Category Manager

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.

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.