- Professional
- Bureau à Gurugram
This role is for one of the Weekday's clients
Salary range: Rs 1500000 - Rs 2000000 (ie INR 15-20 LPA)
Min Experience: 6 years
Location: Gurgaon
JobType: full-time
We are seeking a highly driven and strategic Category Manager to lead end-to-end category planning, execution, and performance management. The ideal candidate will bring 6–10 years of hands-on experience in category management, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to translate market insights into impactful category growth strategies. This role requires a blend of analytical capability, stakeholder management, and a deep understanding of consumer behaviour, competitive trends, and product lifecycle dynamics.
Requirements
Key Responsibilities
Category Strategy & Planning
- Develop and execute comprehensive category strategies aimed at driving growth, profitability, and market share.
- Conduct in-depth market analysis to evaluate category performance, competitor landscape, and emerging trends.
- Build annual and quarterly category plans, aligning with business objectives, sales targets, and customer expectations.
- Define category roadmaps including product introductions, assortment planning, pricing architecture, and promotional frameworks.
Assortment, Pricing & Merchandising Management
- Lead assortment optimization by identifying gaps, evaluating product performance, and determining ideal product mixes.
- Implement best-in-class pricing strategies using market benchmarking, elasticity analysis, and margin optimization frameworks.
- Collaborate with merchandising, marketing, and sales teams to execute category initiatives, seasonal campaigns, and visual merchandising guidelines.
Vendor Management & Negotiation
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors.
- Lead annual negotiations covering pricing, rebates, margins, supply terms, and service-level agreements.
- Evaluate vendor performance using KPIs and drive improvements in delivery, quality, and cost efficiency.
- Identify new sourcing opportunities and onboard strategic vendors to strengthen category depth.
Performance Analysis & Reporting
- Own category P&L, including revenue, margins, cost control, and inventory levels.
- Analyse sales trends, consumer insights, and operational data to identify opportunities and risks.
- Prepare weekly, monthly, and quarterly performance reports and translate findings into actionable business recommendations.
- Partner with finance and supply chain teams to ensure healthy inventory turnover, demand planning accuracy, and operational efficiency.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with marketing to build and execute category-specific campaigns that drive traffic, conversions, and customer engagement.
- Collaborate with product, operations, and supply chain teams to ensure category availability, timely launches, and fulfilment efficiency.
- Support leadership in portfolio optimisation, business reviews, and long-term growth initiatives.
Requirements
- Experience: 6–10 years in category management, merchandising, buying, or product portfolio roles.
- Strong analytical skills with proficiency in data-driven decision-making and forecasting.
- Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- Proven ability to develop strategic plans and execute with discipline.
- Strong understanding of retail, e-commerce, or FMCG category dynamics (industry-specific experience preferred).
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with a focus on results and ownership.
