Category Manager | 5+ Years | D2C

Michael Page; India; On-site; INR 2,400,000 - 3,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Michael Page is partnering with a leading D2C brand to recruit a Category Manager who will drive strategy, ownership of the P&L, and a robust product roadmap across multiple channels. The role demands cross-functional leadership, market insights, and hands-on go-to-market execution.

The ideal candidate has 4–7 years in category/brand management or product marketing, with strong analytical and stakeholder skills, and a MBA or related degree.

Qualifications

• 4-7 years of experience in Category Management, Brand Management, or Product Marketing.
• Strong understanding of P&L management, New Product Development (NPD), product strategy, brand marketing, consumer insights, and category management.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing or a related field / MBA.

Responsibilities

• Own the category strategy and business ownership, including revenue growth, gross margins, and profitability.
• Lead end-to-end new product development from ideation to commercialization and post-launch optimization.
• Develop go-to-market strategies for launches across D2C, e-commerce, quick commerce, and offline channels.
• Own the category marketing strategy, including brand development, consumer acquisition, retention, and engagement.
• Lead consumer research, trend monitoring, and data-driven insights to refine product strategies.
• Drive category growth across Ecommerce, Quick Commerce and D2C channels with optimized pricing and assortment.
• Collaborate with supply chain, finance, operations, analytics and sales to execute business objectives.

Skills

Category management

P&L management

Product marketing

Stakeholder management

Analytics

Education

MBA

Bachelor's in Business/Marketing

Job description

• Drive product strategy and complete ownership of a high growth category
• High-impact, build-from-scratch leadership opportunity at a fastpaced D2C brand

About Our Client

The client is a leading D2C brand with significant pan-India presence and is now expanding into exciting new categories

Job Description

Designation: Category Manager
Reports to: CBO

• Category Strategy & Business Ownership
  • Own the category P&L, including revenue growth, gross margins, contribution profitability, and overall business performance.
  • Define the category vision, growth roadmap, and long-term business strategy aligned with organizational goals.
  • Identify growth opportunities through market analysis, competitive benchmarking, consumer trends, and whitespace identification.
  • Drive annual operating plans, business forecasts, pricing strategies, and portfolio expansion initiatives.
• New Product Development & Innovation
  • Lead end-to-end new product development from opportunity identification and concept creation to commercialization and post-launch optimization.
  • Translate consumer insights, market trends, and unmet needs into innovative product propositions and distinctive offerings.
  • Partner closely with R&D, sourcing, regulatory, operations, and quality teams to ensure timely and successful product launches.
  • Build and manage a robust innovation pipeline to support sustained category growth.
• Go-to-Market (GTM) & Launch Excellence
  • Develop comprehensive go-to-market strategies for new product launches across D2C, e-commerce, quick commerce, and offline channels where relevant.
  • Define product positioning, pricing architecture, launch calendars, channel-specific assortment, and commercialization plans.
  • Drive successful launch execution through cross-functional collaboration with marketing, sales, supply chain, operations, and channel partners.
  • Monitor launch performance and implement corrective actions to maximize adoption, penetration, and profitability.
• Brand & Marketing Leadership
  • Own the category marketing strategy, including brand development, consumer acquisition, retention, and engagement.
  • Develop integrated marketing plans across digital, performance, influencer, social, content, CRM, and marketplace ecosystems.
  • Manage marketing budgets and ensure efficient allocation of investments to drive category growth and ROI.
  • Partner with creative and media teams to build strong brand narratives and differentiated consumer propositions.
• Consumer & Market Insights
  • Lead consumer research, behavioural analysis, and trend monitoring to uncover growth opportunities.
  • Build deep understanding of customer needs, purchase drivers, competitive landscapes, and emerging industry trends.
  • Leverage data-driven insights to refine product strategies, communication frameworks, and portfolio decisions.
• E-commerce, Quick Commerce & D2C Growth
  • Drive category performance across Ecommerce, Quick Commercr and D2C channels.
  • Optimize assortment planning, pricing, promotional strategies, marketplace visibility, and conversion metrics.
  • Partner with channel teams to build scalable growth programs and improve customer acquisition and retention.
  • Monitor channel economics and profitability while maximizing category penetration and market share.
• Commercial & Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Collaborate with supply chain, finance, operations, analytics, and sales teams to ensure seamless execution of business objectives.
  • Drive inventory planning, demand forecasting, and supply readiness for launches and growth initiatives.
  • Establish KPIs, dashboards, and performance management frameworks to track category health and business outcomes.
  • Influence senior stakeholders through data-backed recommendations and strategic business reviews.

The Successful Applicant

We're looking for someone who has:

• 4-7 years of experience in Category Management, Brand Management, or Product Marketing.
• Strong understanding of P&L management, New Product Development (NPD), product strategy, brand marketing, consumer insights, and category management.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing or a related field / MBA

What's on Offer

An opportunity to build and scale a new and exciting category at a leading D2C brand and elevate your career to the next level!