Sr Manager Category Management

Vallen Distribution, Inc; Belmont (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance

401K with company match

Life Insurance

Disability insurance

FSAs (Health Care / Dependent Care)

Paid time off

Employee Assistance Program

Tuition Reimbursement

Job summary

Vallen Distribution, Inc. seeks a seasoned Senior Manager, Supplier Strategy to lead the development and execution of a comprehensive sourcing strategy for the enterprise.

You will partner with the Category Management organization to drive cost savings, profitability improvements, and long-term supplier partnerships that strengthen Vallen's market position. The ideal candidate offers deep procurement expertise, strong analytical skills, and a collaborative mindset to identify opportunities

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, MBA preferred.
• 5–7+ years in strategic sourcing, procurement, or supply chain.
• Proven success leading sourcing across multi-category spend environments.
• Deep understanding of supplier economics and TCO.
• Strong data analysis and financial modeling.
• Effective communicator with executive influence.

Responsibilities

• Develop, refine, and execute enterprise sourcing strategy aligned to growth and profitability.
• Identify and realize cost savings, improve gross margin and reduce TCO.
• Partner with Category Management to align sourcing priorities and negotiate terms.
• Manage supplier relationships, segment and consolidate supplier base.
• Analyze spend data to uncover opportunities across the enterprise.
• Lead cross-functional strategic sourcing projects and track KPIs.

Skills

Data analysis

Financial modeling

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field (supply chain / business / finance)

MBA or advanced degree preferred

Job description

Vallen Distribution is seeking a purposeful and strategic leader to serve as Senior Manager, Supplier Strategy. This role will be responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive Sourcing Strategy for Vallen's multibillion-dollar enterprise. As a key partner to the Category Management organization, the Sr. Manager will drive enterprise-wide cost savings, profitability enhancements, and long-term supplier partnerships that strengthen Vallen's competitive position in the market.

The ideal candidate will bring strong procurement expertise, analytical rigor, and a collaborative mindset to identify and unlock enterprise-level opportunities across spend categories and supplier networks. This opportunity is a high-impact role with executive visibility and a clear mandate to deliver measurable value.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Build and Lead Enterprise Supplier Strategy and Development: Develop, refine, and execute Vallen's Strategic Sourcing roadmap aligned to enterprise growth goals, profitability targets, and customer value delivery.
• Drive Profit Enhancement: Identify, assess, and execute sourcing initiatives to improve gross margin, reduce total cost of ownership (TCO), and create long term economic value for Vallen.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with the Category Management team to align sourcing priorities, to negotiate supplier terms and to implement value driving strategies across Supplier and Product portfolios.
• Supplier Management & Optimization: Develop strategies to manage strategic supplier relationships, to negotiate commercial terms, to segment, consolidate and rationalize the supplier base, where appropriate.
• Enterprise Opportunity Identification: Analyze enterprise-wide spend data and supply chain performance to uncover sourcing opportunities not realized at the category level.
• Procurement Analytics: Lead the analytical support of evaluating both initiative-taking and reactive procurement opportunities.
• Change Leadership & Execution: Champion best practices in Sourcing, Compliance, and Risk Management. Lead cross-functional strategic sourcing project implementations to ensure stakeholder alignment and timely delivery.
• Performance Analytics and Reporting: Establish and track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for sourcing initiatives to include cost savings, working capital improvements and general supplier performance metrics.
• Team Management: Manage a team of sourcing professionals (optional depending on organization size).

Requirements

Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree (Supply Chain, Business, Finance or related field) required. Preferred MBA or advanced degree.
• 5--7+ years of progressive responsibility in Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, or Supply Chain, ideally in industrial distribution, manufacturing, or a related sector.
• Proven success in leading sourcing strategies across complex, multi-category spend environments.
• Deep understanding of supplier economics, global sourcing, negotiation tactics, and TCO.
• Strong data analysis and financial modeling capabilities.
• Effective communicator with the ability to influence Executive, Commercial and Operational functions.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver results in a fast-paced, evolving enterprise environment.

Work Environment & Physical Demands:

Reasonable accommodations will be evaluated and may be implemented to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of this position.

Long periods of time working on a computer and performing key-boarding activities.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee may be required to occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Travel Requirements

Up to 25%

Additional Locations

Bonus Eligibility

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance for Single, Employee + Spouse or Children & Family Coverage
• 401K with discretionary company match of $.50 on the $1.00 up to 6% of pay (US positions only)
• Employer-paid Basic Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse, and Dependents
• Employer-paid Short Term & Long Term Disability Benefits and Parental Leave (and any leave required under federal, state and local laws)
• Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Paid Time Off (Vacation & Sick Days) - 80-160 hours of vacation time based on seniority, accrued each month and pro-rated from date of hire. 40-56 hours of sick time per year based on seniority and advanced upon hire.
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Resource Groups for networking and team building
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Employee Referral Program
• Safety Shoe and Safety Glasses reimbursement (based on position)
• Employee Discounts through BenefitHub

Vallen complies with all minimum wage laws

We accept applications on an ongoing basis.