Category Manager – Wireless Routers

Eagle Wireless is a connectivity company delivering secure, reliable, and scalable cellular modules and solutions for automotive and IoT applications. With a strong presence in the United States and global R&D teams across North America, Europe, and APAC, Eagle Wireless supports customers worldwide with long-life, compliant, and cyber-secure connectivity products. Focused on trust, supply chain resilience, and regulatory compliance, Eagle Wireless helps OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and IoT innovators deploy connected technologies with confidence in an increasingly complex global environment.

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Eagle Wireless offers medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid vacation and paid parental leave to support you and your family.
We are looking for: Category Manager – Wireless Routers
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.Two requirements are non-negotiable: (1) several years of hands-on strategic sourcing / procurement experience, and (2) direct experience sourcing wireless routers, CPE, or Wi-Fi networking hardware, including existing ODM and Wi-Fi chipset-vendor relationships.Applications that do not clearly evidence both will not be considered.
Key responsibilities Strategic Sourcing and Category Strategy:Develop and execute the sourcing and category strategy for the Wireless Routers segmentIdentify, qualify, and select ODM and component suppliers (chipsets, RF front-end, PCB, mechanicals, packaging)Establish a dual/multi-sourcing strategy to mitigate supply chain riskLead cost modeling and profitability analysis to assess suppliers' cost structures and identify opportunities for cost reduction and value optimizationConduct competitive bidding processes to ensure the selection of the best suppliers based on quality, price, delivery, and service performanceSupplier Relationship Management:Own the strategic supplier relationship: performance scorecards, quarterly business reviews, and escalation ownership for cost, quality, and capacity issuesRepresent the category in senior-level supplier business reviews and executive escalationsCost Management:Lead commercial negotiations on pricing, BOM cost breakdowns, payment terms, and contractsBuild and maintain cost benchmarks and should-cost models for router platformsEstablish Cost-Down and Design-to-Cost principles for the categoryCategory & 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 deliveryPartner cross-functionally with Sales, Engineering, Quality, and Program Management on RFQs and new product introductionsEnsure supplier and category compliance with industry regulations, certifications (e.g. FCC, CE, Wi-Fi Alliance), and quality standardsMarket & Industry Insight:Monitor component market trends, allocation risk, and pricing movements (e.g. Wi-Fi chipsets, memory, RF components) and translate them into sourcing actionStay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes affecting the wireless networking and consumer electronics sectorsPerform market analysis to track competitor offerings and pricing strategies to maintain a competitive edgeCross-Functional Collaboration:Work closely with Sales, Marketing, and Product Development teams to ensure sourcing strategies align with market demands and customer requirementsProvide strategic sourcing input and guidance for new product development and portfolio managementSourcing Analytics & Reporting:Prepare regular reports on category performance, supplier metrics, cost savings, and other key performance indicatorsUse data-driven insights to guide decision-making and continuously improve category strategy xzbcwsv
Job Requirements5+ 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 fromStrong command of BOM costing, cost breakdown negotiation, and should-cost analysisBachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or a related fieldExcellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skillsExperience with ERP/procurement systems (e.g. SAP, NetSuite)Willingness to travel internationally to Asia for supplier visits (approx. 20–30%)Fluent English
Nice to HaveExperience in automotive or IoT wireless module procurementExisting network with ODMs such as Sercomm, Arcadyan, Askey, Gemtek, Compal, or Wistron NeWebFamiliarity with Wi-Fi 6/6E/7 chipset roadmaps (Qualcomm, MediaTek, Broadcom)
What We OfferThe opportunity to build a new product category from the ground upPreference to be given to candidates in Cleveland Ohio location who are able to work on-site; hybrid candidates / other geographies to be considered if hiring out of Cleveland not possibleCompetitive salary and benefits packageA fast-growing, international environment with direct customer and supplier exposure