Assistant Category Manager - Food & Gourmet Gifting

IGP; Maharashtra; On-site; INR 3,000,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

IGP is seeking an entrepreneurial Assistant Category Manager - Food & Gourmet Gifting to build and scale one of its strategic growth categories. You will own the end-to-end category P&L, drive growth across assortment, pricing, and customer acquisition, and forge strong vendor partnerships.

The role requires 10–15 years’ experience in category management or related fields, with a proven track record in food, FMCG, gifting, or consumer categories and a strong e-commerce background.

Qualifications

• 10-15 years of experience in Category Management, Buying, Merchandising, Business Management, or E-commerce.
• Proven experience managing large-scale food, FMCG, gourmet, gifting, or consumer categories.
• Strong e-commerce background with online category growth and digital merchandising.
• Demonstrated ownership of category/business P&L.
• Experience building and scaling categories from 0-to-1 and 1-to-10.

Responsibilities

• Own complete category P&L including revenue, gross margin, inventory health, and profitability.
• Develop and execute a multi-year growth roadmap for Food & Gourmet.
• Drive revenue growth via assortment, acquisition, and repeat purchases.
• Lead category merchandising across digital channels and optimize pricing.
• Build vendor and brand partnerships; negotiate terms and secure exclusives.
• Partner with supply chain for inventory planning and demand forecasting.
• Collaborate with Marketing to drive visibility and campaigns.
• Lead cross-functional teams to execute launches and processes.

Skills

Category management

Merchandising

E-commerce

P&L ownership

Vendor negotiations

Strategic planning

Job description

We are looking for an entrepreneurial and commercially driven Assistant Category Manager - Food &

Gourmet Gifting to build, scale, and lead one of IGP's most strategic growth categories.

This role requires a leader with strong e-commerce experience, proven P&L ownership, and

a track record of building and scaling categories from 0-to-1 and beyond. The ideal

candidate will drive category strategy, sourcing, merchandising, vendor partnerships, pricing,

inventory planning, and customer growth while delivering sustainable revenue and

profitability.

The Category Lead will own the end-to-end business performance of the category and play a

critical role in shaping IGPs leadership position in the food and gourmet gifting market.

Key Responsibilities

Business & P&L Ownership

Own the complete category P&L including revenue, gross margin, contribution margin, inventory health, and profitability.

Develop and execute a multi-year growth roadmap for the Food & Gourmet category.

Drive category revenue growth through assortment expansion, customer acquisition, and repeat purchase strategies.

Establish financial targets and monitor performance against business goals.

Category Building & Growth

Build and scale food and gourmet gifting categories across:

• Dry Fruits
• Sweets
• Bakery
• Festive Hampers
• Corporate Gifting

Identify emerging consumer trends and new growth opportunities.

Launch and incubate new product categories, brands, and gifting concepts.

Lead assortment planning and category merchandising across digital channels.

Optimize product mix, pricing architecture, promotions, and customer experience.

Improve category KPIs including:

• Revenue
• Conversion Rate
• Average Order Value (AOV)
• Repeat Purchase Rate
• Category Contribution Margin

Vendor & Brand Partnerships

Build strategic relationships with national brands, premium manufacturers, importers, and regional suppliers.

Lead commercial negotiations and secure favorable trade terms.

Develop exclusive partnerships and private-label opportunities.

Ensure supply continuity, quality compliance, and competitive sourcing.

Inventory & Demand Planning

Partner with supply chain teams to optimize inventory investments and working capital.

Drive accurate demand forecasting for key occasions such as:

• Rakhi
• Mothers Day
• Christmas & New Year

Manage inventory risks including excess stock, expiry, and stock-outs.

Marketing & Growth Initiatives

Collaborate with Growth, CRM, and Marketing teams to drive category visibility and customer acquisition.

Lead festive campaigns, new launches, and promotional events.

Drive trade-funded marketing initiatives and vendor-supported campaigns.

Cross-functional Leadership

Work closely with Operations, Finance, Product, Technology, Supply Chain, and Customer Experience teams.

Ensure seamless execution of category initiatives and launches.

Build scalable processes and operating mechanisms to support rapid growth.

Desired Candidate Profile

Must Have

• 10-15 years of experience in Category Management, Buying, Merchandising, Business Management, or E-commerce.
• Proven experience managing large-scale food, FMCG, gourmet, gifting, or consumer categories.
• Strong e-commerce background with exposure to online category growth and digital merchandising.
• Demonstrated ownership of category/business P&L.
• Proven experience building and scaling categories from 0-to-1 and 1-to-10 stages.
• Strong commercial acumen and vendor negotiation skills.
• Experience managing large SKU portfolios and complex supply ecosystems.