Category Lead

Job Description: Senior Category Manager – Private Labels

Designation: Senior Category Manager

Function: Category Management

Experience: 6–10 years

Location: Gurugram, Haryana

Industry Preference: E-commerce, D2C, Retail, FMCG, Lifestyle, or Consumer Products

Role Overview

We are looking for a commercially driven Senior Category Manager with strong experience in private-label strategy, product development, and category P&L management. The individual will be responsible for building and scaling private-label portfolios, identifying new product opportunities, managing product assortment, driving profitability, and developing differentiated offerings aligned with consumer demand and business objectives.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in the end-to-end private-label lifecycle, including market research, product conceptualisation, vendor development, sourcing, pricing, launch execution, and performance optimisation.

Key Responsibilities

1. Private Label Strategy & Product Development

• Develop and execute strategies to build, expand, and scale private-label product portfolios.
• Identify market gaps, emerging trends, and consumer needs to develop new product opportunities.
• Manage the end-to-end product lifecycle, from concept development and sourcing to launch and performance tracking.
• Drive product differentiation through quality, design, packaging, features, and competitive pricing.
• Evaluate product performance and identify opportunities for portfolio expansion and SKU rationalisation.2. Category Management & P&L Ownership
• Drive category revenue, gross margins, profitability, and overall business growth.
• Develop category strategies, annual business plans, sales forecasts, and growth initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability through pricing optimisation, sourcing efficiencies, and product mix enhancement.
• Monitor category performance and implement corrective actions to achieve business targets.3. Sourcing & Vendor Development
• Identify, evaluate, and onboard manufacturers and suppliers for private-label products.
• Lead commercial negotiations covering pricing, minimum order quantities, payment terms, and lead times.
• Build strategic vendor relationships to ensure cost competitiveness, consistent quality, and timely delivery.
• Collaborate with procurement and quality teams to establish product specifications and quality standards.4. Assortment & Inventory Management
• Develop category assortment plans, pricing architecture, and product portfolio strategies.
• Monitor inventory availability, sell-through, stock ageing, and replenishment requirements.
• Optimise inventory turnover while minimising stock-outs, excess inventory, and obsolete stock.
• Analyse SKU-level performance to improve assortment productivity and working capital efficiency.5. Market Intelligence & Consumer Insights
• Conduct competitor benchmarking, market research, and pricing analysis.
• Identify emerging consumer preferences, market trends, and potential category opportunities.
• Translate market insights and customer feedback into commercially viable product propositions.6. Cross-functional Collaboration
• Work closely with design, marketing, procurement, supply chain, quality, and sales teams to execute category plans.
• Drive new product launches, promotional initiatives, and seasonal assortment planning.
• Ensure alignment across teams for product readiness, availability, quality, and go-to-market execution.7. Business Analytics & Reporting
• Track key category metrics, including revenue growth, gross margins, contribution margins, inventory turnover, and SKU productivity.
• Prepare regular business reviews and provide actionable recommendations to senior management.
• Use data-driven insights to identify risks, improve operational efficiency, and accelerate growth.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• 6–10 years of experience in category management, private-label management, product management, merchandising, or buying.
• Demonstrated experience in private-label product development and scaling, including sourcing, vendor management, pricing, and product launches.
• Experience managing category-level revenue, margins, and commercial performance.
• Strong understanding of consumer products, retail, e-commerce, or D2C business models.
• Proven experience working with manufacturers, suppliers, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, commercial, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency in MS Excel and business reporting tools.
• MBA in Marketing, Retail Management, Supply Chain, or a related discipline is preferred.Key Performance Indicators
• Category revenue growth and profitability.
• Gross margin and contribution margin improvement.
• Private-label portfolio growth and sales contribution.
• New product launch performance and SKU productivity.
• Inventory turnover, sell-through, and stock ageing.
• Sourcing cost optimisation and vendor performance.
• Product quality and customer satisfaction.