Category Manager in Solon, Ohio at Eagle Wireless

About Eagle Wireless

Eagle Wireless is building the connective tissue of the physical world.

Every connected car, every industrial sensor, every IoT device that needs to talk to the cloud reliably and securely — that’s where we come in. We design and deliver cellular modules and connectivity solutions that automotive, and IoT companies trust to work for years, in the field, without compromise.

Our teams span North America, Europe, and APAC, giving you the chance to collaborate with world-class engineers and go-to-market experts solving hard problems at global scale — from cybersecurity and supply chain resilience to regulatory compliance across dozens of markets.

If you want your work to matter in a world that’s rapidly connecting everything, and you want to do it alongside people obsessed with getting the hard stuff right, Eagle Wireless is where that happens.

About the role

We are looking for an experienced Category Manager – Wireless Routers to lead sourcing and category strategy for our new Wireless Routers product line. You bring deep segment expertise: you know the supplier landscape (ODMs, chipset vendors, and component suppliers), you understand cost structures and BOM economics, and you have existing relationships across the wireless router / CPE ecosystem. This is a build-from-scratch mandate — you will define supplier strategy, negotiate commercial terms, and establish the cost and quality foundation for a brand-new category at Eagle Wireless. You will own the Wireless Routers sourcing category end-to-end from day one — a hands-on, single-owner mandate to start, with clear scope to grow the function (and, over time, a team) as the category scales. Day-to-day purchase order execution, expediting, and delivery scheduling are owned by our plant procurement teams; this role is focused on the strategic layer above that.

Key Responsibilities/Skills

Strategic Sourcing and Category Strategy:

• Develop and execute the sourcing and category strategy for the Wireless Routers segment
• Identify, qualify, and select ODM and component suppliers (chipsets, RF front-end, PCB, mechanicals, packaging)
• Establish a dual/multi-sourcing strategy to mitigate supply chain risk
• Lead cost modeling and profitability analysis to assess suppliers' cost structures and identify opportunities for cost reduction and value optimization
• Conduct competitive bidding processes to ensure the selection of the best suppliers based on quality, price, delivery, and service performance

Supplier Relationship Management:

• Own the strategic supplier relationship: performance scorecards, quarterly business reviews, and escalation ownership for cost, quality, and capacity issues
• Represent the category in senior-level supplier business reviews and executive escalations

Cost Management:

• Lead commercial negotiations on pricing, BOM cost breakdowns, payment terms, and contracts
• Build and maintain cost benchmarks and should-cost models for router platforms
• Establish Cost-Down and Design-to-Cost principles for the category

Category & Product Strategy:

• Own category strategy across the product lifecycle — from initial sourcing and supplier selection through NPI and cost-downs — partnering with plant procurement teams on execution and delivery
• Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Engineering, Quality, and Program Management on RFQs and new product introductions
• Ensure supplier and category compliance with industry regulations, certifications (e.g. FCC, CE, Wi-Fi Alliance), and quality standards

Market & Industry Insight:

• Monitor component market trends, allocation risk, and pricing movements (e.g. Wi-Fi chipsets, memory, RF components) and translate them into sourcing action
• Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes affecting the wireless networking and consumer electronics sectors
• Perform market analysis to track competitor offerings and pricing strategies to maintain a competitive edge

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with Sales, Marketing, and Product Development teams to ensure sourcing strategies align with market demands and customer requirements
• Provide strategic sourcing input and guidance for new product development and portfolio management

Sourcing Analytics & Reporting:

• Prepare regular reports on category performance, supplier metrics, cost savings, and other key performance indicators
• Use data-driven insights to guide decision-making and continuously improve category strategy

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on strategic sourcing / procurement experience, of which at least 3 years sourcing wireless routers, CPE, or Wi-Fi networking hardware (general category-management or non-procurement backgrounds are not a fit for this role)
• Existing, direct working relationships with router / CPE ODMs and Wi-Fi chipset vendors — be prepared to name the specific ODMs and chipset vendors you have personally sourced from
• Strong command of BOM costing, cost breakdown negotiation, and should-cost analysis
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or a related field
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• Experience with ERP/procurement systems (e.g. SAP, NetSuite)
• Willingness to travel internationally to Asia for supplier visits (approx. 20–30%)
• Fluent English

What We Offer:

Our work environment is collaborative, and we offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, which includes medical/dental/vision, generous PTO and paid parental leave programs.

Eagle Wireless recognizes the importance of forming inclusive teams to foster an environment where creative solutions are made for our clients, and all have the opportunity to thrive and succeed. We encourage candidates from a variety of backgrounds to apply to be a part of our team.