Senior Planning Strategist

The Associate Category Strategist supports the Category Managers in the AV category by owning the tactical, day-to-day commercial activities that keep thesupplierportfolio running.In addition to this support function, the Associate Strategist independently manages a portfolio of suppliers,includingdeveloping and executing commercial plans, owning supplier relationships, and delivering against revenue and margin targets.

Bycombining hands-on tactical execution with independent portfolio ownership, the Associate Strategist buildsthe commercialjudgment, supplier relationship skills, and cross-functional fluencyrequiredto manage a larger, more strategic supplier portfolio.

Handle ad-hoc data pulls, competitive analysis, and forecast inputs in partnership with the Category Analyst.

Coordinate with Operations andPurchasing oninventory issues, IOS (Inactive, Obsolete, Surplus) discipline, and stocking questions on behalf of the Category Manager.

Serve as aLevel-2commercial escalationpointfor the Category Manager’s broader portfolio, fielding pricing,program, and process questions fromthe Sales team,Market Development Specialists,and the Category Analyst.

Prepare briefing materials, market summaries, and supplier performance snapshots for Category Manager review.

Serve as the day-to-day commercial owner of an assigned portfolio of suppliers.

Set pricing strategy for the assigned portfolio in partnership with Purchasing.

Manage IOS discipline and working-capital targets for assigned suppliers.

Partner with Operations,Purchasing, Marketing, and Sales to drive execution on both the Category Manager’s portfolio and the owned supplier portfolio.

Coordinate with the Category Analyst to ensure data accuracy and reporting coverage for the owned portfolio.

Produce monthly performance reports for the owned supplier portfolio including revenue, margin, mix, and growth vs. Support the Category Manager with portfolio-level reporting, trend analysis, and QBR content for their broader supplier portfolio.

Conduct competitive analysis and market research to inform commercial decisions.

3–5years of experience in supplier management, category management, commercial operations, or an analytical role in a B2B distribution environment.

Strong organizational skills with the ability to successfully handle multiple projects at the same time.

Demonstrated experience supporting or executing commercial strategies for a supplier or product portfolio.

Experience coordinating cross-functionallywith Sales, Marketing, Operations, and/orPurchasing.

Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into actionable commercial recommendations.

Proficient with Excel, BI dashboards, and CRM tools.

Ability to travel (~5–10%) for supplier meetings, QBRs, and select industry events.

Experience in AV, low-voltage, security, or related B2B distribution categories.

Exposure to joint business planning, rebate negotiation, or contract administration.

Strong financial acumen including familiarity with margin, mix, forecasting, and working capital concepts.

Curiosity about the AV category and a desire to grow into a full Category Strategist role.

Project management skills and the ability to juggle multiple supplier initiatives concurrently.

#