The Director, Category Management – Lighting will develop and implement the overall product line strategy designed to drive profitable sales execution for the entire company and across all customer segments. This leader will oversee and lead all product category resources which include Strategic Supplier Relationships, Product Management and Strategic Marketing.
Detailed Description
- Strategic Business Plan Development: Define overall strategic growth plan for category segment and collaborate with core suppliers, field sales organization, customer segment sales leaders, and other functional groups to drive product category business development plans to achieve the revenue and margin targets.
- Sales Support: Collaborate with sr. sales leadership to determine joint annual growth and profitability goals for product category segment.
- Strategic Supplier Relations: Ownership of high-level supplier relationships to create and implement joint strategies that will drive profitable growth of the category through the WESCO organization with targeted end-customer segments. Collaborate with Supplier Relations team to ensure uniform, consistent process is defined and implemented across all WESCO suppliers (Rebates, terms, agreements, etc)
- Reporting Tools and Market Analysis: Responsible for the Definition of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and associated metrics that support profitable growth of the category. Responsibility for all market trends and competitive analysis related to the assigned product category. Partners with the information technology team to ensure the data integrity in product line performance reporting.
- Strategic Marketing/Demand Creation: Ownership of strategic product and solution offerings to drive demand at targeted end-customer markets for the assigned product category. Responsible for the development of sales tools, promotions and support resources to enable optimum levels of sales productivity.
- E-Commerce Strategy: Lead the digital marketing strategy for the product category.
- Training: Lead the effort to develop and implement product line and sales training curriculums for field specialists and salesforce.
- Collaborate and leverage the cross-functional WESCO resources in order to drive profitable product category growth and maximize productivity.
- Technical Support and Field Specialist Leadership: Manage the product category by leveraging technical field specialists. Apply understanding of customer and supplier insights, product portfolio, brand positioning, brand vision and brand strategy to product sell-in and sell-through.
- Pricing Expertise/Guidance: Provide key input on pricing strategies to maximize profitability and brand/product positions in the marketplace.
Job Requirements
- 7 years of experience as a Category Manager or Manager/Director of a team where competence in developing category business plans and share was achieved.
- 7 years demonstrated experience managing against budgets including sales and profit growth.
- 7 years sales and or sales leadership experience
- Previously worked in matrix environment
- Bachelors’ Degree required, Masters’ Degree preferred
Skills/Requirements:
- Ability to manage multiple tasks at once.
- Strong decision-making and problem solving skills.
- Sense of urgency and deadline-driven.
- Strong analytical skills.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Demonstrates attention to detail/organization skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communications.
- Ability to influence and lead change in a cross-functional team environment.
For consideration, please contact Michael Tintera at [email protected].