Business Manager

The Business Manager serves as a key strategic partner to division leadership, providing oversight for all operational activities tied to trading, procurement, sales support, logistics, and inventory management. This role ensures accurate financial reporting, visibility into margins, credit exposure, and operational performance.

The Business Manager is responsible for maintaining efficiency and compliance throughout the full sales and purchasing cycle and plays a critical role in workflow improvement, cross-functional alignment, and team development. The position also supports a positive, ethical, and collaborative work environment.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Oversight

• Evaluate existing workflows and recommend improvements to increase accuracy, efficiency, and throughput.
• Develop and maintain operational performance reporting across trading and support teams.
• Oversee inventory positions, including obsolete materials, returns, cancellations, and cycle counts at storage facilities and partner warehouse locations.
• Monitor pending credit approvals and assist in reviewing terms and conditions for customer contracts and purchase orders.
• Oversee transactional accuracy to reduce errors, prevent missed cutoffs, and support timely billing and collections.
• Ensure only authorized contracts are executed and that order changes are reviewed promptly.
• Maintain coverage protocols for staff absences to ensure seamless operations.
• Manage office facilities and storage locations, including lease renewals, improvements, repairs, and insurance claims.
• Serve as the liaison with IT for technology issues, equipment needs, and system enhancements.

Financial & Risk Reporting

• Develop and maintain reporting on divisional performance, margin trends, and transaction-level profitability.
• Lead annual budgeting efforts and work with leadership to monitor adherence throughout the year.
• Prepare monthly variance analyses and identify root causes for deviations from budget or forecast.
• Track backlogs and open positions across orders and identify material exposures.
• Monitor credit exposure across customers and vendors, escalating risks when needed.

Team Management & Development

• Oversee select operational areas, including warehouse or facility-level leadership where applicable.
• Manage and mentor sales support staff, ensuring proper workload distribution and adherence to company standards.
• Support dispatch operations, including service levels, carrier relationships, pricing structures, and compliance requirements.
• Partner with HR and leadership on hiring, performance reviews, and employee development.
• Coordinate division-wide training, onboarding, and process education for new and existing employees.

Process Improvement & Compliance

• Identify opportunities for system and process enhancements to improve efficiency and reduce errors.
• Evaluate back-to-back transaction workflows for accuracy and speed.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, company policies, and operational standards.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as the central point of communication between trading, logistics, credit, accounting, and corporate departments.
• Support leadership with reporting, analysis, and special projects.
• Collaborate with sales and operations teams to resolve recurring issues and implement sustainable solutions.

Skills & Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related discipline.

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in finance, accounting, operations, or a related field.
• Experience in distribution, wholesale, trading, or contractor supply preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing staff and cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong background in budgeting, forecasting, and operational oversight.
• Familiarity with business processes, workflow design, and organizational effectiveness.

Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Effective leadership and team development abilities.
• High energy, strong work ethic, and a proactive approach.
• Excellent communication (written and verbal).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office with the ability to create customized analytical reports.
• Ability to collaborate across departments and influence outcomes.

Abilities

• Ability to make decisions impacting operations, financial performance, and service delivery.
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills.
• Ability to travel to company locations, customers, and partner facilities as needed.
• Comfortable working in an office environment with regular computer and communication tool usage.