Senior Manager - Category Strategy

Apparel Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 312,000 - 469,000; Full time

Job summary

Apparel Group in Dubai is seeking a Senior Manager - Category Strategy to lead end-to-end category performance across buying, merchandising, pricing, and inventory. You will manage Category Managers, Merchandisers, and Analysts while coordinating with Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain to maximize revenue and margins.

The role requires 12-15 years in category management with at least 5 years in a managerial capacity.

Qualifications

• 12-15 years in category management, buying, or merchandising.
• At least 5 years in a managerial role leading teams.
• Proven experience managing category P&L, assortment, pricing, and vendor relations.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute long-term category strategies aligned with commercial objectives.
• Lead annual business planning for revenue, gross margin, assortment, and inventory.
• Identify whitespace and new product opportunities.
• Translate market insights into practical category initiatives.
• Oversee end-to-end category buying lifecycle from range planning to seasonal execution.
• Negotiate with vendors on pricing, terms, and exclusivity.
• Build strong relationships with regional and international suppliers.
• Ensure sourcing meets quality, ethical, and operational standards.
• Lead category merchandising for physical stores and online channels.
• Develop demand forecasts and manage open-to-buy planning.
• Present category performance and risks to senior leadership.

Skills

Category management

Category strategy

Retail buying

Merchandise planning

Assortment planning

Range architecture

Category P&L

Revenue management

Gross margin management

Pricing strategy

Promotional planning

Vendor management

Supplier negotiations

Open-to-buy planning

Demand forecasting

Inventory planning

Inventory optimization

Stock replenishment

GMROI

Category dashboards

Executive reporting

Team leadership

Cross-functional management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business or Retail Management

MBA (advantageous)

Job description

Senior Manager - Category Strategy Job Snapshot Role: Senior Manager - Category Strategy Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Industry: Retail Function: Merchandise Planning and Buying Experience: 12-15 years in category management, buying, or merchandising, including at least 5 years in a managerial role Job Type: Full-time Position Overview Senior Manager - Category Strategy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is a senior Retail opportunity for an experienced commercial leader responsible for category strategy, buying, pricing, assortment development, vendor management, inventory planning, and team leadership. Apparel Group is hiring a Senior Manager to lead end-to-end category performance, strengthen revenue and margin growth, improve stock productivity, and align merchandising decisions with customer demand, business objectives, and brand partner expectations.

Job Details Country: United Arab Emirates City: Dubai Industry: Retail Function: Merchandise Planning and Buying Salary: 28000-42000 Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in the job city; please confirm the final offer with the employer. Gender: Any Candidate Nationality: Any Job Type: Full-time

Role Context

The Senior Manager - Category Strategy will take ownership of category performance across buying, merchandising, pricing, inventory, vendor relationships, and commercial planning. The role requires the ability to convert market intelligence, customer behavior, sales data, and inventory trends into commercially effective category decisions. The position will also lead Category Managers, Merchandisers, and Analysts while coordinating closely with Marketing, Operations, Finance, Visual Merchandising, Supply Chain, Logistics, suppliers, and international brand partners. Strong category governance is essential to maintaining healthy stock levels, protecting gross margin, improving GMROI, identifying assortment opportunities, and ensuring product availability across both physical and online retail channels.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute long-term category strategies aligned with wider commercial objectives, customer trends, and market opportunities.
• Lead annual business planning for the assigned category, covering revenue, gross margin, assortment, promotional activity, inventory investment, and growth targets.
• Identify whitespace opportunities, assortment gaps, unmet customer needs, and potential new product opportunities.
• Conduct regular SWOT analysis, competitor benchmarking, customer trend reviews, and market assessments.
• Translate market intelligence into practical category initiatives and commercial priorities.
• Oversee the complete category buying lifecycle from range planning and product selection through order placement and seasonal execution.
• Establish appropriate range architecture by category, brand, price point, customer segment, and seasonal requirement.
• Negotiate directly with key vendors, brand principals, and suppliers on pricing, margins, trading terms, exclusivity, and commercial support.
• Build productive long-term relationships with regional and international suppliers.
• Ensure sourcing activities comply with required quality, ethical, commercial, and operational standards.
• Act as the primary commercial contact for brand partners on merchandising, assortment, stock, and sales objectives.
• Lead category merchandising decisions across both physical stores and online channels.
• Ensure product presentation supports category priorities and commercial performance.
• Establish demand forecasts and translate expected sales into inventory requirements.
• Manage open-to-buy planning and control inventory investment according to agreed financial targets.
• Set replenishment parameters designed to maintain availability without creating excessive stock exposure.
• Monitor sell-through, stock ageing, stock cover, inventory turnover, and markdown requirements.
• Develop markdown and clearance strategies that protect margin while reducing slow-moving inventory.
• Coordinate with supply chain and logistics teams to maintain timely product flow and availability.
• Track category sales, gross margin, contribution, stock turn, GMROI, and other agreed performance indicators.
• Build dashboards and performance reports that provide clear commercial insights to leadership.
• Identify early warning signs in sales, margin, stock, or vendor performance and recommend corrective measures.
• Lead monthly and quarterly business reviews with senior management and brand leadership.
• Present category performance, risks, opportunities, and action plans in a clear commercial format.
• Manage category P&L performance and support achievement of revenue and profit expectations.
• Review pricing architecture and recommend adjustments based on market positioning, competitor activity, cost movement, and customer response.
• Develop promotional strategies that balance sales growth with margin protection.
• Lead, coach, and develop Category Managers, Merchandisers, and Analysts.
• Establish measurable objectives and hold team members accountable for category outcomes.
• Promote data-driven decision-making across the category team.
• Support training, knowledge sharing, succession planning, and development of future category leaders.
• Coordinate closely with Marketing on campaigns, launches, promotional calendars, and customer communication.
• Work with Retail Operations to ensure category plans are executed effectively in stores.
• Collaborate with Finance on budgets, forecasts, margin analysis, and category profitability.
• Partner with Visual Merchandising teams to align category presentation with commercial priorities.
• Maintain cross-functional alignment so buying, stock, pricing, marketing, and operational decisions support one integrated category strategy.

Ideal Profile

The preferred candidate will have 12-15 years of progressive experience in category management, buying, merchandising, retail commercial planning, or a related field. At least 5 years should have been spent in a managerial capacity with responsibility for teams, category performance, and cross-functional commercial delivery. Candidates should demonstrate proven success managing category P&L, assortment strategy, pricing, inventory, vendor relationships, and buying decisions. Strong experience in fashion, lifestyle, footwear, beauty, consumer goods, or another large-scale retail environment will be particularly relevant. The role requires advanced knowledge of demand forecasting, open-to-buy planning, replenishment, inventory productivity, sell-through, stock ageing, markdowns, stock turn, and GMROI. Candidates should also have substantial experience negotiating with international and regional vendors, suppliers, licensors, or brand principals. A Bachelor 's degree in Business, Retail Management, Commerce, or a related discipline is expected, while an MBA will be advantageous. Strong analytical ability, leadership capability, commercial judgment, negotiation skills, and executive-level communication are essential.

Skills Set

• Category management
• Category strategy
• Retail buying
• Merchandise planning
• Assortment planning
• Range architecture
• Category P&L
• Revenue management
• Gross margin management
• Pricing strategy
• Promotional planning
• Markdown strategy
• Vendor management
• Supplier negotiations
• Brand principal management
• International vendor negotiations
• Open-to-buy planning
• Demand forecasting
• Inventory planning
• Inventory optimization
• Stock replenishment
• Stock ageing analysis
• Stock cover
• Inventory turnover
• Sell-through analysis
• GMROI
• Category contribution
• Assortment gap analysis
• SWOT analysis
• Competitor benchmarking
• Market analysis
• Customer trend analysis
• Product availability
• Supply chain coordination
• Logistics coordination
• Retail merchandising
• E-commerce merchandising
• Category dashboards
• Executive reporting
• Business reviews
• Team leadership
• Category Managers development
• Merchandiser leadership
• Analyst development
• Cross-functional managementFinancial planning
• Budgeting
• Forecasting
• Succession planning

Why Join Us

This role offers the opportunity to lead category strategy within a large Retail organization where buying decisions, inventory productivity, supplier partnerships, pricing, merchandising, and customer demand directly influence business performance. The position provides significant exposure to international brands, senior commercial leadership, large-scale inventory investment, strategic negotiations, and multi-channel retail operations. For an accomplished category professional, it offers a strong platform to shape category growth while developing high-performing commercial teams and improving long-term profitability.

About the Company

Apparel Group is a major retail organization operating an extensive portfolio of international fashion, lifestyle, beauty, footwear, and consumer brands across the United Arab Emirates and other global markets. Its commercial operations combine category management, buying, merchandising, supply chain expertise, brand partnerships, and customer-focused retail execution across a large multi-brand network.