Global Category Manager
Date: May 1, 2026
Location: LAKE FOREST, IL, US, 60045-5202 CHICAGO, IL, US, 60654-4203
Company: Grainger Businesses
Work Location Type: Hybrid
Req Number 330254
About Grainger
W.W. Grainger, Inc., is a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America, Japan and the United Kingdom. At Grainger, We Keep the World Working® by serving more than 4.5 million customers worldwide with products and solutions delivered through innovative technology and deep customer relationships. Known for its commitment to service and award-winning culture, the Company had 2024 revenue of $17.2 billion across its two business models. In the High-Touch Solutions segment, Grainger offers approximately 2 million maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products and services, including technical support and inventory management. In the Endless Assortment segment, Zoro.com offers customers access to more than 14 million products, and MonotaRO.com offers more than 24 million products. For more information, visit www.grainger.com.
Compensation
The anticipated base pay compensation range for this position is $95,900.00 – $159,800.00. This role is eligible for an incentive target of up to 15 % or $ , based on the achievement of individual and company performance objectives in accordance with the current terms of the incentive program which are subject to change.
Rewards and Benefits
With benefits starting on day one, our programs provide choice and flexibility to meet team members' individual needs, including:
- Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment and 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
- 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year.
- 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
- Employee discounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
- Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents.
For additional information and details regarding Grainger’s benefits, please click on the link below:
https://experience100.ehr.com/grainger/Home/Tools-Resources/Key-Resources/New-Hire
Grainger Benefits
The pay range provided above is not a guarantee of compensation. The range reflects the potential base pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual base pay compensation will depend, in part, on factors such as geographic work location and relevant experience and skills.
The anticipated compensation range described above is subject to change and the compensation ultimately paid may be higher or lower than the range described above.
Grainger reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion at any time, consistent with applicable law.
- Develop and execute a robust category strategy for your assigned business unit(s) with a total spend under management of $100-$300MM. Performs needs assessment and plans category roadmap to provide senior leaders (i.e. Vice Presidents, Senior Vice Presidents) an overview of business unit opportunities in the next 3-5 years.
- Responsible for complex spend, total cost of ownership and external market analysis, Request for Proposal/ Quote, Information (RFx) execution, developing and executing negotiation strategies, and drafting and finalizing contracts with selected suppliers.
- Provide insights and updates on category strategy, project statuses, and market changes to internal stakeholders at various levels of the organization.
- Monitor supplier industry trends, validate and benchmark costs, and competitive pricing through research and market intelligence tools.
- Identify continuous improvement opportunities in procurement processes to increase efficiency and results across the department.
- Using business review templates, determine key performance indicators (KPI) and contracted service level agreements (SLA) to create a strategic supplier review process with annual report outs to key stakeholders.
- Coach and develop less senior team members as they apply strategic sourcing processes to categories.
- Bachelor's Degree In Business, Supply Chain Management, or similar field required
- None
- 5+ years of Category Management, indirect procurement, contract negotiations, or global sourcing experience required
- 3+ years of experience developing and executing global category strategies. required
- Experience assessing and mitigating financial, operational, and contractual risks.
- Experience redlining and negotiating Master Agreements and Addendums.
- Experience performing spend and total cost of ownership analysis.
- Experience articulating strategies and influencing others at various levels of the organization.
- Professional qualification/certification from related professional organizations (CPM, CPSM, APICS, ISM) Upon Hire preferred
We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible work environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one’s employment, should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, including, but not limited to use of our website, any part of the application, interview or hiring process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.