Category Manager (Pastry)

Bidfood; Selangor; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Bidfood Malaysia is expanding its pastry and bakery categories and seeks a category manager to own the strategy and commercial proposition for the pastry portfolio, including frozen and ready-to-bake pastries, desserts, and related ingredients.

The role defines portfolio direction, strengthens principal relationships, and equips Sales with products and commercial tools for growth, while ensuring food safety, halal compliance, and cold-chain integrity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or Diploma in Business, Marketing, Food Science, Culinary Arts, Pastry, or related field.
• 5–8 years’ experience in category management, sales, purchasing, product development, or culinary applications in pastry/bakery/foodservice.
• Strong commercial acumen with proven experience managing sales, margins and supplier relationships.
• Knowledge of pastry and bakery products, food safety standards, and market trends.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP) is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Build annual category and brand growth plans aligned with commercial objectives.
• Define portfolio, channel and routing-to-market priorities; onboard/rationalize brands or SKUs for CCO approval.
• Track market trends, competitor activities, customer needs, and white-space opportunities.
• Work with Sales to identify category penetration opportunities and translate insights into growth actions.
• Lead supplier relationships and joint business planning with principals.
• Lead product sourcing, ensuring food safety, Halal, allergen-labelling, cold-chain and company requirements.
• Lead pricing, margin architecture, inventory targets and activation planning; monitor sales, margins, stock turns and wastage.
• Develop commercial and activation proposals for CCO approval; equip Sales with USPs and pricing guardrails.
• Coordinate product launches and activations with Sales through tastings and demonstrations.
• Co-own forecasting, demand planning and slow-stock action plans with cross-functional teams.
• Present category performance, risks and recommended actions to management.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Communication

Negotiation

Interpersonal skills

Market trends knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s or Diploma in Business/Marketing/Food Science/Culinary Arts/Pastry

Tools

Microsoft Office

ERP systems (SAP)

Job description

Jora Malaysia will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

We are a leading foodservice distributor committed to delivering high-quality food products, innovative solutions, and exceptional service across Malaysia. As part of our growth strategy, we are expanding our pastry and bakery categories to meet evolving foodservice market needs.

This role owns the category strategy and commercial proposition for the pastry portfolio, including frozen and ready-to-bake pastries, bakery products, desserts, and related ingredients. The role sets portfolio direction, strengthens principal relationships, and equips Sales with the products and commercial tools needed to grow the category.

Job Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Portfolio

• Build annual category and brand growth plans aligned with the Company’s commercial objectives.
• Define portfolio, channel, positioning, and route-to-market priorities; recommend new brand or SKU onboarding and rationalization for CCO approval.
• Track market trends, competitor activities, customer needs, and white-space opportunities.
• Work closely with Sales to identify category penetration opportunities and translate market insights into growth actions.
• Build and maintain strong supplier and principal relationships, including joint business plans and performance reviews.
• Lead portfolio direction and product sourcing while ensuring food safety, Halal, allergen-labelling, cold-chain, and Company requirements are met.

Commercial & Performance Management

• Lead base pricing, margin architecture, inventory targets, and activation planning; monitor sales, margin, stock turns, shelf life, and wastage.
• Develop and table commercial, pricing, portfolio, and activation proposals to the CCO for approval.
• Equip Sales with the right products, unique selling points (USPs), pricing guardrails, product knowledge, and commercial tools, working closely with Business Development and Marketing.
• Lead product launch and activation plans, including presentations, tastings, and demonstrations, while Sales leads customer negotiation and conversion.

Demand Planning & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Co-own forecasting, demand planning, and slow-stock action plans with Sales, Purchasing, Supply Chain, and Warehouse teams.
• Support customer-specific opportunities and account plans, and present category performance, risks, and recommended actions to management.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or Diploma in Business, Marketing, Food Science, Culinary Arts, Pastry, or a related field.
• Minimum 5–8 years’ experience in category management, sales, purchasing, product development, or culinary application within the pastry, bakery, dessert, or foodservice sector.
• Strong commercial acumen with proven experience managing sales, margins, product portfolios, and supplier relationships.
• Good knowledge of pastry and bakery products, applications, food safety standards, and market trends.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office; experience with ERP systems (e.g. SAP) is an advantage.