Category Lead: D2C Commerce

India's #1 Religion-Tech marketplace 10 Lakh+ devotees

About the Role:

We are looking for a Category Lead to own and scale one or more business categories across our D2C ecosystem. This role combines category management, growth, merchandising, performance marketing, pricing strategy, and commercial operations to drive sustainable revenue and profitability.

The ideal candidate has previously owned category or business P&Ls within a D2C, marketplace, consumer internet, or retail environment and has demonstrated success in scaling categories through a combination of acquisition, retention, assortment expansion, pricing optimization, and operational excellence.

This is a highly cross-functional role that works closely with Growth, Supply Chain, Product, Operations, Finance, and Brand teams.

Key Responsibilities: Category & P&L Ownership:

- Own end-to-end category revenue, contribution margin, and profitability.

- Build and execute category growth plans aligned with business objectives.

- Monitor and optimize key commercial metrics including revenue, gross margin, contribution margin, CAC, LTV, AOV, repeat rate, and inventory turns.

- Drive monthly, quarterly, and annual category planning and forecasting.

Growth & Commercial Strategy:

- Identify and execute growth levers across pricing, promotions, bundling, merchandising, assortment expansion, and channel strategy.

- Partner with Growth and Marketing teams to improve acquisition efficiency and category conversion.

- Drive retention and repeat purchase initiatives to maximize customer lifetime value.

- Continuously analyze customer behavior, market trends, and competitive dynamics to identify opportunities.

Merchandising & Assortment Management:

- Develop category assortment strategy based on customer demand, profitability, and market insights.

- Optimize product mix, availability, inventory health, and lifecycle management.

- Work with suppliers, vendors, and internal stakeholders to ensure strong product availability and commercial outcomes.

- Improve on-site merchandising, product discoverability, and conversion rates.

Marketplace & Channel Expansion:

- Lead category growth across D2C and marketplace channels.

- Evaluate and launch new channels, partnerships, and distribution opportunities.

- Drive marketplace performance through assortment, pricing, content, promotions, and operational improvements.

- Support offline retail or experiential commerce initiatives where relevant.

Desired Candidate Profile / Experience:

- 3-5 years of experience in Category Management, Business Management, Growth, Commerce, or P&L ownership roles.

- Prior experience in D2C, consumer internet, marketplace, e-commerce, retail, or high-growth consumer businesses.

- Demonstrated ownership of a meaningful category or business P&L.

- Experience scaling revenue through commercial, growth, and merchandising initiatives.

Must-Have Skills:

- Strong commercial and business acumen.

- Deep understanding of category economics and P&L management.

- Experience with performance marketing channels such as Meta and Google.

- Expertise in pricing, promotions, merchandising, and assortment planning.

- Strong understanding of acquisition, retention, CAC, LTV, conversion, and margin optimization.

- Supplier, vendor, and inventory management experience.

- Ability to drive growth through data-backed decision making.

- Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional leadership skills.

Technical Skills:

- Advanced Excel / Google Sheets

- Strong analytical and reporting capabilities

- Working knowledge of SQL preferred

- Business planning and forecasting

- MIS and dashboard management.

Education (Preferred):

- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Commerce, Economics, or related field.

- MBA from a reputed institution preferred.

Work Location: Bengaluru (In person)