Category Manager - Commercial Ice

About Culligan QuenchCulligan Quench’s purpose is to impact people’s lives and improve the earth by helping to eliminate the 500 million plastic bottles consumed each year.  We play a front-line role in the battle against single-use plastic water bottles by delivering on-demand filtered water solutions to more than 120,000 healthy and environmentally conscious customers across North America. Our bottle-free water coolers, ice machines, sparkling water dispensers and coffee brewers purify the existing water supply, providing an endless supply of clean water and water-based beverages for a fixed monthly fee, typically under a long term bundled service and rental subscription agreement.  Culligan Quench has grown from a small regional company to an international leader that had a successful NYSE public offering in 2016 and is now a strategic company owned by private equity backed Culligan.  Headquartered in King of Prussia, PA, Quench has more than 1,600 team members operating out of more than 90 locations across North America and Puerto Rico. For more information visit https://quench.culligan.com/
About CulliganFounded by Emmett Culligan in 1936, Culligan is a world leader in delivering superior water solutions that will make a real difference in improving the health and wellness of consumers. The company offers some of the most technologically advanced, state-of-the-art water filtration and treatment products. These products include water softeners, drinking water systems, whole-house systems and solution for businesses. Culligan's network of franchise dealers is the largest in the world, with over 900 dealers in 90 countries. Many of Culligan dealers have valuable equity in their local communities as multigenerational family owners of their franchises. For more information visit www.culligan.com. 
Values: 5CsCulligan as OneCustomers come firstCommitment to InnovationCourage to do what's rightConsistently deliver exceptional results
Role is hybrid based in the Philadelphia area, reporting into the King of Prussia HQ, with occasional travel required for customer, vendor, or cross-functional workshops

The Position

• We are seeking a results-oriented Category Manager – Commercial Ice to lead the performance, growth, and long-term vision of our Commercial Ice portfolio. This role is ideal for a leader who excels in translating insights into actionable strategies and who thrives at driving cross-functional execution to deliver business results.


• This individual will identify product, service, and customer experience innovations aligned with business objectives, define category-level strategies, and oversee end-to-end execution—from opportunity identification and product development to go-to-market (GTM) rollout and in-market optimization. The leader will not only focus on identifying new opportunities and getting those to market but also ensuring the success of the products that are launched, analyzing results and outputs, and adjusting strategies and GTM to ensure success of the category and the products within the category.


• As the category owner, this person will report to the Director of Category management, and work closely with leaders and executives across Product, Sales, Marketing, Customer Care, Service, Supply Chain, and IT to deliver sustainable growth and exceptional customer outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Development
• Lead the assessment and identification of new business opportunities across different verticals and channels, focusing on innovative product solutions and user experience enhancements by collecting feedback from customers, prospects, and internal stakeholders.
• Develop comprehensive GTM strategies with business owners and execution plans for product development, positioning, and market entry, collaborating with the VP of Product Marketing and other senior leaders to align on goals and execution.
• Communicate category vision and priorities clearly across the organization to ensure alignment and execution.
• Understand product use cases, customer journeys, business applicability, and impact of each use case, working closely with other Product, Direct and Indirect Sales, Product Management, Care, and Service leaders, as well as our customers.
• Understand Culligan Quench’s products, services, capabilities, and technology to identify our Right to Win and develop optimal solutions tailored to each market segment.
• Define product/solution requirements and roadmaps in combination with business owners including things as feasibility, effort, financial impact (revenue / cost savings) and strategic value.
• Maintain a clear understanding of the competitive landscape, identifying opportunities to differentiate and defend category position.


• Operational Management
• Lead ongoing category performance monitoring, identifying key drivers of revenue, margin, and customer satisfaction. Adjust strategy and execution as needed.
• Assist in the general management of the category post-GTM strategy development, contributing to strategic decisions and supporting initiatives that impact category performance and profitability.
• Lead cross-functional teams to ensure seamless and effective market introduction of new products and ongoing management of the Commercial Ice category. This includes driving initiatives across Product, Sales, Marketing, Customer Care, Service, Supply Chain, and IT.


• Leadership and Collaboration
• Act as the category’s central point of leadership, owning success of the category and ensuring alignment and accountability across all business functions and customer-facing teams.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for all stakeholders involved in the category management process, from internal teams to external partners and customers.
• Champion a culture of success and continuous improvement, fostering an environment of collaboration and innovation.
• Celebrate team achievements and facilitate shared accountability in the delivery of project outcomes. 

Qualifications

• Experience:
• 5+ years of experience in Category Management, product management, or a related role, preferably in commercial equipment, HVAC, or food service industries
• Demonstrated ability to manage full P&L responsibilities, including budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and driving profitability.
• Proven success leading complex, cross-functional product/program launches, ideally in product-driven consumer or industrial sectors.
• Education:
• Bachelor’s degree; MBA, advanced degree, or equivalent experience preferred.

Skills

• Analytical skills and a value-oriented mindset to effectively manage a category strategy and GTM plan.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a proven track record of influencing business or marketing strategies through competitive analysis, market awareness, and product positioning.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication, able to align, influence, and drive execution across cross-functional teams.

Equal Opportunity EmployerThis employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.