Category Manager

PlaceUp; Dubai; On-site; AED 260,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

PlaceUp in Dubai is seeking an experienced Category Manager to drive growth, profitability, and brand strategy across assigned product categories. You will lead marketing planning, manage external agencies, and collaborate with sales, e-commerce, and supply chain to ensure flawless execution and measurable ROI.

The role requires strong marketing expertise, agency management experience, and a data-driven approach to optimize campaigns, pricing, and assortment in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in category, brand, or marketing roles.
• Strong marketing background (brand, digital, or integrated).
• Experience managing marketing agencies (briefing and evaluation).
• Analytical mindset with data-to-insights conversion.
• Strong PM and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.
• Commercial acumen with understanding of P&L and ROI.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies aligned with business objectives.
• Lead end-to-end marketing planning for the category, including campaigns, launches, promotions.
• Manage external marketing agencies to deliver campaigns.
• Brief agencies, review deliverables, ensure brand alignment.
• Analyze market trends, customer insights, competitor activity.
• Own category P&L performance including revenue, margins, ROI on marketing spend.
• Plan and optimize product assortment, pricing, promotions.
• Work with sales, e-commerce, supply chain to ensure execution.
• Monitor campaign performance and optimize based on data.
• Drive brand positioning, visibility, customer engagement across channels.

Skills

Marketing strategy

Agency management

Brand management

Campaign execution

Analytics

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing/Business Administration

Job description

The Category Manager is responsible for driving the growth, positioning, and profitability of assigned product categories through strategic marketing and commercial initiatives. This role requires a strong marketing background and hands‑on experience working with and managing external marketing agencies to execute high‑impact campaigns and brand strategies.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies aligned with overall business objectives
• Lead end‑to‑end marketing planning for the category, including campaigns, launches, and promotions
• Manage and collaborate with external marketing agencies (creative, digital, media, PR) to deliver effective campaigns
• Brief agencies, review deliverables, and ensure alignment with brand guidelines and business goals
• Analyze market trends, customer insights, and competitor activity to identify growth opportunities
• Own category P&L performance, including revenue, margins, and ROI on marketing spend
• Plan and optimize product assortment, pricing, and promotional strategies
• Work closely with sales, e‑commerce, and supply chain teams to ensure execution excellence
• Monitor campaign performance and optimize based on data and insights
• Drive brand positioning, visibility, and customer engagement across channels

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in category management, brand management, or marketing roles
• Strong marketing background is essential (brand, digital, or integrated marketing)
• Proven experience working with and managing marketing agencies is highly required
• Strong understanding of marketing strategy, brand building, and campaign execution
• Experience in agency management, including briefing, performance evaluation, and relationship management
• Analytical mindset with the ability to translate data into actionable insights
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Commercial acumen with understanding of P&L and ROI
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast‑paced environment