Commodity Product Manager

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: Birmingham, AL or Nashville, TN

Job Summary

The Commodity Product Manager provides quoting and project management skills for coordination of commodity projects ranging between $10k - $1M. Actively participates in tracking, analyzing, and acting upon information and feedback of customer needs, products, and procedures on assigned commodity quotes. Communication between this role, the commodity team, the inside and outside sales team, the local agents, and the procurement team is paramount for success.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Partners closely with and builds strong relationships with internal branch employee owners to understand and effectively respond to external customer commodity project needs.
• Partners closely with agents in local markets to work on commodity project bids.
• Supports and is accountable to the core market growth goals for wire and cable pounds growth.
• Works with the commodity team to ensure Customer Commitment Form is filled out and signed by the customer prior to a commodity contract being executed.
• Compiles information for QBR’s given to strategic and core agencies in each metro market for better success.
• Works with the procurement team to ensure the management of the flow of material from planning phase to completion phase is achieved.
• Works with the sales team to ensure the material is taken by the customer as outlined in the project dates of the Customer Commitment Form.
• Works with local rep agencies to resolve issues related to quality, delivery, etc. to minimize the risk of interrupted supply.
• Maintains prominent level of teamwork and communication in ensuring product deliveries meet customers’ needs.
• Responsible for the completion of each assigned project.
• Tracks quotes to provide monthly feedback on the individual commodity quotes: vendor, margin, customer, $ value, project name, location, account manager, and customer service representative.
• May assist with projects ranging from <$10K - $1M.

Non-essential Functions

• Attends training as needed to develop product knowledge.
• Available to be called upon by any geographical market for technical assistance, and then case-by-case assistance in the field.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience at an electrical distributor required.
• Technical degree or applicable experience may be considered.
• Experience working at a manufacturer, distributor, or end user of the selected products line preferred.
• Field experience preferred.
• Comfortable with computers and other technology used in day-to-day activities.

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated understanding of customer service and conflict resolution.
• Strong multi-tasking skills and ability to work on multiple processes simultaneously.
• Organizational skills and ability to priority tasks.
• Ability to work independently and with initiative.
• Advanced time management skills.
• Excellent customer service skills include being competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Effective presentation skills in front of diverse audiences.
• Embodies the highest standards of integrity and ethics.
• Ability to execute sales efforts in an ethical and professional manner which assures a favorable impression of self and company.
• Collaborates effectively with others.

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. - Occasionally
  • 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
• 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) - Occasionally
• Walking (moving about on foot to accomplish tasks) - Occasionally
• 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) - Occasionally
• Reaching (extending arms in any direction) - Occasionally
• 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) - Continuously
• 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 - Continuously
• Hearing (Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels) - Continuously
• Exposure (to adverse weather & temperature conditions) - Not at all
• 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 approximately 130 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

Employment may be contingent on the offered candidate successfully passing one or more of the following pre-employment screenings:

• Criminal background check (required for all positions)
• Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check (required for positions involving driving)
• Drug testing

The MVR check and drug testing vary by role and will be communicated to the offered candidate during the onboarding process and as applicable.