Category Manager - Fresh

TRENDCELL SDN. BHD.; Petaling Jaya; On-site; MYR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Jaya Grocer is building an empowered Fresh category team in Malaysia to drive category strategy, product assortment, pricing, and promotions. The role focuses on Central Mart, with emphasis on availability, freshness, and supplier collaboration to deliver a best-in-class customer shopping experience.

The role requires strong analytical capability, robust negotiation skills, and experience in merchandising for fresh products.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, retail, or related field.
• Proven experience in merchandising, buying, or category management.
• Strong Excel and data analysis skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage merchandising strategy for Fresh category.
• Plan assortment, pricing, promotions, and lifecycle for Central Mart.
• Lead supplier negotiations and manage relationships.
• Ensure stock availability, freshness, and wastage control.
• Monitor market trends, performance metrics, and opportunities.
• Collaborate with Operations, Marketing, Finance, and E‑Commerce.
• Train and coach the Fresh merchandising team.
• Improve processes and governance for merchandising activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Skills

Bahasa Malaysia

English

Analytical skills

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration or related

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Retail systems

Job description

Jaya Grocer is an affiliate of Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading superapp. To bring the convenience of on-demand grocery delivery to more consumers in Malaysia, we are dedicated towards building a strong team that is aligned with our goals. At Jaya Grocer, team collaboration and dedication is what we require to deliver quality products and service to our consumers and customers.

Our Vision

Our goal is to become the leading online-to-offline (O2O) retailer, leveraging our omnichannel strength to provide our customers with a rewarding, fulfilling, and exciting experience. Our goal is for customers to say “I can get what I want whenever I need it”. We aim to achieve this through offering high-quality yet affordable goods, facilitating seamless cashless checkouts, loyalty membership via GrabRewards and introducing our private label with "Grab Signatures."

Our Mission

• Provide a diverse variety of High Quality and Fresh Produce
• Ensure customers have the Best Shopping Experience
• To grow the business through successful Collaboration and Partnerships
• Practice the Values of Jaya Grocer every single day

Our Values

These Values form the foundation of our organization and should be lived by each of us, as they are a part of our DNA. So, if you fit the profile and are able to contribute towards our goals, join us!

Get to know the team

Responsible for driving the overall merchandising strategy and commercial performance of the Fresh category, with specific responsibility for overseeing the merchandising and commercial performance of Central Mart. The role oversees category planning, product assortment, pricing, promotions, supplier management, inventory, product availability, freshness, and wastage to achieve sales, margin, and business objectives. The role also works closely with internal stakeholders and suppliers to ensure the right products are available at the right quality, price, and time to deliver an excellent customer shopping experience.

Key Responsibilities

1. Category Strategy & Merchandising Management

Develop and execute the overall merchandising strategy for the Fresh category in line with the company's business objectives and customer needs, with a specific focus on driving the growth and commercial performance of Central Mart.

Establish category plans covering assortment, pricing, promotions, seasonal products, product lifecycle, and category growth opportunities for Central Mart.

Review and optimise product assortment to ensure the right balance of variety, quality, availability, customer demand, and profitability across Central Mart.

Analyse category performance, market trends, customer preferences, and competitor activities to identify opportunities for growth and improvement within Central Mart.

2. Commercial Performance, Pricing & Promotions

Own and drive the sales, margin, and commercial performance of the Fresh category for Central Mart.

Develop pricing strategies that balance competitiveness, customer value, margin objectives, and market positioning.

Lead promotional planning and ensure promotional activities are commercially viable and aligned with category objectives.

Review promotional performance and identify opportunities to improve sales, margin, volume, and return on promotional investment.

Monitor competitor pricing, promotions, market movements, and consumer behaviour to ensure the category remains competitive.

Work closely with Marketing and Operations teams to ensure effective execution of promotional and seasonal campaigns.

Develop and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers, farmers, producers, distributors, and business partners.

Lead commercial negotiations covering cost prices, trading terms, rebates, promotions, payment terms, product availability, and other commercial arrangements.

Identify and onboard new suppliers to strengthen product range, quality, competitiveness, and supply continuity.

Monitor supplier performance against agreed commercial, quality, delivery, and service expectations.

Resolve supplier-related issues and negotiate appropriate solutions to minimise business disruption.

Review supplier performance regularly and take corrective action where required.

4. Inventory, Availability, Freshness & Wastage Management

Oversee inventory planning and product availability to ensure optimum stock levels across the Fresh Market category.

Monitor stock-outs, overstock, slow-moving products, ageing, shrinkage, and wastage and drive appropriate corrective actions.

Develop and implement initiatives to minimise fresh product wastage while maintaining product availability and freshness.

Work closely with Operations and Supply Chain teams to improve replenishment, ordering, allocation, and stock management processes.

Monitor product shelf life, freshness, quality, and handling standards and ensure issues are addressed promptly.

Analyse inventory and wastage trends and implement initiatives to improve category profitability.

5. Market Intelligence & Business Analysis

Monitor market trends, consumer behaviour, competitor activities, commodity movements, and industry developments relevant to the Fresh department.

Analyse sales, margin, volume, inventory, wastage, pricing, and promotional data to identify business opportunities and risks.

Prepare regular category performance reports and business reviews for Management.

Translate data and market insights into actionable merchandising strategies and commercial decisions.

Establish and monitor key performance indicators to track category performance and business objectives.

6. Cross-functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Management

Collaborate closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing, Finance, Quality Assurance, E-Commerce, and other relevant departments to achieve category objectives.

Work with Operations teams to ensure merchandising plans and product standards are effectively executed at store level.

Partner with Marketing and relevant teams on promotional, festive, seasonal, and campaign planning.

Communicate category direction, priorities, and performance to relevant stakeholders.

Act as the key point of contact for Fresh merchandising matters and ensure alignment across functions.

Lead, manage, and develop the Fresh merchandising team to achieve departmental and business objectives.

Set clear objectives, KPIs, priorities, and expectations for team members.

Coach and develop team members to strengthen their commercial, analytical, negotiation, and merchandising capabilities.

Review team performance and provide regular feedback, guidance, and support.

Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performance team culture.

8. Process Improvement & Governance

Review and improve merchandising processes, workflows, and operating practices to enhance efficiency and commercial effectiveness.

Ensure merchandising activities comply with company policies, procedures, approval processes, and governance requirements.

Establish and maintain appropriate documentation, reports, processes, and controls for merchandising activities.

Identify opportunities to improve systems, processes, and ways of working within the Fresh function.

Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, profitability, product quality, and customer experience.

9. Other Responsibilities

Perform any other ad-hoc duties and responsibilities assigned by Management.

You should have:

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Retail Management, Supply Chain, Agriculture, Food Science, or a related discipline.
• Approximately 5–8 years of relevant experience in merchandising, buying, category management, retail, FMCG, or a related field, preferably with experience in Fresh Market or fresh products.
• Strong knowledge of retail merchandising, category management, buying, pricing, promotions, inventory management, and commercial planning.
• Proven experience in managing supplier relationships and conducting commercial negotiations.
• Strong understanding of fresh produce, product quality, freshness, shelf life, wastage, and inventory management will be an added advantage.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to analyse sales, margin, inventory, pricing, and category performance.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, negotiation, and decision-making skills.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to coach and develop team members.
• Excellent communication, presentation, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and make sound commercial decisions in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and experience working with merchandising or retail systems.
• Experience in supermarket, grocery, FMCG, fresh food, or multi-site retail operations will be an added advantage.
• Required language(s): Bahasa Malaysia and English.

Jaya Grocer is a leading premium supermarket chain in Malaysia and an affiliate of Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading superapp. With over 50 stores, we offer high-quality, fresh, and imported products.

Through our online-to-offline (O2O) model, we provide seamless shopping experiences both in-store and online, with cashless checkouts, GrabRewards, and our Grab Signatures private label.

Driven by our values—Teamwork, Trust, Integrity, Customer Satisfaction, and Growth—we aim to deliver quality, value, and convenience to every customer.

Jaya Grocer is a leading premium supermarket chain in Malaysia and an affiliate of Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading superapp. With over 50 stores, we offer high-quality, fresh, and imported products.

Through our online-to-offline (O2O) model, we provide seamless shopping experiences both in-store and online, with cashless checkouts, GrabRewards, and our Grab Signatures private label.

Driven by our values—Teamwork, Trust, Integrity, Customer Satisfaction, and Growth—we aim to deliver quality, value, and convenience to every customer.