Assistant Category Manager - Skin & Beauty

GMG; Dubai; On-site; AED 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

GMG is seeking a Category Manager support professional to assist in creating and executing business plans for assigned brands/categories in Dubai. You will study historic trends, market data, and competitive pricing to influence assortment, promotions, and listings.

The role collaborates with brand principals and Retail operations to align on strategy and improve KPIs, while managing inventory, forecasts, and seasonality risks across stores.

Qualifications

• 1-3 years of relevant retail commercial experience in category management.
• Experience with Skin & Personal Care is a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Management/Marketing or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Assist in developing comprehensive business plans for assigned brand/category.
• Study trends from historical data and market research to support planning.
• Monitor price strategies for Local and Own Brands against competitors.
• Collaborate with principals on product launches, promotions and listings.
• Support in inventory optimization, markdowns and stock analysis.

Skills

Category management

Sales analytics

Pricing strategy

Vendor negotiations

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Marketing

Job description

The role holder will be responsible to support and assist Category Manager in activities related to effective management of assortment mix, product listing, category assessments, promotion and pricing implementation and planning, master item data compliance. The role is responsible for contributing to Category overall brand/category strategy, as well as partnering and maintaining key relationships with principals for brands/categories managed and maximizes sales and profitability.

Core Responsibilities

• Supporting Category Manager within the assigned brand/category by developing comprehensive business plans
• Studies trends from historical data around brand/category sales and market research to assist in the overall planning process.
• Supports in tasks that will allow category KPIs to be achieved.
• Responsible for monitoring defined price strategy for both Local and Own Brands against competitors.
• Ensures optimum utilization of customer research information to guide brand/category management decisions, including decisions on the introduction of new products, product assortment, promotion and pricing of products in the store.
• Ensures compliance and governance of item master dare process.
• Collaborates with Retail operations to understand consumer trends, sales figures, etc. to further formulate the business plan for the category.
• Ensures access to market intelligence through various sources on competition pricing and business and analysis of trends which may impact the Business Unit
• Monitors and analyses business performance by brand/category sales, sell-out, gross margin and turnover and translates insights into key selling points, or category opportunities.
• Manages and tracks brand/category sales planning and forecasting processes.
• Ensures effective 'in season' product listing management for the given brand/category of products (stock balancing, markdown management, stock analysis, stock vs sales performance).
• Leads and oversees the buying requirements and formulates buying plan and budget for the brand/category and ensures proper monitoring of orders based on the buying plan and follow-ups on merchandise delivery as per the plan
• Manages the relationship and liaises with selected principals/supplies on matters relating to price negotiations, product launches, marketing campaigns, forthcoming offerings and events
• Collaborates with the visual merchandising function to provide brand/category guidelines and implementations of the same in all retail outlets
• Collaborates with the retail marketing function, to ensure maximum visibility of their category through retail marketing
• Analyses sales related data for products within the brand/category portfolio and provides insights into enhancing potential sales opportunities
• Responsible for inventory optimization, including liquidation, promotion and vendor returns of non performing / ageing brands/ products
• Manage duty schedule of external Beauty Advisors provided by brands/ vendors
• Responsible of monthly TMA implementation across targeted stores / brands

Requirements

• A minimum of 1-3 years of relevant experience with Retail commercial roles, category management.
• Prior experience managing the Skin & Personal Care category will be an advantage.
• Bachelor's degree in Business Management/ Marketing or equivalent.