Category Manager

Founded in 1959 and headquartered in Chino, California, Harrington has grown to be a leading distributor of fluid process products and solutions for industrial applications. With over 70 locations across the United States, we proudly serve a wide range of industries, including water and wastewater management, chemicals, manufacturing, semiconductors, life sciences, and food and beverage processing. At Harrington, we believe that what sets us apart is our people. We’re passionate about serving our customers with deep technical knowledge, fast product availability, and innovative supply chain solutions. Our commitment to excellence ensures that we’re always ready to respond when our customers need us - 24/7/365. Harrington is an organization that values people, innovation, and exceptional service. If you’re looking for a career where your work truly makes a difference and you can grow alongside a supportive and dynamic team, we’d love to hear from you. The Category Manager – Automation & High Purity will own and drive the overall strategy for assigned product categories, with a focus on profitable growth, supplier partnerships, inventory optimization, and expanding Harrington’s presence in key markets. This role serves as the internal subject-matter expert for the category and works closely with Sales, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Product Specialists to identify opportunities, strengthen supplier relationships, and ensure we have the right products, pricing, and inventory to support our customers and continued growth. Key Responsibilities Own and execute the overall category strategy for Automation & High Purity products. Manage and strengthen key supplier relationships, including supplier performance, negotiations, pricing, programs, and growth initiatives. Partner with Supply Chain to optimize inventory levels, product availability, strategic buys, and overall supplier performance. Develop and manage pricing strategies that support competitive positioning, margin improvement, and profitable growth. Identify new products, suppliers, technologies, and market opportunities that expand Harrington’s offering and support customer needs. Collaborate with Sales and Product Specialists to drive product adoption, demand creation, and category growth across the organization. Partner with Marketing and supplier partners to develop programs and campaigns that increase awareness, market penetration, and sales. Monitor industry trends, competitive activity, customer needs, and supplier developments to identify opportunities and potential risks. Analyze sales, margin, inventory, and supplier performance to identify trends and develop actionable strategies. Serve as the internal resource for product, supplier, pricing, and market knowledge within the assigned categories. Support new product introductions and supplier initiatives, ensuring strong communication and alignment across the organization. Qualifications Associate’s degree required; bachelor’s degree preferred. 4+ years of experience in category management, purchasing, product management, industrial sales, or a related field. Experience within automation, instrumentation, controls, high-purity products, industrial distribution, or a related market strongly preferred. Strong supplier management and negotiation skills. Strong analytical and financial acumen, including an understanding of pricing, margin, inventory, and profitability. Ability to identify market opportunities and translate them into actionable growth strategies. Strong communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills. Comfortable working cross-functionally and influencing teams without direct authority. Proficiency with Excel and ERP/business systems. Harrington provides an outstanding benefits package, designed to support our employees’ health, financial wellness, and work-life balance, with options that go above and beyond standard offerings! Insurance Medical Plans: Choose from HDHP/HSA (with monthly compa…

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