Senior Category Manager - Frozen & Beverages

Description:

We are seeking a dynamic and commercially driven Category Manager to join a high-growth category team. This role plays a critical part in shaping the product and brand assortment, ensuring a compelling, competitive, and profitable offering for customers.

The ideal candidate will bring strong experience in buying, merchandising, and supplier negotiations, along with a proven track record in a fast-paced e-commerce environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Assortment & Category Strategy:

- Source, evaluate, and onboard products aligned with category strategy and customer demand

- Conduct market and competitor analysis to identify emerging trends and new product opportunities

- Build and manage a balanced assortment that drives growth, margins, and customer satisfaction

- Continuously optimize assortment based on performance, seasonality, and customer insights

Supplier & Brand Management:

- Establish and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, brands, and manufacturers

- Lead commercial negotiations on pricing, margins, contracts, and exclusivity agreements

- Collaborate with suppliers to ensure timely deliveries, consistent quality, and availability

- Identify and onboard new suppliers to strengthen category depth and differentiation

Inventory Planning & Forecasting:

- Monitor inventory levels to ensure optimal availability while minimizing excess and obsolescence

- Analyze sales trends and demand patterns to drive accurate forecasting and buying decisions

- Implement strategies to manage slow-moving inventory and improve inventory turns

Sales, Marketing & Merchandising Collaboration:

- Partner with sales and marketing teams to design and execute promotional plans

- Work closely with merchandising teams to ensure effective product placement and visibility

- Support campaign planning to maximize sell-through and category performance

Customer-Centric Decision Making:

- Champion customer needs in all assortments and buying decisions

- Leverage customer feedback, reviews, and data insights to refine assortment strategy

- Ensure high standards of product quality, consistency, and customer satisfaction

Candidate Profile:

Education: Bachelors degree in business, Marketing, Commerce, or a related discipline

Experience & Skills:

- Proven experience in category management, buying, or merchandising, preferably in e-commerce

- Strong negotiation capability with demonstrated commercial impact

- High analytical ability with a data-driven decision-making mindset

- Deep understanding of category trends and consumer behavior

- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-ownership environment

- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills

- Proficiency in buying, inventory management, and analytics tools