Category Analyst

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Flexibility Option:
Hybrid option available

Description:

Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee-owned, which means you’re empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work.

This position will be located in: Fargo, ND

Final date to receive applications:
September 14, 2026.

Please note that the position may be filled before or after the listed Final date to receive applications. Applications will only be accepted while the posting remains active.

Pay Range:

* Individual compensation is determined based on several factors, including job-related skills and qualifications, education, relevant experience, work location, internal equity considerations, and the overall responsibilities of the position.

Supports the company's growth and profitability goals through the evaluation of category analytics with the intent to develop strategies for improving category health including: growing sales, profitability, improving terms and conditions, growing incentive programs reducing category fragmentation, evaluation of market relevant cost and negotiation of into stock cost, and improving margins.

Essential Functions

• Analyzes key vendor performance by making comparisons with available benchmark metrics from other similar vendor for industry, product, market, and location.
• Responsible for ensuring product hierarchy assignment, attribute strategy, market basket identification, build-out of nomenclature for product descriptions and material group assignments.
• Supports category objectives, vendor initiatives and communications consistent with strategic vendor performance plans.
• Supports the Category Manager in providing analytics, category knowledge and category analysis on which to base our vendor strategies to better capitalize on opportunities.
• Participates in vendor meetings and assists with documenting, analyzing and accomplishing action items related to vendor key performance indicator improvements.
• Collaborates with Inventory Procurement to facilitate changes and updates to SAP data and costing.
• Ensures proactive cost competitiveness cost continuity with market levels and analyzes forward buy opportunities.
• Acts as the first point of contact for day-to-day category / product related questions.
• Analyzes inventory breadth and depth from a strategic, category perspective.
• Tracks BSE performance for manufacturer incentive programs.
• Analyzes data to model Vendor and AD Incentive programs maximization.
• Responsible for creation of cross reference tables for strategic vendors and products.

Non-essential Functions

• Supports various vendor and industry events by preparing vendor scorecards and obtaining BSE feedback for various vendor and industry events.
• Assists in setting up new suppliers, materials, and material groups in SAP, vendor promotions, and cost aggregation.
• Ensures the distribution and replenishment of assigned vendor product literature for assigned vendors Attends and participates in meetings with suppliers.
• Assists in collecting, documenting and maintaining content, for rich product catalog content, promotional collateral, supplier scripts, and portal text/images
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor or designate.

• Minimum four-year degree and two years of related work experience required.
• Strong working knowledge of the category preferred.
• Category management certificate preferred.
• Project management experience preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of Windows, Microsoft Office, Internet and SAP software.

• Ability to use professional concepts, company policies/procedures and creativity to solve a wide range…