About the Role

Zoro is redefining digital merchandising by transforming how customers discover, evaluate, and purchase products. Our goal isn't just to offer breadth-it's to create intuitive, confidence-building experiences that drive long-term loyalty.

As the Senior Manager of Category Experience Strategy, you will lead a team responsible for defining how product categories are structured, navigated, and experienced across the site. You'll establish the strategic frameworks and playbooks that translate customer behavior and product complexity into scalable, high-performing category experiences.

This is a builder role. You will shape the function, develop your team, and create the standards that drive consistent, high-quality execution across categories.

What You'll Do

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of category experience managers, building strong strategic and execution capabilities
• Define the strategic approach to category experience across the site, including category structure, navigation, and merchandising principles
• Establish scalable frameworks and playbooks for onsite category optimization, including:
• Web taxonomy design and hierarchy
• Attribute strategy and facet design
• Product grouping and assortment presentation
• Product relationships and compatibility logic
• Content strategy to support product discovery and decision-making
• Identify patterns and opportunities across categories and translate them into scalable strategies and standards
• Set team priorities and ensure focus on the highest-impact opportunities for customer experience and business performance
• Partner closely with Digital Merchandising Global Experience Strategy to align category-level approaches with sitewide systems and influence global defaults
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Category Management, Product, Product Information & Enrichment, Marketing, and Analytics to bring strategies to life
• Define and oversee testing strategies to validate category-level opportunities and scale what works
• Contribute to and influence the Digital Merchandising roadmap in partnership with Experience Strategy and Product teams
• Build and scale the Category Experience function, including defining roles, responsibilities, and ways of working
• Establish clear goals and performance expectations for the team, aligned to business and customer outcomes
• Ensure high-quality, consistent execution of category strategies across the team
• Build and reinforce a test-and-learn culture, ensuring continuous improvement across category experiences

What You Bring

• 7-10+ years of experience in ecommerce, digital merchandising, category strategy, or a related field
• Proven experience building and leading high-performing teams
• Demonstrated ability to define and scale merchandising or category experience strategies-not just execute them
• Strong understanding of how customers navigate and shop within complex product categories
• Experience designing taxonomy, attributes, filters, and product presentation frameworks
• Ability to identify patterns across categories and translate them into scalable approaches
• Strong analytical mindset with experience using data to inform strategy and measure impact
• Experience working cross-functionally with Product, Marketing, Product Information, and Analytics teams
• Proven track record of improving onsite experiences and driving measurable business results
• Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to influence across functions
• Experience in B2B or large-catalog ecommerce environments is a plus

Total Rewards

Zoro's total compensation plan includes our Zoro Incentive Plan (ZIP) that is designed to foster and reward our team members for strong performance. Total compensation will be highly competitive.

In addition to competitive compensation, Zoro offers comprehensive benefits and perks including:

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment
• Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents. We also support growing your family through access to adoption assistance program
• 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist and Wellhub portal membership to support your mental and emotional wellbeing
• At least 18 paid time off days annually for full-time employees and 6 company holidays per year
• 6% company contribution to a 401K Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required
• Tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and access to financial counseling, education, and tools
• Charitable Gift Program - match gift to an eligible educational, cultural, community health, and human service organizations
• Employee discounts and admission to various civic and cultural institutions around Chicago
• Zoro office perks including coffee bar, beer on tap, unlimited snacks, access to the onsite gym, and incredible city skyline views

For additional information and details regarding our benefits and our parent company, W. W. Grainger, please click on the link here.

The pay range provided is not a guarantee of compensation. The range listed reflects the expected base pay for this position at the time of posting, based on the role's job grade. Actual compensation may vary depending on factors such as location, relevant experience and individual qualifications.

Illinois

$115,600-$192,600 USD

We also know that flexibility matters. Our hybrid work model gives you space to focus and the flexibility to live your life - asking team members to be onsite at least two days a week. Our Chicago HQ (right above Ogilvie Transportation Center in the Accenture Tower) is always open and ready for connection, collaboration, or just a good cup of coffee.

At Zoro, we're growing fast toward big aspirations - and we're continuously excited about the new challenges we get to solve together.