Job Description

Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee-owned, which means you’re empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work.

 
This position will be located in: Fargo, ND or possible remote option. 

Job Summary

Provides focused category management leadership and direction. Manages and executes effective industrial market category strategies, secures strategic vendor alignment to support sales objectives and grow profits. Negotiates terms and programs with vendors and reps. Identifies strategy development and execution related to industry trends and initiatives. Develops, communicates, and maintains strategic vendor alignment strategies and platforms that support business development.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Regularly meets with key vendors and jointly prepares strategies for the company on key assigned product lines in collaboration with all departments.
• Addresses escalated issues related to price level, mis-delivery, branch authorization and partner collaboration as it relates to our vendors relationship. 
• Leads collaboration between all departments in reviews and vendor performance planning.
• Leads product line conversions and vendor consolidation processes.
• Improves performance for assigned categories while developing and implementing best practices and strategies. 
• Leads vendor evaluations and approval along with negotiation of terms and programs 
• Leads the effort of gathering and analyzing market feedback from branches on required costs and sells.
• Contributes to strategy development and ownership of major market trends and initiatives. 
• Develops, communicates, and maintains strategic vendor segmentation strategies and platforms.
• Collaborates with area leadership and Market VPs on market plans, market strategies, market share analysis, and supports business development 
• Regularly collaborates and communicates with Sales Teams for the assigned markets regarding customer needs, market trends, new products, and market segment strategies. 
• Commercially supports content initiatives for company’s digital strategy.
• Collaborates with Sales Enablement and Sales leadership to gather market intelligence and analytics for enhanced category development.
• Supports internal SCS & Sales Teams for contract bid requirements related to product identification, cross-referencing, material sourcing, and vendor negotiation.
• Monitors reports on assigned product lines that help to analyze business mix and ensure profitable and efficient segment performance.
• Regularly meets with key vendors and jointly prepare strategies for the company on key assigned product lines in collaboration with Sales Management.
• Identifies cost saving efficiencies, ways to streamline business transactions through IDW, EDI and ecommerce.
• Drives best in class performance through Vendor Supply Chain Reporting, dashboards, risk analysis and vendor performance summaries

Non-essential Functions

• Responsible for vendor product training.
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor or designate.
• Participates in sales and marketing meetings and update sessions with sales staff as needed.
• Participates in executive level vendor meetings
• Provides input for the development and execution of training initiatives to fit category strategies
• Supports and drives team KPIs.
• Fully supports Border States’ Service Excellence initiatives by supporting Service Excellence training and mentoring opportunities with assigned staff.
• Provides input on website updates regarding training calendars, white papers, technical updates, links to manufacturer’s sites and other relevant information.

Qualifications

• Four-year degree in sales, category management, product management, technical or business degree preferred or equivalent in work experience required.
• 2+ years prior supervisory experience with a minimum of 4 years of prior sales, marketing or category management experience preferred
• Strong knowledge of natural gas industry products and systems preferred. 
• Knowledge of the SAP materials management system and its reporting capabilities preferred. 
• Strong working knowledge of PC for Windows, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Teams, and PowerPoint)

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication, reading, and analytical skills. 
• Ability to effectively plan, organize and negotiate. 
• Excellent customer service skills include being competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged.
• Ability to perform all aspects of the job accurately and efficiently as possible while providing exceptional customer service. 

Physical Requirements

Frequency at which you would carry/lift in a typical day:
Occasionally 0 – 33% Frequently 34 – 66% Continuously: 67 – 100%

• Lift from Waist:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Lift from Floor:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Frequently
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Frequently
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Carried for Distance:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all

Physical Activity

Frequency at which you would do the following in a typical day:

• Sitting (a continuous period of being seated) - Continuously
• Standing (for sustained periods of time) - Frequently
• Walking (moving about on foot to accomplish tasks) - Frequently
• Bending/stooping (downward and forward) - Occasionally
• Crawling (moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet) - Not at all
• Climbing/Walking Stairs (ascending or descending) - Frequently
• Reaching (extending arms in any direction) - Frequently
• Crouching/squatting (bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine) - Occasionally
• Kneeling (bending legs at knee to come to rest on knee(s)) - Occasionally
• Balancing (maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling) - Occasionally
• Repetitive motion (substantial movement (motions) or the wrists, hands, and/or fingers) - Continuously
• Pivoting (movement in any direction with one foot, keeping the other in contact with the floor) - Occasionally
• Pushing/Pulling (using upper extremities to press against or draw or tug) - Occasionally
• Grasping (Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm) - Continuously
• Fingering (picking, pinching, typing; working with primarily fingers and not whole hand) - Continuously
• Talking (expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word) - Frequently
• Driving (the control and operation of a motor vehicle) - Occasionally
• Desk work (work usually performed at a desk) - Continuously
• Use of a computer - Continuously
• Use of a telephone - Frequently
• Hearing (Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels) - Continuously
• Exposure (to adverse weather & temperature conditions) - Occasionally
• Travel (travel needed to perform job duties) - Occasionally

Additional Information

This job description is a summary of the job duties and responsibilities and is not intended to cover all possible job duties and is subject to change at the employer’s discretion. Employees must be able to perform the essential job duties and satisfy job requirements either with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Our History

Border States is a leader in the electrical supply distribution industry with over 120 locations in 31 states. Our employee-owners are second to none in delivering top-notch customer service and in demonstrating extra-ordinary people skills. We are one of the largest independent electrical distributors in the United States providing products and services to the construction, industrial and utility industries. Border States has a competitive benefit package and is a 100 percent employee-owned company. Employee-ownership is a significant part of our culture and our success stems from the dedication of our employee-owners. We practice open-book management and our employee-owners are empowered with clearly defined levels of authority to be innovative and decisive, allowing us to respond quickly to the needs of customers. Employee-owners understand their roles in the success of the company and care about customers’ needs, which drives our focus on adding value to everything we do. We recognize that not all customers are the same and each has specific requirements. Our employee-owners understand these diverse needs and have the commitment, resourcefulness and flexibility to outperform all others.

Values
As a Border States employee-owner, you’re responsible for living our mission, service philosophy and service standards.

Our Purpose
We believe unstoppable businesses shouldn't go it alone. We are owners - of relationships, of outcomes, of every moment these unstoppable businesses need to deliver.

Service Philosophy
We earn customer loyalty and confidence by caring about their needs and adding value to everything we do.

Service Standards
Border States employee-owners are competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged .

Your career
Join an experienced team at one of the largest electrical distributors in the United States. What are you waiting for?

Border States has a competitive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

Health, Dental and Vision Benefits
Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity
FSA & HSA
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
Disability Benefits
401(k) Retirement Plan
Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Paid Holidays
Paid Volunteer Time
Personal Leave time and more!
Border States provides bonuses to their employee-owners upon the achievement of branch and company goals.

Equal Opportunity For All

It’s not just the law. It’s something we’ve believed in since our founding. We value the diversity of all of our employee-owners and will always be an equal opportunity employer.

Drug Free/Smoke Free workplace

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