Strategic Category Manager: Growth, Analytics & Suppliers

Vallen; Belmont (NC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance

401(k) with discretionary company up

Employer-paid Basic Life Insurance

Employer-paid Short-Term and Long-Term

Health Care and Dependent Care FSA

Paid Time Off

Holidays

Tuition Reimbursement

Employee Referral Program

Safety shoe and safety glasses

Employee discounts

Job summary

Vallen is hiring a Category Manager to drive assortment, pricing, and supplier performance across assigned product categories. You will partner with Sales, IT, Sourcing, and Supply Chain to align category plans with customer needs and enterprise goals.

The role focuses on optimizing profitability and efficiency through data analysis, cross-functional collaboration, and market insights, with responsibility for strategic category initiatives and lifecycle management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Marketing, or related field.
• 3-5 years of experience in category management, sourcing, merchandising, or product management, preferably in industrial distribution or B2B environments.
• Strong analytical and financial skills with experience evaluating sales, margin, and inventory performance.
• Ability to execute category plans and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Understanding of market dynamics, customer needs, and competitive positioning.
• Excellent collaboration and supplier relationship management skills.
• Experience working with ERP systems and data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, Tableau).

Responsibilities

• Assortment Management: Manage core and extended product assortments based on customer demand, sales performance, and supplier capabilities with a strong focus on customer needs.
• Category Planning & Execution: Support the development and execution of category plans, including assortment changes, supplier negotiations and value positioning.
• Supplier Management: Manage supplier relationships, including performance reviews, cost initiatives, and ongoing collaboration to support category strategies.
• Analytics & Reporting: Analyze sales, margin, and inventory data to monitor category performance, identify trends, and support data-driven decisions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with Sales, Sourcing, Marketing, and Operations to execute category initiatives and ensure alignment with business goals.
• Market & Product Insights: Monitor market trends, competitive activity, and product opportunities; support new product introductions and lifecycle management.
• Financial Performance Support: Support category-level margin, inventory, and working capital objectives through pricing actions, cost initiatives, and supplier programs.

Skills

Analytical skills

Financial analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

ERP systems familiarity

Data visualization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business / Supply Chain / Marketing

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

Vallen is hiring a Category Manager to drive assortment, pricing, and supplier performance across assigned product categories. You will partner with Sales, IT, Sourcing, and Supply Chain to align category plans with customer needs and enterprise goals.

The role focuses on optimizing profitability and efficiency through data analysis, cross-functional collaboration, and market insights, with responsibility for strategic category initiatives and lifecycle management.