Senior Manager, Business Operations & Strategy

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

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental & vision coverage

Life insurance

PTO & holidays

401(k) matching

Tuition reimbursement

Student loan refinancing assistance

Financial counseling

Parental leave programs

Job summary

W.W. Grainger, Inc. in Santa Ana, CA is seeking a Senior Manager, Business Operations & Strategy to translate strategy into plans and to lead cross-functional initiatives with executive exposure.

The role blends strategic planning with hands-on execution to build repeatable workflows and scale the business. You will partner with the President and leadership to drive annual plans, establish operating cadences, and deliver measurable results.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, business, economics, operations, or engineering or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years in strategy, business operations, or related leadership roles.
• Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and presenting to executives.
• Experience creating end-to-end project plans and operating cadences.
• Knowledge of operating planning, KPI development, and decision-support reporting.
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional commitments without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the President and Leadership Team to set annual plans and priorities.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives from problem definition through adoption and measurable results.
• Establish leadership cadence, reviews, KPIs, and dashboards to surface risks.
• Coordinate operating plans across Commercial, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing.
• Design repeatable order-to-delivery workflows with clear accountability.
• Build and govern product catalogs and shared resources with stakeholders.
• Assess scale needs with HR and leaders; advise on staffing and facilities.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic planning

Data-driven decisions

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or related field

Tools

BI tools

Workflow tools

Job description

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Senior Manager, Business Operations & Strategy

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 than4.6 million customersworldwide with maintenance, repair andoperating(MRO) products and value-added solutions delivered through innovative technology and deep customerexpertise. Known for its commitment to service and purpose-driven culture, the Company reported2025 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%, 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.

Position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

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.

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.

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 inSanta 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.