Cross Reference ManagerS.P. Richards Company
Job Summary
S.P. Richards Company
S.P. Richards is an Equal Opportunity Employer and fully subscribes to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity. The company ensures that all applicants and employees are considered for hire, promotion and job status, without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Education and/or Experience
Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
The noise level in the environment is moderate.
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to walk.
The employee is occasionally required to lift up to 10 pounds. The vision requirements include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus.
Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.
S.P. Richards is an Equal Opportunity Employer and fully subscribes to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity. The company ensures that all applicants and employees are considered for hire, promotion and job status, without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Position SummaryThe Manager, Product Cross Reference & Competitive Product Intelligence is responsible for the strategy, governance, and continuous improvement of SPR’s product cross-reference capabilities. This role leads the development and management of the company’s Product Cross Reference database, ensuring Sales teams can quickly identify and recommend SPR products that compete effectively with alternative products in the marketplace.
This position plays a critical role in enabling competitive selling by combining data analytics, product research, and cross-functional collaboration to develop accurate product match intelligence. The role also drives improvements in how products are categorized, compared, and analyzed, helping identify gaps in SPR’s product portfolio and opportunities for expansion.
This manager partners closely with Sales, Merchandising, Pricing, Marketing, Vendors, and IT to ensure product comparison data is accurate, scalable, and aligned with how customers evaluate purchasing decisions.
The ideal candidate is highly analytical, strategic, and detail-oriented, with the ability to balance immediate business needs with long-term data infrastructure development. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned. Cross Reference Strategy and Ownership
Database Management and Product IntelligenceThis position plays a critical role in enabling competitive selling by combining data analytics, product research, and cross-functional collaboration to develop accurate product match intelligence. The role also drives improvements in how products are categorized, compared, and analyzed, helping identify gaps in SPR’s product portfolio and opportunities for expansion.
This manager partners closely with Sales, Merchandising, Pricing, Marketing, Vendors, and IT to ensure product comparison data is accurate, scalable, and aligned with how customers evaluate purchasing decisions.
The ideal candidate is highly analytical, strategic, and detail-oriented, with the ability to balance immediate business needs with long-term data infrastructure development. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned. Cross Reference Strategy and Ownership
- Own the strategy, governance, and continuous improvement of SPR’s product cross-reference database.
- Establish standards, processes, and best practices for developing and maintaining product cross references.
- Ensure cross-reference data remains accurate, scalable, and aligned with customer purchasing behaviors.
- Lead the development of product comparison methodologies that improve the quality and reliability of cross references.
- Identify opportunities to automate and scale cross-referencing processes through improved data architecture, analytics, and technology.
- Oversee the creation and maintenance of cross references between competitor products and SPR alternatives.
- Develop internal cross-reference recommendations to support substitute product selection during stock shortages or product discontinuations.
- Maintain and update cross references when product IDs, packaging configurations, or units of measure change.
- Develop and maintain product attribute frameworks that enable consistent product comparison and pricing analysis.
- Leverage data analysis to identify product portfolio gaps and competitive opportunities.
- Utilize data analytics tools such as Power BI to monitor cross-reference coverage, data quality, and business impact.
- Analyze product attribute data to improve product matching accuracy and support strategic pricing initiatives.
- Develop reporting and dashboards that provide insights into competitive product positioning and substitution opportunities.
- Partner with Sales, Merchandising, Pricing, Marketing, Vendors, and IT to ensure cross-reference data supports business needs.
- Serve as the internal subject matter expert on product matching and competitive product comparisons.
- Support strategic initiatives such as major bids, new business opportunities, and customer conversions by providing product intelligence.
- Oversee the fulfillment of cross-reference requests for new business, bids, and customer opportunities.
- Guide stakeholders toward strategic product recommendations using data, product specifications, and industry knowledge.
- Establish processes that enable faster and more scalable responses to cross-reference requests.
- Continuously improve workflows, tools, and data processes to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
- Develop documentation, standards, and training materials related to cross-reference processes.
- Mentor and guide analysts supporting cross-reference or product data work and help scale the function as the business grows.
- Advanced analytical and problem-solving capabilities with strong attention to detail
- Ability to develop scalable data processes and manage complex product datasets
- Strong communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders
- Ability to balance urgent operational needs with long-term strategic improvements
- Strong organizational and prioritization skills in a fast-paced environment
- Ability to work independently while leading cross-functional initiatives
Education and/or Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Data Analytics, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
- Advanced Excel skills (e.g., macros, Power Query, complex formulas, pivot tables)
- Experience with data visualization tools such as Power BI or Tableau
- Experience with relational databases and data modeling concepts
- Ability to write and execute SQL queries
- Experience with data quality management and large product datasets
- Experience leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for data analysis or automation preferred
- Experience with price or product data web scraping preferred
- Product knowledge in business products, janitorial supplies, or office products preferred
Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
The noise level in the environment is moderate.
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to walk.
The employee is occasionally required to lift up to 10 pounds. The vision requirements include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus.
Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.
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