Category Buyer Manager

Our Clients; Makati; On-site; PHP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Our Clients in Metro Manila is seeking an experienced Category Buyer Manager to lead the end-to-end category buying function for assigned product categories. This role focuses on developing category strategies, managing supplier relationships, driving commercial performance, optimizing assortment, and leading a team of buyers to achieve sales, profitability, and inventory objectives.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in category management, buying, or merchandising within the retail,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Supply Chain Management, Commerce, or a related field.
• 5–8 years of experience in Category Management, Buying, Merchandising, or Commercial functions.
• 2–3 years of people management experience leading buying or category teams.
• Experience in Retail, Wholesale, Supermarket, Hypermarket, Convenience, FMCG, Food industry preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies aligned with business objectives, customer demand, and market trends.
• Manage product assortment, pricing, promotions, and product lifecycle planning to maximize category performance.
• Identify growth opportunities through market analysis, customer insights, and competitive benchmarking.
• Drive sales, gross margin, and profitability while ensuring product availability and inventory efficiency.
• Lead supplier sourcing, evaluation, selection, and commercial negotiations to secure competitive pricing and favorable business terms.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with key suppliers to support business growth and innovation.

Skills

Category management

Negotiation

Supplier relations

Data analysis

Forecasting

Excel

ERP systems

Leadership

Collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Category Buyer Manager

Location: Metro Manila
Work Setup: On-site
Work Schedule: Monday to Friday
Employment Type: Full-time
Job Level: Manager

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Category Buyer Manager to lead the end-to-end category buying function for assigned product categories. This role is responsible for developing and executing category strategies, managing supplier relationships, driving commercial performance, optimizing product assortment, and leading a team of buyers to achieve sales, profitability, and inventory objectives.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in category management, buying, or merchandising within the retail, wholesale, FMCG, or food industry, with proven leadership and commercial management experience.

Key Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Management

• Develop and execute category strategies aligned with business objectives, customer demand, and market trends.
• Manage product assortment, pricing, promotions, and product lifecycle planning to maximize category performance.
• Identify growth opportunities through market analysis, customer insights, and competitive benchmarking.
• Drive sales, gross margin, and profitability while ensuring product availability and inventory efficiency.

Supplier & Commercial Management

• Lead supplier sourcing, evaluation, selection, and commercial negotiations to secure competitive pricing and favorable business terms.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with key suppliers to support business growth and innovation.
• Monitor supplier performance, product quality, and service levels while implementing continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage trading agreements, supplier funding, and promotional partnerships.

Sales & Business Performance

• Monitor category sales, profitability, inventory turnover, and other key performance indicators.
• Analyze market trends, consumer behavior, and competitor activities to identify opportunities for growth.
• Develop and implement action plans to improve category performance and achieve financial targets.
• Prepare category reviews and business performance reports for management.

Pricing & Promotional Planning

• Develop pricing strategies that balance competitiveness, customer value, and profitability.
• Plan and execute promotional campaigns in collaboration with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Evaluate promotional performance and recommend improvements for future initiatives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Supply Chain, Merchandising, Marketing, Finance, and Store Operations teams to ensure effective execution of category plans.
• Coordinate new product launches, seasonal campaigns, and assortment updates.
• Support inventory planning to minimize stock-outs, excess inventory, and product obsolescence.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Buyers and Category Specialists.
• Set performance objectives, conduct coaching sessions, and support employee development.
• Foster a collaborative, customer-focused, and results-driven team culture.
• Promote continuous improvement and operational excellence within the buying function.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Supply Chain Management, Commerce, or a related field.

Experience

• Minimum of 5–8 years of experience in Category Management, Buying, Merchandising, or Commercial functions.
• At least 2–3 years of people management experience leading buying or category teams.
• Experience in the Retail, Wholesale, Supermarket, Hypermarket, Convenience, FMCG, Food Manufacturing, or Food Service industry is highly preferred.
• Proven experience managing supplier negotiations, category performance, pricing strategies, and promotional planning.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong commercial acumen and strategic thinking.
• Excellent negotiation and supplier relationship management skills.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales, margin, and inventory data.
• Solid understanding of category management, assortment planning, pricing strategies, and demand forecasting.
• Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and team development capabilities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and ERP or merchandising systems.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and problem-solving skills.