Associate Director - Private Label - Groceries/Food

Description:

Associate Director - Private Label - Groceries / Food

We are looking for someone who can build this as a business from scratch.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Key Responsibilities:

1. What Should We Sell?:

- Deeply understand Indian middle-class households - consumption, frequency, spending patterns.

- Identify high-volume categories where private labels can win.

- Decide which SKUs to launch and in what sequence.

- Build a clear 23 year portfolio roadmap.

You should be comfortable working with incomplete data and making sharp calls.

2. Why Will Consumers Choose Us?:

- Spend time on the ground - homes, stores, competitors.

- Understand why consumers buy specific brands.

- Identify dissatisfaction and white spaces.

- Define the value proposition clearly for each product.

- Be able to articulate in one line why this product should exist.

3. Build the Product:

- Identify and negotiate with manufacturers.

- Develop product samples.

- Iterate on quality and cost.

- Ensure target margins are met.

- Manage compliance and quality processes.

You should be comfortable getting into the factory, not just sitting in meetings.

4. Take It to Market:

- Design pricing.

- Decide pack sizes.

- Build packaging through agencies (clear, brief, tight supervision).

- Pilot in limited stores.

- Track performance.

- Improve quickly.

You will be responsible for ensuring the product moves off the shelf.

5. Own the P&L:

You will be responsible for:

- Revenue

- Gross margin

- Inventory

- Repeat purchase

- Store-level contribution

- Product profitability

Signs of a fit:

- 6+ years of experience in FMCG / D2C / private label.

- Has launched products end-to-end.

- Strong commercial understanding - costing, pricing, margins.

- Comfortable working with manufacturers.

- High ownership mindset.

- Bias for action.

- Can operate in ambiguity without waiting for structure.