Associate 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 relocating on their own - No relocation assistance currently provided. POSITION TITLE: Associate Category Manager - Commodities REPORTING RELATIONSHIP: This role reports to the Category Manager – Commodities LOCATION: Atlanta, GA (Cumberland/Vinings area) 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 exciting opportunity to join a 100-year-old, Fortune 200 global leader at a pivotal time in its transformation, helping shape the future of merchandising and category management within one of the automotive aftermarket's most respected organizations. You will work alongside a collaborative leadership team committed to operational excellence, data-driven decision making, and developing future merchandising leaders while enjoying exceptional career growth opportunities within NAPA Auto Parts. Supporting one of NAPA's largest, most strategically important, and highly visible commodities categories, the Associate Category Manager serves as the operational and analytical partner to the Category Manager, helping drive profitable growth across a portfolio that includes Motor Oil, Grease, Gear Oil, Transmission Fluid, Paper Products, Shop Towels, Absorbents, and other commodity maintenance products. This highly visible role offers broad exposure to pricing strategy, supplier partnerships, category analytics, and cross-functional project leadership while providing visibility to executive-level merchandising initiatives and positioning the successful candidate for continued career advancement within NAPA. FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES The Associate Category Manager serves as the operational and analytical partner to the Category Manager, supporting the profitable growth and execution of one of NAPA’s largest and most strategically important merchandising categories. This role helps drive sales, profitability, pricing strategy, supplier performance, and operational excellence while balancing financial, customer, and business objectives. Working cross-functionally with Merchandising, Pricing, Marketing, Supply Chain, Inventory Planning, Finance, Digital Commerce, and supplier partners, this individual plays a critical role in executing category initiatives, leading projects, and ensuring seamless day-to-day category operations. Specific functions and responsibilities include: Support the execution of category strategies that drive sales growth, profitability, inventory productivity, and overall category performance Partner with the Category Manager to manage a complex commodities portfolio, balancing pricing, promotional execution, supplier performance, and category analytics Analyze sales, gross margin, inventory, promotional, and pricing data to identify trends, opportunities, and actionable business insights Coordinate cross-functional initiatives involving Merchandising, Pricing, Marketing, Supply Chain, Inventory Planning, Digital Commerce, Finance, and Operations to ensure timely execution of key business priorities Build and maintain strong supplier relationships while supporting promotional planning, supplier programs, new item introductions, and sourcing initiatives Manage multiple concurrent projects and competing priorities while proactively identifying issues and driving timely resolutions Develop reporting, financial analyses, and executive presentations that support strategic category decisions and business performance Serve as the operational "right hand" to the Category Manager by anticipating challenges, removing obstacles, and ensuring exceptional execution across the business PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS The ideal candidate will have 2–4 years of Category Management, Merchandising, Assortment Planning, or Retail experience within a fast-paced retail, distribution, or consumer products environment. We seek candidates with strong commercial acumen, exceptional analytical capability, and the ability to quickly become the operational and analytical partner to the Category Manager. Success in this role requires someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, independently manages projects, prioritizes competing initiatives, and consistently delivers exceptional execution. Key Qualifications include: Demonstrated success in an Associate Category Manager, Merchandising, Category Analyst, Assortment Planning, Buyer, or similar commercial role supporting complex product categories Strong financial acumen with a solid understanding of retail math , pricing, gross margin, profitability, inventory metrics, promotional performance, and category analytics Advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency, including Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, large datasets, financial reporting, and analytical modeling Proven ability to analyze complex business data, identify trends, and translate insights into sound commercial recommendations Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships with suppliers and cross-functional business partners while supporting supplier programs, promotional initiatives, new product introductions, and category execution Proven ability to influence and collaborate across cross-functional teams while successfully managing multiple concurrent projects and competing priorities Excellent organizational, administrative, and time-management skills with exceptional attention to detail Experience supporting complex, multi-SKU product categories within retail, distribution, merchandising, assortment planning, or supply chain 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 while fostering collaborative relationships High-energy self-starter who proactively identifies issues, develops practical solutions, and drives projects forward with a high degree of ownership and accountability Naturally curious, resourceful, and eager to learn , with the ability to quickly absorb new product categories, business concepts, and market dynamics Thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while effectively balancing multiple priorities and adapting to changing business needs Demonstrates resilience, sound judgment, ownership, and a solutions-oriented mindset when navigating ambiguity, competing priorities, and business challenges Positive, humble, and low-ego professional who embraces feedback, continuously seeks improvement, and contributes to a team-first culture EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: Bachelor's degree required TRAVEL: Approximately 10% travel to supplier meetings, trade shows, and other business-related events COMPENSATION: NAPA offers an attractive compensation package that includes a competitive base salary commensurate with experience, annual bonus opportunity, and a comprehensive benefits package #J-18808-Ljbffr