Category Manager
EIS legacy LLC•Atlanta, GA
•Hybrid
About The Position
The Category Manager – Bearings is responsible for developing and executing the category strategy to drive revenue growth, margin expansion, and working capital optimization within the Bearings portfolio. This role owns supplier relationships, inventory performance, and cross-functional alignment across sales, operations, and finance. The ideal candidate will combine strong commercial acumen with technical product knowledge of bearings (ball, roller, mounted units, specialty bearings), and a deep understanding of distribution dynamics in industrial and MRO markets.
Requirements
- Bachelor's Degree required
- 5+ years of experience in category management, product management, or strategic sourcing
- Experience within industrial distribution is strongly preferred
- Bearings, or power transmission product knowledge, highly desirable
- Proven success negotiating with global manufacturers.
- Strong financial acumen (margin analysis, rebate modeling)
- Proficient in ERP/MRP systems and advanced Excel
- Understanding of industrial bearing applications (motors pumps, conveyors, gearboxes, etc)
- Experience managing vendor agreements and contracts
- Strategic thinker with strong analytical capability
- Effective negotiator with executive presence
- Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority
- Strong communication and presentation skills
- Results-driven with high ownership mentality
Nice To Haves
- MBA or CPM/CPIM certification preferred
Responsibilities
- Develop and execute a 1–3-year category strategy aligned with company growth objectives
- Drive revenue, gross margin, and inventory performance (turns, GM, DOS)
- Identify white space opportunities, line expansions, and rationalization initiatives
- Lead cost savings initiatives, rebate optimization, and margin improvement programs
- Build and maintain category scorecards and KPIs
- Serve as primary commercial contact for strategic bearing suppliers (e.g., SKF, Timken, NTN, NSK, Schaffler, RBC, etc.)
- Negotiate pricing, rebates, freight terms, payment terms, and inventory programs
- Lead Joint Business Planning (JBP) with key suppliers
- Monitor supplier performance (OTIF, lead times, quality, cost changes)
- Manage supply risk and dual-source strategies where appropriate
- Collaborate with SIOP/Demand Planning to optimize stocking strategy and safety stock levels
- Manage lifecycle (NPI, phase-in/phase-out, obsolescence mitigation)
- Improve forecast accuracy and reduce excess/slow-moving inventory
- Align stocking strategies with customer segment needs
- Collaborate with Pricing and Commercial team to develop competitive pricing strategies by segment and channel
- Monitor market trends including steel costs, import pressures, tariff exposure, and competitive activity
- Partner with Sales to support large bids, project pricing, and contract negotiations
- Partner with Sales to drive category growth initiatives and training
- Support Marketing on promotions, campaigns, and technical positioning
- Coordinate with Operations to address capacity, lead times, and logistics constraints
- Present category performance updates to executive leadership
Benefits
- We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
