Sr. Category Manager

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).

Why Join Us?

· Lead high-impact initiatives that shape the future of our business.

· Collaborate with top-tier talent in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

· Competitive compensation, benefits, and performance incentives.

· A culture that values innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.