Category Manager

Excellent career opportunity to join one of the finest Fortune 200 companies in the United States! You will also enjoy a wide array of career development programs including the company supported Six Sigma Black Belt training in category management.

NOTE: this person must live in Atlanta or be open to relocation - 4 days in the office, 1 day remote.

POSITION TITLE: Category Manager

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP: This role reports to the Senior Category Director, Tools & Equipment

LOCATION: Corporate Headquarters, Atlanta, GA (Hybrid - 4 days in office/1 day remote)

CLIENT OVERVIEW

NAPA Auto Parts distributes automotive replacement parts, accessories, and service items throughout the U.S. More than 800,000 parts are sold under the NAPA brand, as well as Key National Brands. NAPA is widely recognized for quality parts, service, and knowledgeable people, with 20,000+ employees throughout the United States. Its stores and distribution centers sell to both the retail and commercial automotive aftermarket customers covering all domestic and foreign motor vehicle models.

NAPA is a leading automotive aftermarket distributor and a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC), a $23.5B global distribution leader known for its financial strength, operational excellence, and long-term growth.

GPC recently announced plans to separate its Automotive and Industrial businesses into two independent public companies by 2027, with NAPA becoming the standalone Automotive platform. This strategic separation will enable sharper focus, increased agility, and targeted investment within each business, positioning NAPA to accelerate growth and innovation across the automotive aftermarket.

NAPA’s culture is strengthened by a commitment to diversity and inclusion. The goal is to create a culture where they value, respect, and provide fair treatment and equal opportunities for all employees.

POSITION IMPACT

This is an impactful role that leverages a 100-year, global, Fortune 200 enterprise with extraordinary transformational category management strategies. You will work in an environment of supportive / visionary leadership driving operational excellence. You will also enjoy a wide array of career development programs including the company supported Six Sigma Black Belt training in category management.

FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Category Manager owns the strategic category direction focused on enhancing NAPA’s sales, profit, inventory turns, and market position within the industry while upholding NAPA’s high standards of ethics and integrity as a representative of the company.

This role will manage relationships with suppliers to both procure and present competitive programs to the market. It will create efficiencies with key internal and external stakeholders while working across various departments to develop procurement, sales, and marketing programs.

Specific functions and responsibilities of the position include:

• Develop and execute overall market strategies for specific product category
• Coordinate with various departments and oversee all strategic initiatives for assigned product groups in relation to category management, product assortment, promotions and marketing, pricing, supply chain, sales, customer service, and information technology
• Deliver sales and profitability targets
• Initiate and manage vendor relationships and negotiations for sourcing of specific product categories
• Determine viability of potential vendors as it pertains to pricing, quality, service capabilities and financial stability
• Project manage any vendor or program changes
• Research and analyze sales and profitability performance metrics

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will have 3+ years of Category Management and/or Merchant experience and the ability to present the details of a category plan they have implemented from start to finish. We seek candidates with a customer-centric approach to category management.

Qualifications include:

• Demonstrated success in contract negotiations, program management, and procurement activities
• Strong financial acumen and data-driven mindset
• Ability to manage congruent and diverging projects
• Managerial presentation and reporting experience
• Strong merchant mindset (assortment planning, pricing, line structure, brand strategy)
• Experience building and scaling processes in complex multi-SKU, multi-vendor environments
• Ability to build/transform a category vs. maintain
• Strong analytical skills and ability to derive insights from imperfect data (advanced Excel)
• Background in retail / merchant-driven environments preferred

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS

We seek a category professional who is driven to succeed. This candidate should be a good fit into NAPA’s corporate culture by possessing good judgment, humility, honesty, and a strong “roll up your sleeves” work ethic.

The candidate’s personal characteristics should also include:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to organize and present ideas and the ability to foster collaborative relationships
• Strong influencing skills working cross-functionally with other departments, field management, as well as leadership
• High energy, self-starter, multitasker
• Strong critical thinking skills and the ability to make decisions based on data
• Demonstrates confidence, motivates others to achieve high performance and is open to receiving constructive feedback

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: Bachelor's degree required with a concentration in business

TRAVEL: Minimal travel to various suppliers and trade shows

COMPENSATION: NAPA offers an attractive compensation package that includes a competitive salary commensurate with experience and bonus based upon individual performance and corporate results.