Job DescriptionWorkday Job Profile: Senior Category Manager
Business/Posting Title: Senior Category Manager
Grade: 11
Job Summary:Highly strategic and experienced
Senior Category Manager leads the development and execution of innovative category strategies that align with our corporate vision and accelerate long-term business growth. This role demands deep expertise in category lifecycle planning, financial oversight, supplier negotiations, and cross-functional leadership. Requires strategic thinking and capabilities to turn complex market insights into actionable plans and mentor teams to deliver exceptional results.
What will you do? Category Management
- Defines the role of a category
- Defines category strategy based on the role
- Organizes and synthesizes industry, competitor and consumer trends into workable category strategies
- Defines future category needs and opportunities
- Defines categories to be included in box-level strategy
- Integrates and links the business plan with the category plan
- Monitors and adjusts resources based on the category role
- Manages complexity of multiple categories and varying sub-class roles (i.e., prominent category with stake-in-the-ground sub-class) to improve business performance)
Business Acumen - Financial Management
- Plans and coordinates financial management and budgeting tasks
- Provides input and assists in creating Advance Auto Parts strategic financial plan
- Sets budgeting guidelines
- Sets guidelines for risk tolerance in financial programs
- Communicates targets and objectives to business units based on strategic plan
- Addresses complex/extreme gaps related to budgeting and financial management
Supplier Management/Negotiation
- Determine supplier value targets and selects supplier audience for strategic sourcing discussions
- Determine appropriate facts
- Synthesizes facts gathered from multiple sources to be used in the negotiations
- Executes supplier negotiations across product categories
- Anticipates and rebuts supplier's points and counterpoints during the negotiations
- Assesses effort and time needed to obtain value target sourcing opportunities with each supplier
- Applies BATNA principles during negotiations
- Evaluates and utilizes supplier performance information/data for future negotiations and decisions-making
- Coaches employees in strategic sourcing processes and actions
Strategic Thinking & Execution
- Develops milestones that will help implement the vision
- Creates thorough implementation plans that address possible hurdles and
- involves support throughout the organization
- Translates corporate strategic vision into day-to-day operational goals
- Articulates and reinforces Advance Auto Parts vision and goals to business team
- Coaches employees to support vision and strategy through operational goal
Communication
- Establishes trust and rapport with senior executives having diverse views on an issue
- Changes others' opinions and perspectives to gain commitment to action
- Uses communication tools and techniques to shift focus in response to group dynamics
- Creates environments conducive to productive communication
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Manages the formation of teams and ensures team can perform
- Facilitates the designation of team roles, goals and expectations
- Removes barriers (resource or other outside constraints) to effective teamwork
- Analyzes team process inefficiencies and recommends improvements
- Assess other team members' capabilities and provides feedback for improvements
- Creates team recognition structure and reward possibilities
- Coaches employees on building teams and the business value driven by teams
Location & Work Availability: This position is Hybrid (4 days in office, 1 day remote), based at our corporate headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Qualifications: - 10+ years of experience in category management, merchandising, or strategic sourcing.
- Proven track record of managing complex category portfolios and leading strategic initiatives.
- Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
- Advanced negotiation skills with experience managing top-tier supplier relationships.
- Exceptional leadership, communication, and coaching abilities.
- Proficiency in category management tools, ERP systems, and data analytics platforms.
Certifications, Experience, and Education: - Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Supply Chain, or related field (MBA preferred).
Benefits Summary: We believe in supporting our Team Members and those they love through comprehensive health & wellness benefits. Learn more here: https://jobs.advanceautoparts.com/us/en/benefits
