and adoption measures to improve execution predictability.
• Build and govern shared business resources, including product and configuration catalogs, with technical and operating experts to keep information accurate, current, and usable.
• Assess organizational scale requirements with functional leaders and HR, aligning staffing, onboarding, facilities, systems, and partners with business priorities; recommend resource tradeoffs for established executive and functional approval.

You Have

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Business Administration, Economics, Operations, Engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• 8+ years in strategy, business operations, management consulting, program or project management, or general management.
• Experience leading complex cross‑functional initiatives, developing presentations for executive and cross‑functional audiences and adapting communication to the audience.
• Prior experience with creating end to end project plans to solve complex business problems, from evaluating options, developing actionable recommendations to delivery.
• Developed annual operating plans, operating cadences, key performance indicators, and repeatable workflows.
• Leveraged both business intelligence and workflow tools: investigating data quality and preparing decision‑support reporting.
• Facilitated cross‑functional decisions, coordinating commitments without direct authority, and supported implementation and sustained adoption.
• Knowledge of appropriate practices for handling confidential financial and personnel information.

Preferred

• Master's Degree MBA or comparable advanced qualification; CPA is an alternative preferred credential
• Prefab or modular construction experience
• Experience combining technology with physical products, manufacturing, or complex project delivery, such as industrial technology, hardware and software, robotics
• Knowledge of integrated operating planning, including the relationships among customer demand, product requirements, materials, labor, production capacity, and delivery milestones.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible work environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one's employment, should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, including, but not limited to use of our website, any part of the application, interview or hiring process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.