Category Lead

Confidential; New Delhi; Sur place; INR 1 800 000 - 3 000 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Confidential in Delhi seeks a commercially driven Senior Category Manager with private-label expertise to build and scale private-label portfolios, manage assortment, pricing, and profitability.

You will own end-to-end lifecycle from market research to launches, lead vendor development, negotiate terms, and collaborate with procurement, design, marketing, and sales to execute category plans.

Strong analytical, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills are essential; MBA preferred.

Qualifications

• 6–10 years of experience in category management or private-label management.

Responsabilités

• Develop and execute strategies to build, expand, and scale private-label product portfolios.

Connaissances

Private-label strategy

Category management

P&L management

Negotiation

Vendor management

Analytical skills

Formation

MBA in Marketing / Retail / Supply Chain

Outils

MS Excel

Business reporting tools

Description du poste

Job Description: Senior Category Manager – Private Labels

Designation: Senior Category Manager

Function: Category Management

Experience: 6–10 years

Industry Preference: E-commerce, D2C, Retail, FMCG, Lifestyle, or Consumer Products

Role Overview

We are looking for a commercially driven Senior Category Manager with strong experience in private-label strategy, product development, and category P&L management. The individual will be responsible for building and scaling private-label portfolios, identifying new product opportunities, managing product assortment, driving profitability, and developing differentiated offerings aligned with consumer demand and business objectives.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in the end-to-end private-label lifecycle, including market research, product conceptualisation, vendor development, sourcing, pricing, launch execution, and performance optimisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategies to build, expand, and scale private-label product portfolios.
• Identify market gaps, emerging trends, and consumer needs to develop new product opportunities.
• Manage the end-to-end product lifecycle, from concept development and sourcing to launch and performance tracking.
• Drive product differentiation through quality, design, packaging, features, and competitive pricing.
• Evaluate product performance and identify opportunities for portfolio expansion and SKU rationalisation.

2. Category Management & P&L Ownership

• Drive category revenue, gross margins, profitability, and overall business growth.
• Develop category strategies, annual business plans, sales forecasts, and growth initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability through pricing optimisation, sourcing efficiencies, and product mix enhancement.
• Monitor category performance and implement corrective actions to achieve business targets.
• Identify, evaluate, and onboard manufacturers and suppliers for private-label products.
• Lead commercial negotiations covering pricing, minimum order quantities, payment terms, and lead times.
• Build strategic vendor relationships to ensure cost competitiveness, consistent quality, and timely delivery.
• Collaborate with procurement and quality teams to establish product specifications and quality standards.

4. Assortment & Inventory Management

• Develop category assortment plans, pricing architecture, and product portfolio strategies.
• Monitor inventory availability, sell-through, stock ageing, and replenishment requirements.
• Optimise inventory turnover while minimising stock-outs, excess inventory, and obsolete stock.
• Analyse SKU-level performance to improve assortment productivity and working capital efficiency.
• Conduct competitor benchmarking, market research, and pricing analysis.
• Identify emerging consumer preferences, market trends, and potential category opportunities.
• Translate market insights and customer feedback into commercially viable product propositions.

6. Cross-functional Collaboration

• Work closely with design, marketing, procurement, supply chain, quality, and sales teams to execute category plans.
• Drive new product launches, promotional initiatives, and seasonal assortment planning.
• Ensure alignment across teams for product readiness, availability, quality, and go-to-market execution.

7. Business Analytics & Reporting

• Track key category metrics, including revenue growth, gross margins, contribution margins, inventory turnover, and SKU productivity.
• Prepare regular business reviews and provide actionable recommendations to senior management.
• Use data-driven insights to identify risks, improve operational efficiency, and accelerate growth.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• 6–10 years of experience in category management, private-label management, product management, merchandising, or buying.
• Demonstrated experience in private-label product development and scaling, including sourcing, vendor management, pricing, and product launches.
• Experience managing category-level revenue, margins, and commercial performance.
• Strong understanding of consumer products, retail, e-commerce, or D2C business models.
• Proven experience working with manufacturers, suppliers, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, commercial, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency in MS Excel and business reporting tools.
• MBA in Marketing, Retail Management, Supply Chain, or a related discipline is preferred.

Key Performance Indicators

• Category revenue growth and profitability.
• Gross margin and contribution margin improvement.
• Private-label portfolio growth and sales contribution.
• New product launch performance and SKU productivity.
• Inventory turnover, sell-through, and stock ageing.
• Sourcing cost optimisation and vendor performance.
• Product quality and customer satisfaction.