Sr Manager Category Management - Maintenance & Repair

Why Join Our Team?
At Vallen, we embrace what makes us unique. We thrive on the diversity of our associates and the different ways each of us contributes to Vallen's success. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive company that values the growth of our associates. When you join Vallen, you become part of our winning team. Our vast network of connections is here to help you transform your job into a career.

Vallen is an industry leader in delivering flexible supply chain solutions while creating value for our customers, our supply partners, and our associates.

Benefits at Vallen

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance for Single, Employee + Spouse or Children, and Family Coverage
• 401(k) with discretionary company match of $0.50 on the $1.00 up to 6% of pay (U.S. positions only)
• Employer-paid Basic Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse, and Dependents
• Employer-paid Short-Term and 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 and Sick Days): 80-160 hours of vacation time based on seniority, accrued monthly and prorated from date of hire. 40-56 hours of sick time per year based on seniority and advanced upon hire.
• Paid Time Off (Holidays): 8 scheduled holidays plus 2 floating holidays
• 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 Benefit Hub
• Advancement opportunities
• Vallen complies with all minimum wage laws
• We accept applications on an ongoing basis

Position Summary:

The Sr. 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.
• Other duties assigned by departmental leadership

Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Marketing, or related field (MBA preferred)
• 7+ years of experience in category management, strategic sourcing, merchandising, or product management, preferably within industrial distribution
• Strong financial acumen and experience managing category-level P&L
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategic plans
• Deep understanding of market dynamics, competitive positioning, and customer requirements within distribution or B2B environments
• Proven success in leading cross-functional initiatives and driving organizational alignment
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship management skills
• Experience working with ERP systems and advanced data analytics tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Excel)

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.

• Routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, etc.
• Regularly required to talk and hear.
• Frequently required to sit.
• Occasionally required to stand and walk.
• Must be able to get self to and from various work locations. This typically requires a valid driver's license to operate a moving vehicle (personal, company, and/or rental).
• May be required to wear various forms of protective equipment (shoes, gloves, protective eyewear, etc.) when making sales calls and/or visiting…