Associate Category Strategist AV

The Associate Category Strategist supports the Category Managers in the AV category by owning the tactical day-to-day commercial activities that keep thesupplierportfolio addition to this support function the Associate Strategist independently manages a portfolio of suppliersincludingdeveloping and executing commercial plans owning supplier relationships and delivering against revenue and margin targets.

Bycombining hands-on tactical execution with independent portfolio ownership the Associate Strategist buildsthe commercialjudgment supplier relationship skills and cross-functional fluencyrequiredto manage a larger more strategic supplier portfolio.

Job Duties:

Tactical Support to Category Managers

• Ownthe tactical day-to-day functions of the category.
• Coordinate supplier onboardinglogisticsfor new vendors being brought into the category.
• Handle ad-hoc data pulls competitive analysis and forecast inputs in partnership with the Category Analyst.
• Coordinate with Operations andPurchasing oninventory issues IOS (Inactive Obsolete Surplus) discipline and stocking questions on behalf of the Category Manager.
• Serve as aLevel-2commercial escalationpointfor the Category Managers broader portfolio fielding pricingprogram and process questions fromthe Sales teamMarket Development Specialistsand the Category Analyst.
• Prepare briefing materials market summaries and supplier performance snapshots for Category Manager review.

Own Supplier Portfolio

• Serve as the day-to-day commercial owner of an assigned portfolio of suppliers.
• Develop and execute astrategicplan for each assigned supplier.
• Set pricing strategy for the assigned portfolio in partnership with Purchasing.
• Lead quarterly business reviews (QBRs) andmaintainworking-level supplier relationships independently.
• Own Annual Operating Plan (AOP)targets forthe assigned portfolio including revenue margin and growth.
• HandleLevel-2andLevel-3escalations for the owned supplier portfolio.
• Manage IOS discipline and working-capital targets for assigned suppliers.
• Evaluate emerging or niche suppliers and provide recommendations to the Category Manager on portfolio additions.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Partner with OperationsPurchasing Marketing and Sales to drive execution on both the Category Managers portfolio and the owned supplier portfolio.
• Coordinate with the Category Analyst to ensure data accuracy and reporting coverage for the owned portfolio.

Reporting & Analysis

• Produce monthly performance reports for the owned supplier portfolio including revenue margin mix and growth vs. AOP.
• Support the Category Manager with portfolio-level reporting trend analysis and QBR content for their broader supplier portfolio.
• Conduct competitive analysis and market research to inform commercial decisions.

YOU MUST HAVE:

• 35years of experience in supplier management category management commercial operations or an analytical role in a B2B distribution environment.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to successfully handle multiple projects at the same time.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or executing commercial strategies for a supplier or product portfolio.
• Experience coordinating cross-functionallywith Sales Marketing Operations and/orPurchasing.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into actionable commercial recommendations.
• Proficient with Excel BI dashboards and CRM tools.
• Strong written and verbal communicationcomfortable onsupplier calls internal stand-ups and cross-functional meetings.
• Ability to travel (510%) for supplier meetings QBRs and select industry events.

WE VALUE:

• Experience in AV low-voltage security or related B2B distribution categories.
• Hands-on experience with supplier QBR preparation pricing administration or program management.
• Exposure to joint business planning rebate negotiation or contract administration.
• Strong financial acumen including familiarity with margin mix forecasting and working capital concepts.
• Process-oriented mindset.
• Comfort with AI-assisted reporting and analytical tools.
• Curiosity about the AV category and a desire to grow into a full Category Strategist role.
• Project management skills and the ability to juggle multiple supplier initiatives concurrently.

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