VP of Category Management and Procurement

About RS Group Across the industrial design, manufacturing and maintenance worlds, we’re the digital destination for product and service solutions to help our customers with the maintenance, repair and operation of their businesses. We provide global access to an unrivalled range of over 750,000 stocked industrial products. Each day our team of experts deliver solutions to resolve our customer’s challenges across design, procurement, inventory and maintenance. We consistently strive to deliver the best possible service to all of our customers and challenge ourselves to provide a seamless procurement experience. We are one team. We deliver brilliantly. We do the right thing. We make every day better. These values unite our 9,000+ global colleagues and differentiate us from our competition. Together, we can make great things happen. Aim for amazing and beyond. About The Role Role Purpose This leader owns the end‑to‑end supply chain strategy for the organization, with a mandate to improve inventory turns, reduce non‑productive and provision‑risk items, and build a direct procurement function that strengthens cost control and profitability. The role blends operational execution, advanced analytics, supplier strategy, and cross‑functional leadership to ensure the company buys smarter, moves faster, and maximizes return on inventory investment. Focusing clear accountability, and full visibility to total landed cost. Responsibilities Inventory Optimization & Analytics Lead the development of an enterprise inventory strategy focused on turn improvement, SKU productivity, and provision reduction. Build analytical frameworks to identify slow‑moving, obsolete, and margin‑eroding items, drive action plans with Sales, Category Management, and Finance. Implement forecasting, demand planning, and replenishment models that balance service levels with working capital efficiency. Establish dashboards and KPI reporting for turns, aging inventory, service levels, and landed cost performance. Champion data‑driven decision making across the supply chain, ensuring insights translate into measurable financial outcomes. Direct Procurement & Supplier Strategy Build and lead a direct procurement organization responsible for sourcing, cost negotiations, supplier performance management, and end‑to‑end cost transparency. Develop sourcing strategies that reduce cost‑to‑serve, improve lead times, and strengthen supplier reliability. Implement standardized procurement processes, cost modelling, review and strategy of cost increase review process, and supplier scorecards. Partner with Finance to ensure full visibility to landed cost, rebates, and margin impacts from ship & debit functions. Strengthen supplier partnerships through structured business reviews, performance metrics, and long‑term strategic planning. Cross‑Functional Leadership Collaborate with Sales, Pricing, Product Management, Operations, and Finance to align inventory, pricing, and procurement decisions with commercial strategy. Lead root‑cause analysis and corrective action plans for supply chain bottlenecks, service failures, or cost variances. Drive a culture of continuous improvement, data‑driven decision making, and cross‑functional accountability. Serve as a key advisor to the SVP, Product & Supply Chain on inventory, supplier strategy, and profitability initiatives. Operational Execution Oversee demand planning, replenishment, and supply planning teams to ensure product availability while minimizing excess. Improve supplier collaboration through S&OP, and shared forecasting processes. Partner with distribution and logistics teams to optimize inbound flow, warehouse efficiency, and inventory placement. Ensure operational readiness for new product introductions, supplier transitions, and category expansions. How I Make a Difference In This Role Inventory turns improve quarter over quarter with measurable reductions in aged and non‑productive inventory. A fully functioning direct procurement team is established with clear processes, supplier scorecards, and cost‑reduction wins. Forecast accuracy and replenishment performance improve, resulting in higher service levels with lower working capital. Cross‑functional teams operate with shared KPIs and a unified approach to inventory and profitability. Supplier performance improves through structured governance, cost transparency, and strategic sourcing initiatives. The organization gains full visibility to total landed cost, enabling smarter pricing, procurement, and commercial decisions. Candidate Requirements Essential Skills & Experience 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in supply chain, procurement, inventory planning, category management, or related disciplines. 10+ years leading multi‑disciplinary teams in complex, matrixed environments. Proven leadership in supply chain, procurement, inventory planning, or category management within a distributor, manufacturer, or large retailer. Deep product knowledge in industrial automation, controls and electrical components (e.g., Siemens, Schneider, Phoenix Contact, ABB, Eaton, etc.). Demonstrated success improving inventory turns, reducing aged/provision inventory, and optimizing SKU portfolios. Demonstrated success expanding product portfolios or managing category growth in industrial segments. Strong analytical capability with experience in forecasting, data modelling, and financial analysis. Experience building or transforming a procurement function, including cost negotiations and supplier management. Ability to influence cross‑functionally and drive alignment across commercial and operational teams. Strong understanding of end‑to‑end cost structures, including freight, tariffs, rebates, and margin levers. Leadership experience managing teams across planning, analytics procurement, or product management. Essential Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Business, Industrial distribution, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience. Strategic thinker who can translate data into action, and action into measurable business outcomes. Deep understanding of end‑to‑end cost structures, including freight, tariffs, rebates, supplier terms, and margin levers. Demonstrated ability to build high‑performing teams, develop talent, and lead through change. Strong operational rigor with a bias for execution, accountability, and continuous improvement. Ability to operate effectively in a fast‑paced, growth‑oriented environment with competing priorities. Equal Employment Opportunity RS Americas is an equal opportunity employer and maintains policies and practices that are designed to prevent and prohibit unlawful discrimination against any qualified employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, military/veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other unlawful classification to the extent protected by law. This policy of non‑discrimination applies to all employment practices, including hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, training and termination. Employees who engage in unlawful discrimination will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. #J-18808-Ljbffr RS Americas