Category Manager: Drive Product Growth & Partnerships

European Association of Zoos and Aquaria; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 240,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Miral Experiences in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Category Manager to own end-to-end retail product categories, ensuring the right products are developed, sourced, and delivered to meet guest expectations and business objectives.

You will build strong supplier relationships, analyze sales and inventory, and collaborate with planning, compliance, and marketing to drive category growth while ensuring UAE regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of experience in retail buying and product development.
• Lifecycle management from concept to market.
• Strong supplier and vendor management experience.
• Experience analyzing sales and inventory data to make commercial decisions.
• Knowledge of budgeting, gross profit management, and open-to-buy planning.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and retail systems.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end retail product categories.
• Develop, source, and deliver products to meet guest expectations and business objectives.
• Build and maintain relationships with suppliers, vendors, and licensing partners.
• Identify new product opportunities, market trends, and sourcing solutions to enhance category performance.
• Collaborate with Merchandising Planning on buy plans, forecasting, inventory management, and intake schedules.
• Monitor sales, stock performance, and margin targets to drive commercial results.
• Support pricing, product setup, visual merchandising standards, and PO processes.
• Ensure products meet UAE regulatory, testing, and compliance requirements.
• Work cross-functionally with Planning, Inventory, Compliance, Finance, Operations, and Marketing.
• Support events, seasonal activations, annual pass initiatives, and other opportunities.
• Contribute to category growth strategies and long-term business objectives.

Skills

Retail buying

Product development

Supplier management

Sales & inventory analysis

Budgeting & GP mgmt

Open-to-buy planning

Stakeholder mgmt

Excel proficiency

Cross-functional collaboration

Fluent English

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Retail systems

Job description

Miral Experiences in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Category Manager to own end-to-end retail product categories, ensuring the right products are developed, sourced, and delivered to meet guest expectations and business objectives.

You will build strong supplier relationships, analyze sales and inventory, and collaborate with planning, compliance, and marketing to drive category growth while ensuring UAE regulatory requirements.