Strategic Product Category Manager – Growth & Partnerships

Graybar Management Services LLC; Chesterfield (MO); On-site; USD 102,000 - 124,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision benefits

401(k) with company match

Paid vacation and sick days

Paid holidays and wellness day

Educational reimbursement

Job summary

Graybar seeks a Product Category Manager to drive category strategy, lead the Product Management team, and deliver growth through strategic planning and execution. You will work with suppliers and field sales to align development plans with regional goals and manage the category lifecycle.

You will help develop category marketing strategies, analyze market trends, and negotiate distributor and incentive agreements to ensure profitability for the company.

Qualifications

• Minimum of ten years experience in progressively responsible direct sales and sales management.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing or related field; MBA preferred.
• Ability to quickly learn assigned products and product marketing plans acquired through company and supplier training programs.
• Excellent communication and business presentation skills.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage cross‑functional initiatives.
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Ability to maintain positive ongoing business relationships with assigned suppliers.
• Ability to build, manage and foster a team‑oriented environment.
• Ability to evaluate customer needs, analyze sales reports and statistics.
• Ability to think strategically and develop sales strategies to improve product penetration.
• Ability to develop, implement, and evaluate marketing plans.

Responsibilities

• Direct and manage the Product Management team with dedicated team members aligned with product-specific categories.
• Define supplier strategy to improve market share and profitability; develop and maintain relationships with suppliers and functional business managers.
• Oversee the product line lifecycle for driving growth from strategic planning to tactical execution.
• Direct and lead the Product Management team to ensure that product-specific category development plans are aligned with overall strategies to drive profitable growth of the category.
• Collaborate with field sales leadership to ensure that business development plans for the category are aligned with regional growth and profitability goals.
• Establish, maintain and provide knowledge of assigned product category through national sales tracking and reporting, product category insights and market trends.
• Develop, implement and evaluate product category marketing strategies.
• Facilitate the periodic evaluation of supplier performance.
• Identify and execute appropriate action plans for improvement when results are below expectations with assigned suppliers.
• Initiate and negotiate distributor and incentive agreements with suppliers that provide protection and profitability for the Company.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Cross-functional leadership

Business acumen

Product knowledge

Relationship building

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Marketing or related field

MBA preferred

Job description

Graybar seeks a Product Category Manager to drive category strategy, lead the Product Management team, and deliver growth through strategic planning and execution. You will work with suppliers and field sales to align development plans with regional goals and manage the category lifecycle.

You will help develop category marketing strategies, analyze market trends, and negotiate distributor and incentive agreements to ensure profitability for the company.