Director -Category

This role is for one of the Weekday's clients

Min Experience: 8 years

Location: Gurgaon

JobType: full-time

We are seeking an accomplished and strategic Director – Category to lead end-to-end category management, drive business growth, and optimize product performance across key segments. The ideal candidate will bring 8–15 years of experience in category strategy, P&L ownership, supplier management, and customer insights. This is a high-impact leadership role requiring strong analytical capabilities, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to translate market trends into actionable business plans.

Key Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Leadership

• Own the overall category vision, roadmap, and long-term strategy to maximize revenue, profitability, and market share.
• Identify emerging trends, customer needs, and competitive shifts to continuously expand and strengthen the category portfolio.
• Develop and implement annual operating plans, including sales targets, pricing strategy, assortment optimization, and promotional frameworks.

Assortment Planning & Product Portfolio Optimization

• Build and refine a data-driven assortment strategy to ensure an optimal product mix aligned with customer preferences and business priorities.
• Conduct regular market, competitor, and demand analyses to expand winning product lines, retire underperforming items, and drive portfolio efficiency.
• Work closely with merchandising, demand planning, and supply chain teams to ensure product availability, forecast accuracy, and operational effectiveness.

Vendor & Supplier Management

• Lead negotiations with suppliers to secure competitive pricing, terms, rebates, and exclusivity opportunities.
• Develop strong vendor partnerships, ensuring alignment on quality, compliance, innovation pipelines, and business goals.
• Monitor supplier performance through structured SLAs, quarterly reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.

P&L Ownership & Performance Management

• Manage full category P&L, including revenue, margins, cost structures, promotional budgets, and inventory levels.
• Track category performance through key metrics such as sell-through rates, contribution margins, inventory turns, and customer satisfaction.
• Build business cases, financial models, and performance dashboards to inform decision-making and strategic prioritization.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with marketing teams to develop integrated campaigns, digital activation plans, and brand-building initiatives that elevate category visibility.
• Collaborate with product, operations, and technology teams to enhance customer experience, streamline workflows, and support new category opportunities.
• Influence senior leadership through strategic insights, business recommendations, and transparent communication around category health.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of category managers, analysts, and specialists.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, ownership, and data-driven decision-making.
• Encourage cross-team learning, skill advancement, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications & Experience

• 8–15 years of progressive experience in category management, merchandising, buying, or product strategy, preferably in consumer goods, retail, e-commerce, or related sectors.
• Proven track record of P&L management, vendor negotiations, assortment optimization, and scaling category performance.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to turn data into insights and insights into business actions.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced, and growth-driven environment.