Sr. Strategy Category Manager

Position Summary:

The Sr. Strategy Category Manager is a high-impact leadership role responsible for defining and executing long-term strategic category plans across a portfolio of key product categories. This individual will serve as a trusted partner to Sales, Integrated Site Leadership, IT, Sourcing, and Supply Chain, with a mandate to optimize gross margin performance, drive profitable growth, and align Vallen's category strategies with evolving customer needs and market dynamics.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assortment Optimization: Define core vs. extended product assortment strategies using data-driven analysis of customer demand, market trends, and supplier performance with a focus on the customer.
• Strategic Planning: Lead the development of multi-year strategic category plans including customer segmentation, pricing strategy, competitive positioning, and value proposition development.
• Supplier Strategy: Develop and maintain strategic supplier relationships; identify consolidation and partnership opportunities to improve profitability, service, and innovation.
• Analytics & Insights: Leverage business intelligence tools and market data to monitor category performance, identify growth opportunities, and guide decision-making.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with Sales, Sourcing, Marketing, and Operations to ensure category strategy execution aligns with enterprise objectives.
• Innovation Pipeline: Identify emerging trends and new product opportunities; champion innovation in collaboration with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Financial Performance Management: Own category-level P&L and working capital performance, including margin optimization initiatives, cost management, and supplier program execution.

Job Qualifications:

Education requirement: High School diploma and 4+ years of relevant sales support experience. Preferred: Associate degree (e.g. Business, Communication, etc.) with a minimum of 2 years of relevant sales support experience.

• Must be a self-starter with the ability to work with little supervision.
• Must demonstrate good time management skills.
• Ability to plan, organize and execution skills.
• Possess excellent customer service skills.
• Demonstrate the ability to get the job done correctly and in a timely manner.
• Proactive and positive team approach to problem resolution.
• Ability to establish strong working relationships with co-workers and management.
• Must have the ability to understand and carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Demonstrated skills using Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

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.

• This job operates in a professional office environment and routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, etc.
• The work environment is generally favorable. Lighting and temperature are adequate and there are no hazardous or unpleasant conditions caused by noise, dust, etc.
• Long periods of time working on a computer and performing repetitive key-boarding activities.
• Long periods of time performing work over the phone and participating in group conference calls.
• Frequently required to sit and/or stand.
• May be required to occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.