Director Category Management at Vallen Distribution, Inc.

Position Summary:

The Director of Category Management is a high-impact leadership role responsible for defining and executing long-term strategic category plans across a portfolio of key product categories. This individual will serve as a trusted partner to Sales, Integrated Site Leadership, IT, Sourcing, and Supply Chain, with a mandate to optimize gross margin performance, drive profitable growth, build strategic supplier relationships, and align Vallen’s category strategies with evolving customer needs and market dynamics. Responsible for the end-to-end economics and performance for their aligned categories under management. 

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assortment Optimization: Coaches product department team to define core vs. extended product assortment strategies using data-driven analysis of customer demand, market trends, and supplier performance with a focus on the customer.
• Strategic Planning: Leads the development of multi-year strategic category plans across the Director’s aligned portfolio leaders including customer segmentation, pricing strategy, competitive positioning, and value proposition development.
• Supplier Strategy: Develops and maintain top-to-top strategic supplier relationships; identify consolidation and partnership opportunities to improve profitability, service, and innovation.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Key, executive partner with Sales, Sourcing, Marketing, and Operations to ensure category strategy execution aligns with enterprise objectives.
• Innovation Pipeline: Challenges category leaders to identify emerging trends and new product opportunities; champion innovation in collaboration with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Financial Performance Management: Owns product department-level P&L and working capital performance, including margin optimization initiatives, cost management, and supplier program execution. Responsible for building department-level forecasts and budgets.
• Perform staff management duties for a team of 10 – 30 associates. Staff management responsibilities include but are not limited to interviewing, selecting, hiring, coaching, counseling, and disciplining associates while enforcing company policies, procedures, and productivity standards.  
• Assess current team and determine path to a Winning Team.
• Establish and execute criteria in support of Vallen’s business goals and objectives and evaluate vendor performance and compliance when considering contract renewals.
• Provide input into and/or formulate short term and long-term strategic marketing and communications plans.
• Other duties as assigned.

Staff Management Responsibilities:  

Direct management of a department, section, unit or group involving responsibility for results in terms of cost, methods and personnel. Full accountability for hiring, discipline, discharge, performance appraisals, salary administration, etc.