Team/Function: Marketing
Reports to: Chief Marketing Officer
Purpose
Reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer, the Vice President Category Manager will be responsible for developing procurement strategies, goals and savings targets for assigned categories in line with company strategy and procurement best-practices. The successful candidate will evaluate strategies based on supplier market analysis, category analysis and category risk analysis while adapting to changing market conditions and execute negotiations based on rebates, claim backs, market credits, effective gross margins, and other total cost improvement methods.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop and maintain a deep knowledge and understanding of category products/markets, supplier costs and the impacts on company performance
- Develop short and long-term category procurement strategy and goals, and savings targets based on market analysis and understanding trends
- Ensure delivery of service level improvements and cost reductions for assigned spend and manage metrics to measure KPI attainment by category
- Cultivate relationships with key business and functional partners and suppliers to build credibility, strengthen strategic partnerships, and ensure both capacity and capabilities to execute sourcing strategy
- Work with Sales and Operations across regions to identify and execute of category management strategies and strategic sourcing process/approaches (e.g., vendor negotiations) for assigned categories/sub-categories (Plumbing, HVAC, Appliances categories)
- Perform supplier segmentation (including identification of alternative suppliers), lead effective strategic supplier relationships, develop supplier management programs, and negotiation efforts with regards to category management
- Take direct ownership of and accountability for procurement tasks for in critical areas (sourcing and category management, negotiations, supplier performance monitoring and management)
- Lead the team of Category Managers to drive a consistent and comprehensive procurement/category management approach across the organization
- Analyze the supply market, key players and dynamics to determine best strategic actions
- Define and communicate service expectations, incentives, penalties to suppliers
- Actively manage supplier performance by consistently conducting formal vendor feedback sessions, leveraging supplier scorecards on performance, issues, targets, improvement plans
- Communicate sourcing strategy to the field as well as a preferred vendor lists
- Track non-compliance spend (identify areas of non-compliance and reduce) and partner with field senior leadership to address challenge areas
- Provide market insights to regions as dynamics and agreements change
KEY CAPABILITIES
- Business Savvy - Demonstrates a keen understanding of basic business operations and the organizational levers (systems, processes, departments, functions) that drive profitable growth; draws from personal experience to quickly evaluate business plans and processes to identify data or recommendations that need further investigation.
- Coaching and Developing Others – Providing feedback, instruction, and development guidance to help others excel in their current or future job responsibilities; planning and supporting the development of individual skills and abilities.
- Compelling Communication - Clearly and succinctly conveying information and ideas to individuals and groups; communicating in a focused and compelling way that captures and holds others’ attention.
- Driving Execution - Translating strategic priorities into operational reality; aligning communication, accountabilities, resource capabilities, internal processes, and ongoing measurement systems to ensure that strategic priorities yield measurable and sustainable results.
- Financial Acumen - Utilizing financial data to diagnose business strengths and weaknesses and identify the implications for potential strategies; keeping a financial perspective in the forefront when making strategic decisions.
- Inspiring Excellence - Driving high standards; tenaciously working to meet or exceed challenging goals; defining success by goal achievement and continuous improvement.
- Leading Change - Driving organizational and cultural changes needed to achieve strategic objectives; catalyzing new approaches to improve results by transforming organizational culture, systems, or products/services; helping others overcome resistance to change.
- Leading Teams - Using appropriate methods and interpersonal styles to develop, motivate, and guide the team to attain successful outcomes and business objectives.
- Operational Decision Making - Securing and comparing information from multiple sources to identify business issues; committing to an action after weighing alternative solutions against important decision criteria.
Minimum Qualifications
- A bachelor’s degree is required or equivalent job experience; an MBA in Management is preferred.
- 10+ years of leadership experience
- A proven record of leadership (e.g., progression through positions of increasing responsibility) is beneficial.
- Good communication skills and the ability to work well with people are essential.
