VP Category Management

Role Summary

The VP, North American Category Management owns Vallen's product assortment strategy and the procurement engine behind it. This leader builds the assortment that serves our customer’s indirect supply chain needs.  Through Vallen's MRO, safety, and metalworking programs, this leader will accelerate the growth of Vallen's private brands while developing and enhancing the supplier partnerships that drive differentiation for Vallen’s assortment. This role will also be responsible for collaborating with key, strategic, channel partners to serve the broader needs of Vallen’s customer base. The role leads the category management function across North America and partners closely with sales, integrated supply, pricing, IT, inventory, supply chain and marketing to convert category strategy into field results.

Key Responsibilities

Assortment strategy: Build and execute a data-driven assortment strategy aligned to customer needs, industry verticals, and channel economics. Rationalize SKUs, close assortment gaps, and manage breadth-versus-depth tradeoffs across national brand and private brand lines.

Private brands: Accelerate expansion of Vallen's private brand portfolio, including brand architecture, value positioning, quality standards, assortment scope, and go-to-market rules. Set penetration targets and build the sourcing and marketing plans to hit them.

Procurement and cost: Drive value through best-in-class procurement, including negotiation strategy, rebate and channel spend optimization, cost-increase management, and total landed cost discipline. Own supplier cost negotiations and margin outcomes for the category portfolio.

Supplier partnerships: Develop and accelerate strategic supplier partnerships, including joint business planning, tiering, scorecarding, and performance management. Convert key suppliers into growth and margin partners rather than transactional vendors.

Master data and tooling: Partner with IT to enhance master data management and the sourcing and category tools used by the field organization, improving data quality, item setup, and the systems that surface assortment and pricing to sales.

Field enablement: Equip the sales and integrated supply organizations with the assortment, supplier programs, and category narratives they need to win and retain customers. Translate category strategy into field-usable tools and communications.

Financial ownership: Own the P&L levers within the category function, including gross margin, rebate capture, inventory productivity, and supplier program value. Report performance through monthly business reviews and board-level materials.

Team leadership: Lead and develop a team of senior category management executives across North America, setting standards for analytical rigor, supplier management, and cross-functional partnership.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in category management, merchandising, or strategic sourcing, with 5+ in leadership, preferably in industrial distribution or a comparable B2B distribution environment
• Track record building assortment and private brand strategies that delivered measurable margin and growth outcomes
• Deep procurement and supplier negotiation experience, including rebate and channel spend programs
• Fluency with pricing, inventory, and master data systems and how they interact across a distribution operating model
• Strong financial acumen; comfortable owning gross margin and presenting to executive and board or sponsor audiences
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or equivalent preferred