Category Manager – Apparel

applydubaijob.com; Dubai; On-site; AED 300,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential in Dubai seeks a Category Manager – Apparel to lead merchandising, category strategies, and product assortment for its retail network. You will drive commercial execution using market data, trends, and sales metrics to grow revenue and market share.

The role oversees the full product lifecycle from seasonal range planning and budgeting to stock turnover optimization and promotional execution, collaborating with supply chain, buying, and store teams for timely launches and optimized

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Business Administration, Fashion Merchandising, or Retail Management.
• Minimum 5 years of specialized apparel category management experience across large retail chains.
• Experience supporting a large retail network (~100 stores).
• Advanced ERP and Excel proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Lead merchandise planning, category strategies, product assortment design, and commercial execution across the retail network.
• Develop category plans and budgets aligned with seasonal trends.
• Collaborate with supply chain, buying, logistics, and store teams to ensure timely launches.
• Monitor sell-through, stock turnover, and inventory velocity.
• Conduct competitor benchmarks and market gap reviews for new products.

Skills

Apparel merchandising

Category management

Retail network experience

ERP systems

Microsoft Excel

Education

Bachelor’s degree or above in Business Administration, Fashion Merchandising, or Retail Management

Tools

ERP software

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Job Title: Category Manager – Apparel

Company: Confidential

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Employment Type: Full-Time

Salary: Not Specified

Candidate Prerequisites:

• 5+ Years Apparel Merchandising or Category Management Experience
• Bachelor’s Degree or Above
• Experience Supporting Large Retail Networks (~100 Stores)
• Advanced ERP & Excel Proficiency

Description: A leading retail organization is seeking an experienced Category Manager – Apparel to lead merchandise planning, category strategies, product assortment design, and commercial execution across its retail network. This role centers on leveraging market data, consumer purchasing trends, and sales metrics to drive revenue growth and expand apparel market share.

The position oversees the entire product lifecycle—from seasonal range building and budget creation to stock turnover optimization and promotional execution. The successful candidate will work closely with supply chain, buying, logistics, and retail store teams to ensure timely product launches and maximize product sell-through rates.

Key Responsibilities

• Formulate comprehensive category plans, merchandise strategies, and range assortments based on consumer analytics and seasonal sales trends.
• Establish annual, quarterly, and monthly merchandising budgets, purchasing strategies, and new product launch schedules.
• Monitor product costs, stock turnover, sell-through performance, and inventory velocity across retail locations.
• Conduct competitor benchmarks, SKU-level analyses, and market gap reviews to identify new product development opportunities.
• Align with supply chain, warehouse logistics, and store operations teams to guarantee product availability and smooth seasonal transitions.

Requirements

Education & Experience

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree or higher in Business Administration, Fashion Merchandising, or Retail Management; minimum 5 years of specialized apparel category management experience across large retail chains.

Technical Skills

• Advanced proficiency in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, Microsoft Excel, data analytics tools, and financial reporting software.

Key Competencies

• Range assortment planning, merchandise strategy, inventory optimization, retail analytics, vendor negotiation, and end-to-end product lifecycle management.