Handler Announces NAPA Associate Category Manager – Brakes Search
ATLANTA, GA. – September 1, 2026
We are pleased to announce Handler’s launch of a search for NAPA to hire an Associate Category Manager-Brakes. This key role will be based at headquarters in Atlanta, GA.
This is an opportunity to support one of NAPA’s most strategic and visible businesses. Brakes is NAPA’s second-largest category and its most Pro/B2B-focused category, placing it at the center of the company’s commercial growth strategy. Working directly with the Senior Category Manager, the Associate will support a focus area representing approximately $150M–$200M in revenue, helping drive category performance through assortment planning, analytics, project execution, and cross-functional coordination. This is a unique opportunity to bring fresh perspective, take meaningful ownership within a highly strategic category, and grow alongside the business—with strong visibility and a natural path toward future Category Management leadership.
The ideal candidate will have 2–4 years of Category Management, Merchandising, Assortment Planning, or Retail experience within a fast-paced retail, distribution, or consumer products environment. We seek candidates with strong commercial acumen, exceptional analytical capability, and the ability to quickly become the operational and analytical partner to the Category Manager. Success in this role requires someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, independently manages projects, prioritizes competing initiatives, and consistently delivers exceptional execution.
Specific functions and responsibilities of the position include:
- Approximately 2+ years of merchandising, category management, buying, assortment planning, or related retail/distribution experience preferred; candidates with deeper supply chain or industrial distribution experience will also be considered when paired with meaningful merchandising exposure
- Strong assortment planning experience is highly valued, including exposure to SKU/product performance, assortment optimization, line reviews, or related product portfolio decisions
- Strong financial and analytical acumen, including retail math, category performance analysis, reporting, and working knowledge of Excel and pivot tables; must be comfortable interpreting imperfect data and translating insights into action
- Strong project management, prioritization, and communication skills, with the ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and communicate effectively in a highly visible business environment
Education Requirement — Bachelor’s degree required
Next steps:
- To learn more about this exciting role, listen to our audio
- Qualified and interested, or to refer a colleague, contact our Search Consultant, Kathleen Leard
We look forward to hearing from you.
