Category Leader - Retail Strategy

Amazon UAE; Dubai; On-site; AED 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Souq.com FZ LLC in Dubai, UAE, is seeking a Category Leader to define and execute category strategy and lead a team of managers across vendor negotiations, inventory optimization, and marketing collaboration. You will balance immediate priorities with long-term category objectives and drive data-driven improvements.

The role emphasizes leadership, stakeholder alignment, and scalable process improvements within Amazon's category management framework.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a technical or analytical discipline.
• Experience in vendor negotiations.
• Experience with pricing and promotion.
• Experience in inventory management.
• Experience in product development.
• Experience leading multi-functional teams.
• Experience developing people managers in a data-driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the strategic vision for the category.
• Establish goals, operating mechanisms, and team structures aligned with long-term business objectives.
• Balance short-term priorities with longer-term category strategy.
• Lead, develop, and grow a team of managers through coaching and career development.
• Build an inclusive working environment where team members can perform effectively.
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to develop and implement inventory optimization strategies.
• Collaborate with marketing teams on campaigns designed to improve category performance and customer experience.
• Negotiate with vendors to secure favorable commercial terms.
• Maintain vendor compliance and evaluate performance against business objectives.
• Establish scalable mechanisms for process improvement and operational excellence.
• Use data to identify business risks, opportunities, and areas requiring action.
• Develop and communicate strategic recommendations to leadership.
• Write strategic documents and prepare clear narratives for leadership reviews.

Skills

Vendor negotiations

Pricing & promotions

Inventory management

Product development

Leading cross-functional teams

Developing people managers

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Category Leader - Retail Strategy Job Snapshot

Role: Category Leader

Location: Dubai, UAE

Industry: Retail

Function: Management

Experience: Not specified

Job Type: Full Time

Overview Amazon is hiring a Category Leader in Dubai, UAE to define and execute category strategy while leading a team of managers and driving performance at scale. The role combines strategic planning, people leadership, vendor negotiations, inventory optimization, marketing collaboration, and data-driven process improvement. The Category Leader will balance immediate business priorities with long-term objectives while developing initiatives that strengthen category performance and customer experience.

Job Details Country: UAE City: Dubai Industry: Retail Function: Management Salary: Not disclosed Gender: No Preference Candidate Nationality: Not specified Job Type: Full Time Work Arrangement: On-site

Key Job Responsibilities

• Define and execute the strategic vision for the category.
• Establish goals, operating mechanisms, and team structures aligned with long-term business objectives.
• Balance short-term priorities with longer-term category strategy.
• Lead, develop, and grow a team of managers through coaching and career development.
• Build an inclusive working environment where team members can perform effectively.
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to develop and implement inventory optimization strategies.
• Collaborate with marketing teams on campaigns designed to improve category performance and customer experience.
• Negotiate with vendors to secure favorable commercial terms.
• Maintain vendor compliance and evaluate performance against business objectives.
• Establish scalable mechanisms for process improvement and operational excellence.
• Use data to identify business risks, opportunities, and areas requiring action.
• Develop and communicate strategic recommendations to leadership.
• Write strategic documents and prepare clear narratives for leadership reviews.

Category Leadership

The Category Leader owns both strategic direction and organizational execution. The role requires sound judgment when navigating ambiguity and making trade-offs, along with the ability to align managers and cross-functional partners around category priorities. Day-to-day work includes reviewing category performance metrics, setting priorities with the leadership team, coaching direct reports, participating in vendor negotiations, and working with marketing and supply chain partners on upcoming initiatives.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor 's degree or equivalent in a technical or analytical discipline.
• Experience in vendor negotiations.
• Experience with pricing and promotion.
• Experience in inventory management.
• Experience in product development.
• Experience leading multi-functional teams.
• Experience developing people managers in a data-driven environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in consulting, business development, product management, or as a business leader with P and L responsibilities in an international environment.

About the Team

The team focuses on delivering strong selection and value to customers through category management. It operates in a collaborative and fast-paced environment, with an emphasis on category strategy, innovation, simplification, and long-term development of leadership talent.

About the Company

This position is with Souq.com FZ LLC and supports Amazon 's category management activities in Dubai, UAE.