Category Manager

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Our Core Values

ELEVATE EVERYTHING – We each bring a specific set of skills to the table, offering up our expertise and resources to enhance the work of others. We challenge each other to be the best in order to achieve enduring value in the eyes of our customers.

BETTER IS BETTER – There is no finish line; we strive for continuous improvement in everything we do. We obsess over every detail to find ways to improve both our products and our process.

UNAPOLOGETICALLY ACCOUNTABLE – We’re open and honest in how we speak and listen. We celebrate each other’s successes, and collectively rally to solve every challenge. We own it!

COURAGEOUS INNOVATION – There are elegant ideas awaiting discovery in everything we do. We push everyone around us to pursue those ideas openly so we can continue to dominate the category.

COMMUNITY DRIVEN - As a family business, we understand the importance of enriching the communities we call home. As a company, and as individuals, we work to make our expertise available to do the most good for those around us.

Job Summary

The Category Manager serves as the business and product leader for one or more assigned product categories. They own category strategy, customer understanding, product portfolio, commercialization, and category P&L while their team of engineers and designers. They balance strategic leadership with hands-on product management and determine what products Benchmade builds—and why.

Category Managers are the company's foremost experts in their categories. They advocate for customers, translate insight into products, create demand for future technologies through innovation and prototyping, and are accountable for both business results and product execution.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Category Leadership

• Own long-term category strategy for one or more categories.
• Develop rolling 3-year category plans and product roadmaps.
• Own category P&L, budgets, forecasts, pricing, and investment priorities.
• Present category strategy and financial performance to leadership.

Customer & Market Leadership

• Serve as the primary voice of the customer.
• Lead customer research, field engagement, and competitive analysis.
• Translate customer needs into product strategy and validated opportunities.

Product & Innovation Leadership

• Lead products from concept through end-of-life.
• Partner with Innovation and Advanced Prototyping to pull future technologies and capabilities into the category.
• Balance innovation, lifecycle management, and commercial performance.

People Leadership

• Directly lead their team of engineers and designers.
• Coach, develop, recruit, and evaluate team members.
• Create an accountable, collaborative, high-performing culture.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Brand, Marketing, E-commerce, Sales, Operations, Finance, and Supply Chain.
• Ensure successful commercialization and launch execution.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA preferred.
• 5+ years in Product, Category, or Product Line Management.
• 2+ years of direct people leadership.
• Demonstrated P&L ownership, budgeting, forecasting, and executive presentation skills.

Working Conditions

• Primarily on-site leadership role with hybrid flexibility as business needs allow.
• Office-based with regular interaction across Design, Engineering, Operations, Marketing, Sales, and executive leadership.
• Travel as required (typically less than 10%).

Measures of Success

• Commercial performance (revenue, margin, P&L).
• Customer satisfaction and validated customer insight.
• Successful product launches and portfolio health.
• Team development and cross-functional leadership.

This is an exciting time to be part of a company on the verge of even greater success.  If you think you have what it takes to be part of a company that strives to create a working environment that stimulates team spirit, passion, engagement, and achievement, complete an application today.  Please include a resume with your online application.

Benchmade Knife Company, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Benchmade complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, benefits, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

For more information about our commitment to equal employment opportunity, please see this government poster: Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal. If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process, please contact 

TalentAcquisition@benchmade.com