Assistant Category Manager - Beauty Retail

AlFuttaim; Dubai; Presencial; AED 134.000 - 257.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Al-Futtaim Retail is seeking an Assistant Category Manager to drive growth for Own Brands and Exclusive Brands in the beauty retail sector. You will work across merchandising, marketing, e-commerce, and store teams to enhance product availability, pricing, and campaigns.

Ideal candidates bring 2–5 years in brand or category management, strong analytical skills, and cross-functional collaboration abilities. This on-site role is based in Dubai with a focus on performance and growth across physical

Formación

• 2-5 years of experience in Brand Management, Category Management, Marketing, or Retail.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Retail Management, or related field.
• Strong analytical capabilities, commercial awareness, and cross-functional coordination skills.

Responsabilidades

• Support development and implementation of annual business and brand plans for Own Brands and Exclusive Brands.
• Contribute to sales growth, gross margin improvement, and category profitability.
• Coordinate assortment, pricing, and promotional strategies aligned with commercial objectives.
• Monitor brand performance using sales data and customer insights.
• Support forecasting, inventory planning, and stock management.

Conocimientos

Brand Management

Category Management

Marketing

Retail

Analytical Skills

Educación

Bachelor's degree in Marketing/Business/Retail

Herramientas

MS Excel

PowerPoint

Descripción del empleo

Assistant Category Manager - Beauty Retail Job Snapshot

• Role: Assistant Category Manager - Beauty Retail
• Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Industry: Retail
• Function: Brand-Product Marketing
• Experience: 2-5 years in Brand Management, Category Management, Marketing, or Retail
• Job Type: Full Time
• Work Arrangement: On-site

Position Overview

Al-Futtaim Retail is seeking an Assistant Category Manager to support the development, growth, and commercial performance of its Own Brands and Exclusive Brands portfolio within the beauty retail sector. The role focuses on increasing sales, profitability, market share, and brand awareness through effective category planning, product assortment, pricing strategies, marketing campaigns, and new product launches. Working closely with Merchandising, Marketing, E-commerce, Supply Chain, Finance, Operations, and store teams, the Assistant Category Manager will help strengthen brand positioning across physical and digital retail channels. The successful candidate will analyze market trends, identify new product opportunities, coordinate brand activations, and support inventory planning to improve product availability and commercial performance. This position requires 2-5 years of relevant experience in brand management, category management, marketing, or retail, supported by strong analytical capabilities, commercial awareness, and cross-functional coordination skills.

Job Details

• Country: United Arab Emirates
• City: Dubai
• Industry: Retail
• Function: Brand-Product Marketing
• Salary: Not disclosed
• Gender: No Preference
• Candidate Nationality: Not specified
• Job Type: Full Time
• Work Arrangement: On-site
• Job Requisition ID: 182159

Key Responsibilities

Brand and Commercial Management

• Support the development and implementation of annual business and brand plans for Own Brands and Exclusive Brands.
• Contribute to sales growth, gross margin improvement, and category profitability.
• Support assortment, pricing, and promotional strategies aligned with commercial objectives.
• Monitor brand performance using sales data, market information, and customer insights.
• Identify opportunities to improve sales participation and brand productivity.
• Coordinate with suppliers and internal stakeholders to support successful product launches.
• Assist with brand activation activities across relevant retail channels.
• Support forecasting, inventory planning, and stock management.
• Help maintain product availability while minimizing aged inventory.

Own Brands and Exclusive Brands Growth

• Develop and support initiatives to increase the contribution of Own Brands and Exclusive Brands to overall sales.
• Identify opportunities to expand the brand portfolio across markets and channels.
• Evaluate gaps in existing product ranges and potential new product categories.
• Support product differentiation through relevant customer value propositions.
• Contribute to innovation initiatives that encourage customer adoption.
• Coordinate exclusive product launches and hero product campaigns.
• Monitor key performance indicators and recommend actions to improve commercial results.
• Support consistent brand positioning across stores and digital channels.

Marketing and Consumer Engagement

• Collaborate with Marketing and E-commerce teams to implement integrated brand campaigns.
• Support digital marketing, social media, and customer relationship management activities.
• Coordinate influencer marketing and in-store brand activations.
• Help ensure strong brand visibility across physical stores, online platforms, and customer touchpoints.
• Support promotional activities designed to improve customer awareness and product engagement.
• Analyze consumer behavior and purchasing trends.
• Identify opportunities to improve customer engagement and conversion.
• Align marketing execution with product launches and commercial priorities.

Category and Market Analysis

• Conduct competitor benchmarking and category performance reviews.
• Research market developments and emerging consumer preferences.
• Monitor brand health, sales performance, and customer feedback.
• Analyze category trends to identify opportunities for growth.
• Prepare regular business reviews and performance reports.
• Present actionable findings and recommendations to relevant stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities arising from Korean Beauty (K-Beauty), Japanese Beauty (J-Beauty), and Chinese Beauty (C-Beauty) trends.
• Monitor emerging global beauty developments that may influence product assortment and category strategy.

Product Launch and Promotional Coordination

• Coordinate product launch timelines with internal teams and external partners.
• Support the preparation and execution of promotional calendars.
• Work with Supply Chain and Merchandising teams to confirm inventory readiness.
• Collaborate with store teams to support effective product presentation and launch execution.
• Coordinate marketing activities associated with new and exclusive products.
• Monitor launch activities against approved schedules and budgets.
• Help ensure brand initiatives are implemented consistently across relevant channels.

Inventory and Forecasting Support

• Assist with sales forecasting and inventory planning for assigned brands and categories.
• Monitor stock availability to support planned promotional and commercial activities.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain and Merchandising teams on inventory requirements.
• Identify potential aged stock and product availability concerns.
• Support appropriate stock management decisions using sales and performance information.
• Contribute to improved inventory productivity and product availability.

Cross-Functional Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with Merchandising, Supply Chain, Marketing, Operations, Finance, and store teams.
• Coordinate with suppliers and brand partners on product launches and brand initiatives.
• Communicate commercial priorities and implementation timelines to relevant stakeholders.
• Support alignment between category plans, promotional activities, and inventory requirements.
• Monitor project progress and help resolve coordination issues.
• Ensure assigned initiatives are delivered within agreed timelines and budgets.

Qualifications and Experience

Educational Qualifications

• Bachelor 's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Retail Management, or a related field.

Professional Experience

• 2-5 years of experience in Brand Management, Category Management, Marketing, or Retail.
• Experience supporting commercial planning, brand development, or category performance activities.
• Ability to analyze sales information and market trends.
• Understanding of product launches, promotional activities, and cross-functional coordination.

Preferred Industry Experience

• Beauty and cosmetics.
• Skincare.
• Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).
• Health and wellness.
• Retail.

Required Technical Skills

• Advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency.
• Advanced Microsoft PowerPoint skills.
• Ability to analyze sales and category performance information.
• Experience preparing commercial reports and business presentations.
• Understanding of category performance indicators.
• Knowledge of market research and competitor benchmarking.
• Ability to support sales forecasting and inventory planning.

Commercial and Professional Competencies

• Strong commercial awareness and business acumen.
• Strategic planning and analytical thinking.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong stakeholder management capabilities.
• Project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to coordinate activities across multiple business functions.
• Customer-focused approach to brand and category development.
• Ability to interpret consumer trends and identify commercial opportunities.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet agreed deadlines.
• Collaborative approach to working with suppliers, store teams, and internal stakeholders.

Key Performance Priorities

The Assistant Category Manager will support commercial objectives across the following areas:

• Growth in Own Brands and Exclusive Brands sales participation.
• Achievement of sales, margin, and profitability objectives.
• Improvement in brand awareness and visibility.
• Successful execution of product launches and marketing campaigns.
• Identification of new product and category opportunities.
• Improved inventory availability and reduction of aged stock.
• Stronger customer engagement and conversion.
• Timely execution of cross-functional initiatives within approved budgets.
• Improved category and brand productivity.

About Al-Futtaim Retail

Al-Futtaim Retail is part of Al-Futtaim Group and builds on a business legacy spanning approximately 90 years. The division operates across the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia, partnering with internationally recognized retail brands, including IKEA, ACE, Marks and Spencer, and the Inditex Group. Al-Futtaim Retail has also introduced brands such as Watsons and Kiabi to regional markets. The business invests in digital innovation, artificial intelligence, customer experience, and loyalty platforms to strengthen its retail operations. With employees representing more than 100 nationalities across over 10 countries, Al-Futtaim Retail brings together teams from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds.

About Al-Futtaim Group

Established in the 1930s and headquartered in Dubai, Al-Futtaim is a diversified privately held regional business operating across more than 20 countries. The Group has business interests in automotive, financial services, real estate, retail, and healthcare. With more than 40,000 employees, Al-Futtaim represents over 200 internationally recognized brands, including Toyota, Lexus, IKEA, ACE, and Marks and Spencer. Al-Futtaim focuses on digital innovation, artificial intelligence, sustainable growth, and strategic partnerships while creating long-term value for customers, communities, and business partners.