Category Operations Specialist

Build a better career with MSC.

Serving customer and community starts with the very best people doing their very best work. That is precisely what we have at MSC Industrial Supply Co., a leading North American distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) products and services. Watch HERE to find out why you should work at MSC and join us as we continue to build a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Requisition ID :16067

Employment Type :Full Time

Job Category :Category Operations

Work Location :Tampa, FL

State or Province :Florida (US-FL)

Potential Work Location :

BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY:

The Category Operations Specialist, Cost Management COE (Center of Excellence) is responsible for execution and continuous improvement of cost related processes. The Specialist will ensure data is consistent and accurate, provide timely responses to information or service requests, and execute processes and programs. The Specialist will work within the Operations COE team and cross-functionally with internal customers.

DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Follows the cost management process that begins with a cost change notification from a supplier, while maintaining a continual improvement mindset. Follows processes to estimate impact to the business, work with the supplier to confirm the change and address any anomalies, share and receive approval from Category Strategy and enter changes into the system. Some level of negotiations may be needed.

• Interprets and provides analytical details of cost change to support business decisions
• Uses internal reporting to conduct regular meetings with Category Strategy to review open tasks.

• Manages costing errors while identifying themes and reducing the number of discrepancies.
• Performs due diligence to understand root cause of errors on PO or invoices from a supplier, updates information appropriately and resolves supplier disputes regarding cost.

• Works cross-functionally with Supply Chain, suppliers, Accounts Payable, sales associates and Category Strategy to resolve issues and inform on resolutions.

• Assist with training new associates on cost management processes whether within Category Operations or Category Strategy.
• Analyze cost / sell price relationships related to cost maintenance and work with Strategic Pricing to update sell prices.
• Identifies improvement opportunities along with proposed solutions for key processes.
• Performs consistent and accurate data input and assessment.
• Fosters the MSC Culture in the department and throughout the company to ensure fulfillment of MSC's vision and unity of purpose.
• Participation in special projects and performs additional duties as required.

INDICATES ESSENTIAL DUTIES -

To perform this job successfully an associate must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

The requirements listed below are representative of knowledge, experience level and abilities required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential

duties.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in business, Marketing, Supply Chain, or equivalent area of study preferred.
• Two to four years of experience in supply chain, distribution, or finance/analytics required.
• MS Office Suite proficiency required; MS Excel Intermediate skill level or above required.
• AS400 and SharePoint experience preferred.

SKILLS:

• Knowledge of Business acumen, key financial metrics and basic business concepts
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize and manage time effectively.
• Highly organized and works with a sense of urgency.
• Agile learner who can think on their feet and be flexible.
• Attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to quickly learn new systems and processes.
• Self-starter able to work autonomously.
• Customer service focused.
• Proactive thinker with strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Ability to collaborate and work cross-functionally with different teams and personalities.
• Able to build sustainable relationships of trust through open and interactive communication.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• A valid driver's license and the ability to travel up to 10% of the time may be required.

Why MSC

People. Collaboration. Insight. That's how you build something that works.

Built on a foundation of trust, MSC works side by side with our customers to help them drive business results. With more than one million product offerings and 75+ years of experience across industries, MSC strives to help our customers achieve greater productivity, profitability, and growth through inventory management and other innovative supply chain solutions.

We care about our associates and have programs in place to help our 6,500+ team members achieve their potential. When you join our team, you will receive rewards and recognition for your contributions, training and professional development opportunities, as well as a variety of benefits to support you and your family's health, well-being, and financial future.

If you are inspired to learn, take risks, and succeed as a team, you can build a better career at MSC.

Equal Opportunity Statement

At MSC, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all qualified applicants and our associates without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or any category protected by applicable law.