Category Leader, Powertrain & E-mobility
ZFBecome our next FutureStarter Are you ready to make an impact? ZF is looking for talented individuals to join our team. As a FutureStarter, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the future of mobility. Join us and be part of something extraordinary! Category Leader, Powertrain & E-mobility Country/Region: US Location: Vernon Hills, IL, US, 60061 Req ID 91843 | Vernon Hills, United States ZF Services, LLC About the Position As Regional Category Leader – Powertrain and E-Mobility, you will lead the North America category strategy across IAM, OES, and Service channels, with responsibility for portfolio performance, competitive positioning, and profitable growth. You will translate customer needs, market trends, and competitive insights into winning portfolio strategies and growth opportunities, while leading the regional Category Management team. This position can be based in Vernon Hills, IL; Northville, MI; or Auburn Hills, MI. What you can look forward to as a Regional Head of Category Management – Powertrain and E-Mobility: Own and execute the NA Powertrain and E-Mobility category strategy across IAM, OES, and Service channels, driving sales and profitable growth. Translate market trends, customer needs, vehicle parc, and competitive benchmarking into product and portfolio requirements, positioning, and profitable growth opportunities. Drive portfolio development and optimization, including range extensions, new product opportunities, SKU rationalization, and vehicle parc coverage, supported by strong business cases. Partner with Sales to define and pursue growth plans for key customers and represent Category Management as the portfolio expert in customer discussions. Lead regional pricing strategy and price positioning, including new product pricing, price requests, annual adjustments, and competitive benchmarking. Own portfolio performance across sales, margin, volume, mix, availability, and pricing, taking actions to achieve business targets. Ensure regional market and customer requirements are reflected in new product development and launches, driving speed to market, commercial and service readiness, and profitable growth from new products. Partner with Purchasing, Supply Chain, Operations, and suppliers to improve cost competitiveness, availability, and portfolio profitability. Lead sales and strategic planning for the category, track key performance indicators, and drive corrective actions to achieve sales and profit growth targets. Lead and develop the regional Category and Product Management team, building capabilities and a strong talent pipeline. Your Profile as a Regional Head of Category Management – Powertrain and E-Mobility: Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, or a related field; MBA preferred. 7+ years in Category Management, including portfolio strategy, pricing, and key commercial levers such as sales, margin, and cost. Powertrain experience required; E-Mobility experience a plus; automotive aftermarket experience strongly preferred. Proven team leadership, including hiring, coaching, and performance management. Strong strategic, analytical, and commercial skills, with the ability to use data to drive sales, margin, and pricing decisions. Strong customer orientation, negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills. Strong MS Office skills, including advanced Excel and presentation skills; SAP, Salesforce, and BI tools preferred. Ability to manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines. Strong intercultural competence and ability to collaborate effectively across global teams. What We Offer: A supportive collaborative team environment Annual Incentive Plan Paid Vacation Personal Time 401k Plan Health Care Benefits Paid Holidays A strong diversity culture Supportive Employee Groups and community outreach activities The expected base compensation for this role is $113,100.00 - $141,400.00 annually. Actual base compensation within the identified range will vary b…