Director, Product Management at W. W. Grainger

As a leading industrial distributor with operations primarily in North America, Japan and the United Kingdom, we keep the world working by serving more than 4.5 million customers worldwide with products delivered through innovative technology and deep customer relationships. With 2023 sales of $16.5 billion, we’re dedicated to providing value for customers, fostering an engaging culture for team members and driving strong financial results.

Our welcoming workplace enables you to learn, grow and make a difference by keeping businesses running and their people safe. As a 2024 Glassdoor Best Place to Work and a Great Place to Work-Certified company, we’re looking for passionate people to join our team as we continue leading the industry over our next 100 years.

The Director of Product Management leads the creation of multiple product strategies, visions, and roadmaps of future products and evangelizes our vision across the organization. You will work with engineering, design, operations, finance, and the executive teams to develop products. You will be both creative and able to work extremely well in a matrix organization, combining a variety of technologies and capabilities into products and applications. You will be customer-focused and have experience creating successful products and services. Our product, KeepStock, is a Grainger.com inventory management solution that helps you identify, organize, and manage inventory.

You will report to the VP, Group Product Manager. This is a hybrid role in Chicago IL.

Responsibilities:

• Build an end-to-end understanding of the industrial distribution business. Be a passionate advocate for the customer. Be a subject matter expert on competitors, products, and industry needs.
• Lead a team of 3 to 5 Sr. Product Managers and their teams that work on next-generation inventory management systems for the modern workplace.
• Inventory management, task management, purchasing knowledge and understanding needed.
• Define Product Strategy and requirements; align customer needs, technology, and business strategy to deliver impactful products.
• Ensure execution of product lifecycle processes from concept to launch.
• Define both long-term strategy and short-term plans to achieve the product vision. Manage the coordination of activities into well-orchestrated releases with consideration of schedule, risk management, escalation of issues, and balancing tradeoffs.

Minimum Requirements:

• BS/BA degree in computer science, engineering, science, math, or related field. MS or MBA preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership in product management.
• Experience managing a product management team. Knowledge and understanding of supply chain.
• B2B experience, having worked on analytical, mathematical, data product, SaaS type projects.
• Demonstrated expertise within industrial distribution.
• Experience managing a product or product line P&L.

With benefits starting day one, Grainger is committed to your safety, health, and wellbeing. Our programs provide choice to meet our team members' individual needs. Check out some of the rewards available to you at Grainger:

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage starts day one.
• Paid time off (PTO) days and 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% 401(k) company contribution each pay period.
• Education assistance, including financial counseling, tuition reimbursement, and low-cost degree options.
• Employee discounts, parental leave, and more.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one’s employment. Should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.