Category Manager

Seaman Corporation • Wooster, OH

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

Seaman Corporation is seeking a Category Manager to lead a product category or business segment and drive profitable growth through portfolio strategy, market leadership, innovation prioritization, and cross-functional business alignment. This role provides both strategic portfolio leadership and people leadership, with responsibility for managing and developing Product Managers and Senior Product Managers within the assigned category structure.
The Category Manager serves as the primary strategic leader for the category and is accountable for portfolio direction, market competitiveness, commercialization priorities, lifecycle management, and financial performance. This role works closely with Sales, Marketing, Technical, Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Commercial Leadership teams to align category strategy with broader business objectives and operational capabilities.
Individuals at this level are expected to operate with strong strategic perspective, business leadership, and organizational influence. The role requires balancing short-term business performance with long-term category growth, innovation opportunities, complexity management, and evolving customer and market needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, Technical, or related field required.
• 10+ years of experience in product management, strategic marketing, engineering, manufacturing, commercial leadership, or related business functions.
• Prior experience leading complex portfolios and cross-functional strategic initiatives required.

Nice To Haves

• Previous people leadership or demonstrated leadership of high-impact matrix teams preferred.
• Manufacturing or industrial business experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Leads the strategic direction, performance, and evolution of an assigned product category or business segment.
• Develops and executes category strategies aligned with business growth objectives, market opportunities, and long-term portfolio direction.
• Owns category-level performance including revenue growth, profitability, pricing strategy, portfolio mix, lifecycle management, and market competitiveness.
• Leads and develops Product Managers and Senior Product Managers within the assigned category structure.
• Establishes portfolio priorities, commercialization focus areas, and resource alignment across the category.
• Identifies market trends, competitive threats, customer needs, and strategic growth opportunities impacting the category.
• Guides portfolio prioritization, innovation direction, rationalization efforts, and complexity management decisions.
• Partners closely with Sales and Marketing leadership to support strategic customer engagement, market development, and commercial execution.
• Collaborates with Technical, Operations, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain teams to align category strategy with operational capabilities, sourcing realities, and technical feasibility.
• Evaluates strategic opportunities using market analysis, financial assessment, business case development, and operational considerations.
• Influences and supports innovation pipelines, product roadmap development, and strategic investment decisions.
• Serves as a key business leader in cross-functional strategic planning and portfolio decision-making discussions.
• Coaches and develops product management team members to strengthen organizational capability and succession development.
• Supports organizational alignment across Product Management, Marketing, Sales, Operations, and Technical functions.
• Leads strategic initiatives related to category growth, market expansion, operational improvement, and portfolio optimization.
• Serves as a senior subject matter expert for assigned markets, applications, customer segments, and competitive positioning.
• Direct leadership responsibility for Product Managers and Senior Product Managers.
• Responsible for coaching, development, performance management, and talent growth within assigned category teams.
• Leads cross-functional initiatives, strategic projects, commercialization efforts, and portfolio planning activities.

Benefits

• Company performance bonus in addition to base salary
• Flexible work opportunities including flex schedules and remote work from home up to two days per week (if applicable to role)
• Professional development opportunities including tuition reimbursement, course training, and networking
• A competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with company match, paid time off (PTO), volunteer time off (VTO), and paid holidays
• Fun and engaging activities including department outings, holiday parties, and our annual company-wide dinner

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager