Category Manager - Safety

PeopleStrong; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 2,800,000 - 4,500,000; Full time

Job summary

BirlaPivot is building a razor-focused Safety category in Bengaluru, owning the category from launch to a multi-crore monthly run-rate. You will sign OEMs, set assortment and pricing, ensure fulfilment, and own the P&L.

The role demands deep OEM relationships, post-order excellence, and aggressive margin expansion while operating in a large, ambiguous environment. The ideal candidate has 8–12 years in category management with a proven track record in safety products, data fluency (Excel/BI), and

Qualifications

• 8–12 years in category management, B2B distribution, or industrial/safety products.
• Direct experience in safety / PPE / industrial MRO strongly preferred, with live OEM relationships.
• Proven 0→1 or hyper-growth category scaling with hard revenue/margin numbers.
• Strong negotiation, commercial acumen and data/analytics fluency (Excel/BI).
• Bachelor’s in engineering or business; MBA preferred.

Responsibilities

• Onboard and manage top safety brands; negotiate terms and exclusive arrangements.
• Own SKU strategy, pricing and discount governance; expand gross margin.
• Build own-brand range as category margin engine; source, certify, position value products.
• Own OTIF target (99%); design post-order journey with ops/logistics; manage returns/quality issues.
• Take end-to-end ownership of enquiries and orders; ensure delivery and invoicing.

Skills

Safety OEM ecosystem

OTIF mastery

Ownership & hustle

Gross margin track record

Ambiguity tolerance

KPI growth

Education

Bachelor’s in engineering or business

MBA preferred

Tools

Excel

BI

ERP systems

Job description

BirlaPivot is the B2B e-commerce and distribution platform of Grasim Industries (Aditya Birla Group). We are building a razor-focused Safety category — asset-light and margin-accretive — serving manufacturers, pharma, and EPC/infrastructure buyers across India.

This is a builder’s role. You will run the category ramp-up from the front: sign the OEM ecosystem, set the assortment and pricing, guarantee fulfilment, and own the P&L. We are looking for a rock-solid operator who can take the category from launch to a multi-crore monthly run-rate — and set the playbook while doing it.

WHAT WE NEED — THE NON‑NEGOTIABLES

The right person brings all six of these on day one:

• 1.Safety OEM ecosystem. A deep understanding of the safety OEM landscape, having worked with all the top brands across every safety category — with the relationships to back it.
• 2.Post-order mastery (OTIF). A deep grasp of the post-order journey and a demonstrated ability to deliver 99% OTIF against demand.
• 3.Ownership & hustle. Rolls up the sleeves and gets it done — takes 100% ownership of every enquiry and every order that comes in.
• 4.Gross-margin track record. A proven record of improving gross margin by leveraging best industry practices.
• 5.Thrives in ambiguity. Operates in a large, ambiguous environment and still drives high-performance, high‑impact outcomes for the category.
• 6.Growth across KPIs. Demonstrated growth across all core category KPIs — not one metric, the whole scorecard.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supplier & OEM ecosystem — Onboard and manage the top safety brands; negotiate commercial terms, rebates and preferred/exclusive arrangements; build a reliable, redundant supply base so we never miss demand.
• Assortment, pricing & margin — Own the SKU strategy and right-spec selection; build the pricing and quote-to-order architecture with clear discount governance; relentlessly expand gross margin.
• Private label / own brand — Build the own-brand range as the category’s margin engine — spec, source, certify and position value products against branded alternatives.
• Fulfilment & post-order excellence — Own OTIF (target 99%); design the post-order journey with operations and logistics; manage returns, replacements and quality complaints to protect trust.
• Enquiry & order ownership — Take end-to-end ownership of every enquiry and order — quote fast, unblock issues, and be the single escalation owner until it’s delivered and invoiced.
• Category P&L & growth — Own category revenue, gross margin and contribution; deliver the ramp plan and grow every core KPI quarter on quarter.
• Cross‑functional leadership — Orchestrate sales and tele‑calling, operations, finance/credit and product/tech to convert demand into fulfilled, profitable orders — and support the dedicated KAM motion.
• Systems, data & ERP — Run the category on data — build the dashboards, work the platform/ERP, and help integrate customers’ ERPs to make BirlaPivot their default for safety.
• Compliance & quality — Guarantee genuine, certified products (BIS/ISI, CE, EN) and full regulatory adherence; zero tolerance on counterfeits.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE (FIRST 12 MONTHS)

You will be measured on the whole scorecard, not a single line:

• Revenue & run-rate — deliver the category ramp to the agreed monthly run-rate.
• Gross margin % — expand margin via mix, negotiation and private label.
• Supplier base — active brands onboarded and year‑on‑year improvement in commercial terms.
• Quote‑to‑order conversion & fill rate — speed and reliability on every enquiry.
• Private‑label mix % — grow own‑brand share of category revenue.
• Customer retention, repeat rate & NPS — turn first orders into standing accounts.
• Working‑capital efficiency — keep the model asset‑light and cash‑smart.

MUST‑HAVE QUALIFICATIONS

• 8–12 years in category management, B2B distribution, or industrial/safety products (adjust to band).
• Direct experience in safety / PPE / industrial MRO strongly preferred, with live OEM relationships.
• Proven 0→1 or hyper‑growth category scaling, with hard numbers on revenue and margin.
• Strong negotiation, commercial acumen and data/analytics fluency (Excel/BI).
• Bachelor’s in engineering or business; MBA preferred.

NICE TO HAVE

• Exposure to private-label development and sourcing.
• Familiarity with credit‑and‑working‑capital‑led B2B models.
• Experience building and leading a small category team.
• Understanding of safety standards and certification regimes.

WHO YOU ARE

Owner’s mindset with a strong bias to action. Comfortable in ambiguity and energised by building. Data‑driven, customer‑obsessed, and uncompromising on integrity — especially on genuine, certified product. The kind of operator who runs toward the hard order, not away from it.