Category Enablement Manager (Remote)

The Category Enablement Manager will own and lead the operational excellence of our category management and merchandising organization. In this role, you will play a pivotal role in driving efficiency and effectiveness across various operational aspects within the broader category management function. The category operations manager will partner with cross functional teams from sales, finance, marketing, and supply chain to drive process improvements to improve efficiency and execution throughout the organization. The operations manager will be expected to help take an unstructured environment and implement scalable and repeatable process to make the category team effective and organized.

Typical Responsibilities may include but not limited to the following:

• Develop, document, and optimize end-to-end operational processes for the category team. Ensure clear and standardized procedures for product lifecycle management, from new product development to end-of-life discontinuation.
• Spearhead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness. Proactively identify areas for optimization, implement changes, and measure the impact on key performance indicators.
• Oversee the day-to-day tactical execution of key category connections with cross functional teams, ensuring seamless coordination and alignment with strategic objectives.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to execute initiatives in a timely and cost-effective manner. Act as a primary point for key processes for internal teams, fostering collaboration and communication.
• Facilitate cross-functional alignment to ensure operational goals are met and exceeded. Generate regular reports and analysis, providing insights for data-driven decision-making. Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the success of operational processes.
• Identify potential risks within operational processes and implement risk mitigation strategies. Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards.
• Stay informed about industry best practices and incorporate relevant methodologies into the team’s operations.
• Mentor, and support the ongoing development of the category management team, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment.

Core Competences:

• Must demonstrate strong ownership with an entrepreneurial mind set, with the willingness to roll up your sleeves and get into the details. Must possess a strong Bias for Action.
• Comfortable in ambiguity, both in context of leading and decision making. Comfortable with determining that right data to evaluate to be confident to make decisions to move forward without always having all the data that would be desired.
• Enjoy working in fast paced environment, managing, and leading multiple priorities, and can effectively lead a cross functional team towards tight timelines.
• Effective communicator that can concisely deliver important updates with internal partners and comfortable communicating key elements of our value proposition to leadership at our most critical customers.
• Must be self-motivated and willing to dive headfirst into your work daily, often stepping back to ensure we are prioritizing the most critical opportunities and deliverables.
• You are curious about our customers and our business, always looking for new ideas and opportunities for growth. Brings a continuous improvement mindset to our team members and operations.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain management, operating systems, or a related field; MBA a plus but not required.
• Proven experience in category management, operations, or system product management, strong background in operations and continuous improvement practices.
• Strong financial and analytical skills with the ability to translate data into actionable insights.
• Strategic thinker with attention to detail, demonstrated ability to develop scalable processes, with consideration for monitoring and reporting on KPI’s.
• Effective leadership, with exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.