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Salary: USD 150,000 - 180,000 / annual
Triumph is seeking a Category Manager for Sports to own the sports book—the vendor relationships and purchasing activity behind inventory acquisition for one of the company's most established categories. You will report directly to the Head of Procurement and New Vertical Strategy and manage the full sports purchasing motion, from allocating weekly spend against inventory pressure to selecting which products to stock, negotiating pricing, and expanding the vendor network as the category scales.
This is an execution-driven role with real capital consequence. The sports book already exists and moves significant volume. You will be accountable for its growth and health, with your decisions on what to buy and at what cost flowing directly into product margin.
Key responsibilities include:
- Own and grow the sports book in line with strategic direction, maintaining health across composition, cost basis, and vendor mix
- Execute weekly vendor allocations against current inventory pressure, directing spend toward products and price points where inventory is thinnest
- Select products across the category, deciding which players, sets, years, and price tiers to carry based on sell-through, margin, and market demand
- Negotiate pricing and terms with existing wholesale partners and improve cost basis on established rates
- Manage day-to-day vendor relationships across Triumph's sports network, handling communication, negotiation, and issue resolution
- Identify, vet, and onboard new partners to deepen vendor coverage in undersupplied segments
- Manage grading and authentication workflows, including submission strategy, turnaround management, and cost/timing tradeoffs
- Track and report on allocation fill rate, book growth, vendor coverage, and cost basis relative to market comparables
The role is based in the Mountain View office with regular travel to the San Francisco office.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- 5+ years in procurement, category management, buying, strategic sourcing, or related purchasing function with direct ownership of vendor relationships and negotiation outcomes
- Demonstrated experience negotiating pricing and terms with wholesale suppliers and a record of improving cost basis over time
- Domain knowledge in sports cards, including understanding of player and set values, grading tiers, population dynamics, and market pricing drivers
- Strong analytical skills; ability to build and maintain models and make purchasing decisions from data
- Knowledge of vendor management and inventory management systems
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with credibility to represent Triumph to vendors and partners
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in supply chain management, business administration, or related field
- Proficiency with procurement software and data analysis tools
- Domain knowledge in sports apparel and memorabilia (preferred)
- Experience in resale, wholesale, or secondary market environments where authentication and provenance matter (preferred)
