Strategic Category Manager - Growth & Negotiations

Brooks Safety Solutions; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Brooks Safety Solutions is seeking a Category Manager to develop and execute category strategies, manage supplier relationships, and drive revenue growth in a hybrid Charlotte, NC office. This role requires strong analytical skills, cross-functional collaboration, and proven negotiation capabilities.

You will analyze market trends, optimize assortment, and lead commercial negotiations to secure favorable terms.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in Category Management, Buying, Procurement, or a related commercial role.
• Experience managing supplier relationships and commercial negotiations.
• Proficiency in data analysis and Microsoft Excel; experience with ERP and business intelligence tools is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the category strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Drive revenue growth through pricing, promotions, assortment optimization, and category planning.
• Analyze sales performance, market trends, customer behavior, and competitive activity to identify growth opportunities.
• Optimize product assortment and product mix to maximize customer satisfaction and business performance.
• Develop and manage strategic supplier relationships, including contract negotiations and performance management.
• Lead commercial negotiations to secure competitive pricing, favorable terms, and improved supplier collaboration.
• Partner with cross-functional teams including Sales, Supply Chain, Marketing, Finance, and other cross-functional teams to execute category strategies.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and implement corrective actions to improve category performance.
• Identify innovation opportunities and support new product introductions that strengthen market position.
• Strong strategic thinking and commercial business acumen.
• Proven expertise in category management, merchandising, or commercial management.
• Excellent negotiation and supplier relationship management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Leadership, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
• Ability to make data-driven decisions in a fast-paced environment.

Skills

Category management

Negotiation

Supplier relations

Data analysis

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, or related field

Tools

Excel

ERP

BI tools

Job description

Brooks Safety Solutions is seeking a Category Manager to develop and execute category strategies, manage supplier relationships, and drive revenue growth in a hybrid Charlotte, NC office. This role requires strong analytical skills, cross-functional collaboration, and proven negotiation capabilities.

You will analyze market trends, optimize assortment, and lead commercial negotiations to secure favorable terms.