Category Manager – Rentals

Location: Coquitlam, BC | Oakville, ON | Salary Range: 100k-125k + 25% Bonus| Hybrid (office + field) | Full-time Permanent | Up to 30% overnight travel

Role Overview

Hunter Sheppard has partnered with a well-established Canadian leader in scientific and engineering instrumentation to find their next Category Manager – Rentals. This is a high-impact leadership role for a commercially minded operator energized by building a business: setting the strategy, shaping the team, and rolling up their sleeves to win deals. You will own and scale the national rental business end-to-end — from go-to-market strategy and asset utilization to coaching coordinators and closing rental deals alongside the sales team. Full P&L ownership of the national rental budget, with clear authority to design and execute the strategy, define the operating model, SOPs, dashboards, and remuneration structure from the ground up.

Core Responsibilities

Commercial Leadership & Strategy

• Own and be fully accountable for the approved national rental budget — revenue, margin, and profitability

• Design, implement, and continuously refine a national rental strategy and go-to-market plan

• Align rental offerings with sales initiatives and customer needs to drive sustainable growth

• Make rental sales calls independently and alongside sales reps and rental coordinators to close opportunities

Operational Excellence

• Develop, implement, and maintain rental SOPs to ensure consistency and scalability

• Maintain dashboards tracking asset utilization, labour utilization, and key KPIs

• Optimize rental asset lifecycle, utilization, and ROI

• Lead the deployment of rental management software to improve efficiency and sales performance

• Drive continuous improvement in rental processes and customer experience

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Directly lead the Coquitlam Rental Team

• Coordinate and collaborate with Service & Rental Managers and rental coordinators across the country

• Define rental coordinator roles, responsibilities, and remuneration structure

• Develop training programs and coach and mentor rental coordinators to support performance and career growth

Customer & Partner Relationships

• Lead rental-specific lead generation initiatives and maintain a national customer list

• Build and maintain strong customer relationships — understanding needs, delivering excellent service, and resolving issues

• Support long-term and repeat rental relationships

• Partner with internal stakeholders across sales, finance, and shipping to grow and maintain the rental business

Required Experience

• 3–5 years of industry-related experience (instrumentation rental experience strongly preferred)

• Post-secondary education in Instrumentation, Sales, Business, or a related discipline an asset

• Proven track record in commercial leadership: strong negotiation, closing, and customer relationship skills

• Demonstrated experience coaching, mentoring, and developing team members

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills — able to translate data into decisions

• Knowledge of the rental business lifecycle, lead generation, and operational KPIs

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English

• Proficient with Windows, Microsoft Office, and CRM systems

Candidate Profile

• Commercially minded operator who thrives at the intersection of strategy and operational execution

• Builder's mindset — energized by setting up systems, SOPs, and structures from the ground up

• Hands-on leader comfortable both setting strategy and closing deals

• Strong coach and mentor focused on developing team members

• Data-driven decision-maker

• Self-motivated, organized, and effective both independently and within a team

• Professional presence with commitment to safety and operational integrity

• Aligned with values of customer experience, integrity, respect, and continuous improvement