National Hot-Water Program Manager

Who We Are

Working at Reece & Fortiline means being part of a growing global company that brings our purpose and values to life every day. We celebrate our team members living our values and provide opportunities to build a long and remarkable career. We’re proud to support essential industries helping bring clean air and water to everyone. To learn more about our purpose and values, visit our career site at https://careers.reece.com/us/

The National Hot Water Program Manager is responsible for accelerating Reece’s national hot water growth strategy through the development and execution of commercial programs, technical capability initiatives, supplier partnerships, product launches, and operational excellence projects. This role serves as the central connection point between Category Management, Branches, Regional Sales, Supplier Partners, Marketing, People Growth, Operations, and Supply Chain to drive profitable growth, strengthen technical expertise, and improve customer outcomes.

The successful candidate will be a commercially minded industry expert with strong technical credibility, exceptional relationship-building skills, and the ability to lead complex cross-functional initiatives that increase market share, customer engagement, and operational effectiveness. 

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Growth Programs

Lead and execute national initiatives designed to drive hot water sales growth, expand customer engagement, and increase market penetration.

• Develop and grow Reece’s national hot water customer programs, including the "In Hot Water" initiative.
• Coordinate emergency commercial replacement opportunities and response strategies.
• Build contractor awareness and engagement programs.
• Develop service response playbooks and best-practice frameworks.
• Identify high-potential geographic markets and growth opportunities.
• Monitor program performance and drive execution with regional teams.
• Launch targeted promotional campaigns and sales initiatives.
• Grow replacement water heater sales across residential and commercial segments.
• Identify specification and project opportunities.
• Partner with Regional Sales teams to secure commercial project wins.
• Develop and implement customer acquisition strategies.

Performance Measures

• Commercial hot water sales growth
• Replacement sales growth
• New customer acquisition
• Program participation and engagement
• Commercial project wins
• Market share growth

Technical Capability & Training

Lead the development of industry-leading technical capability across Reece branch teams, sales teams, and customers.

• Own the hot water training and capability strategy nationally.
• Develop and maintain training programs covering:
  • Commercial hot water systems
  • Product applications and sizing
  • Installation best practices
  • Regulatory and code changes
  • Emerging technologies and market trends
• Create and manage a national training calendar.
• Deliver online learning programs and technical resources.
• Coordinate toolbox talks, branch roadshows, and customer workshops.
• Support product launches through education and technical enablement.
• Facilitate supplier-led training and certification programs.
• Partner with Marketing and People Growth teams to enhance engagement and adoption.

Performance Measures

• Number of team members trained
• Customer training attendance
• Certification completion rates
• Branch participation and engagement
• Training effectiveness and capability outcomes

Strategic Supplier Development

Manage strategic supplier relationships to maximize mutual growth opportunities, improve market positioning, and execute joint business objectives.

• Act as the primary commercial relationship manager for strategic hot water suppliers.
• Lead quarterly business reviews and performance assessments.
• Develop and execute joint business plans.
• Identify and implement growth initiatives and promotional opportunities.
• Gather and communicate market intelligence and customer insights.
• Coordinate supplier engagement with branches and sales teams.
• Track actions and commitments resulting from executive supplier meetings.
• Drive continuous improvement in category performance through proactive supplier collaboration.
• Organize supplier field engagement, ride-alongs, branch visits, and customer events.
• Performance Measures
  • Supplier sales growth
  • Joint business plan achievement
  • Strategic supplier market share growth
  • Supplier engagement effectiveness
  • Promotional program performance

New Product & Program Rollout

Manage the successful introduction of new products, services, and category expansion opportunities.

• Develop launch strategies and implementation plans.
• Coordinate cross-functional readiness activities.
• Support expansion into areas such as:
  • Commercial systems
  • Heat pump water heaters
  • Tankless solutions
  • Water treatment
  • Warranties and service offerings
  • Connected monitoring technologies
  • Accessories and complementary products
• Coordinate inventory planning and availability.
• Ensure branch and sales team readiness.
• Develop supporting sales tools and technical resources.
• Partner with Marketing on go-to-market execution.
• Monitor launch performance and adoption.

Performance Measures

• Successful launch delivery
• Product adoption rates
• Sales performance against launch targets
• Time-to-market execution
• Branch readiness scores

Operational Excellence

Drive process improvement initiatives that simplify business operations and improve customer and branch experiences.

• Identify operational barriers impacting sales, service, and customer satisfaction.
• Improve processes related to:
  • Rebate administration
  • Warranty management
  • National account pricing
  • Commercial quoting support
  • Customer registration programs
  • Supplier claims
  • Business reporting
• Partner with Operations and Supply Chain teams to improve efficiency and consistency.
• Develop reporting and performance dashboards.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for hot water operational processes.
• Lead initiatives focused on reducing friction and improving branch productivity.

Performance Measures

• Process efficiency improvements
• Reduced rebate turnaround times
• Improved pricing compliance
• Warranty administration effectiveness
• Branch satisfaction and engagement

Market Intelligence & Category Insights

Act as Reece’s hot water subject matter expert by monitoring and communicating:

• Emerging technologies, including heat pump water heaters
• Industry regulations and code changes
• Government rebate and incentive programs
• Competitor activity and market trends
• Customer needs and pain points
• Commercial growth opportunities
• Provide regular insights and recommendations to Category Management to support strategic decision-making.

Key Competencies and Skills Required

Commercial Acumen

• Business development
• Account management
• Sales growth strategy
• Program development
• Negotiation and influence

Technical Credibility

Strong understanding of:

• Commercial hot water systems
• System sizing and application
• Installation best practices
• Industry regulations and compliance requirements
• Emerging water heating technologies

Project Management

Demonstrated ability to coordinate:

• Suppliers
• Marketing teams
• Branch networks
• Operations
• Inventory and supply chain initiatives

Communication & Influence

• Executive presentations
• Facilitating workshops and training events
• Customer engagement
• Change management
• Stakeholder management

Relationship Building

A highly collaborative leader who enjoys spending time with:

• Branch teams
• Contractors
• Supplier partners
• Sales teams
• Industry stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree, trade qualification, or equivalent experience in a related technical, business, engineering, or construction discipline preferred.
• Commercial water heating manufacturers (e.g., AO Smith, Rheem, Bradford White, Rinnai, Navien)
• Commercial plumbing contracting
• Technical sales engineering
• Product management
• Learning and development within the plumbing or water heating industry
• Category management or business development in a related industry

Success Measures

Within the first 12 months, the National Hot Water Program Manager will be expected to deliver measurable outcomes across the following areas:

Sales & Commercial Growth

• Double-digit growth in national hot water sales
• Increased replacement water heater sales
• Growth in commercial project opportunities and wins
• Expansion of customer participation in national programs

Supplier Performance

• Growth in strategic supplier market share
• Delivery of joint business plan objectives
• Increased supplier engagement across branches

Capability Development

• 90%+ completion of targeted branch hot water training
• Increased customer training participation
• Improved technical capability across sales and branch teams

Product Launches

• Successful, on-time rollout of new products and services
• Strong adoption and sales performance of new categories

Operational Excellence

• Reduced administrative turnaround times
• Improved compliance and reporting accuracy
• Enhanced branch experience through process simplification

Customer Engagement

• Increased contractor participation
• Higher attendance at technical events and training programs
• Improved customer satisfaction and loyalty

Our commitment to excellent customer service is just part of our story.  We’re also dedicated to supporting our most valuable asset, our associates! One of the ways we do this is by offering a variety of high-quality benefits for our associates and their families.

All full-time associates are eligible for the following benefits:

• Medical and Dental Insurance

• Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts

• Company-paid Life Insurance

• Short Term Disability

• 401(k) Plan

• Paid Time Off (PTO) - plus paid holidays

• Parental Leave

Voluntary benefits:

• Vision

• Long-term Disability

• Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance

• Additional Voluntary Benefits through Corestream

We're an equal opportunity employer and we welcome diversity and inclusion! Reece USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer— Employer Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, National Origin, and any other status protected by law.