Overview
A leading corporate pharmacy chain with 500+ stores and 5000+ employees is hiring for a Senior Category Manager Job in Mumbai. This office-based role (Alternate Saturdays off) offers a competitive salary of up to INR 28 LPA CTC.
The ideal candidate should have 12+ years of experience in category management, retail buying, or merchandising, preferably from retail, beauty & personal care, apparel & fashion, or healthcare verticals. Candidates from FMCG grocery, staples, drinks, frozen food, quick commerce, or D2C sectors are considered a misfit.
This role reports to the AGM – Category Management, so leadership skills, P&L accountability, and team collaboration are essential.
Job Location
Location: LBS Marg, Vikhroli West, Mumbai
Pin Code: 400083
Work Mode: Work from Office (Alternate Saturdays Off)
About the Client
The company is a leading corporate pharmacy chain with more than 500 stores across India. It emphasizes category-led growth, omnichannel strategy, and strong operational execution.
Role Overview
This Senior Category Manager Job in Mumbai requires a strategic and commercially minded professional who can:
- Support the AGM in defining medium-term and annual category business plans
- Execute initiatives like product launches, SKU rationalization, and channel-specific strategies
- Manage P&L accountability, budgets, pricing, promotional plans, and inventory
- Lead cross-functional collaboration and ensure category strategy execution across channels
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Planning
- Define 1–3 year and annual business plans aligned with company objectives
- Analyse consumer trends, competition, and channel shifts (online vs offline)
- Prioritize initiatives: new product launches, slow-moving SKU rationalization, channel-specific strategies
Commercial & P&L Management
- Own P&L accountability for assigned categories
- Set sales, margin, cost, and inventory targets
- Develop pricing, promotional calendars, markdown plans, and clearance strategies
- Track key metrics: sales growth, gross margin, inventory turnover, sell-through rate
Assortment & Vendor Management
- Lead assortment planning and onboarding of new products
- Negotiate vendor contracts and monitor supplier performance (delivery, quality, promotions)
- Build strong vendor partnerships aligned with business objectives
Inventory & Supply Chain Coordination
- Collaborate with supply chain, operations, and logistics teams for optimal inventory
- Track slow-moving stock, obsolete inventory, markdowns, returns, and vendor chargebacks
Omnichannel & Store Execution
- Execute category strategy across stores and digital channels
- Work with merchandising, store operations, and e-commerce teams
- Translate national strategy into local/regional execution
Team Leadership & Stakeholder Management
- Lead a small team of category managers, analysts, or specialists
- Set objectives, monitor performance, and coach for development
- Influence senior leadership and collaborate cross-functionally
Reporting & Continuous Improvement
- Provide timely dashboards and reports on category performance, risks, and opportunities
- Identify process gaps and implement best practices
- Benchmark performance against industry standards and adopt innovations
Required Qualifications & Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Retail, Marketing, Commerce, or related field; MBA preferred
- 12+ years of progressive experience in category management, merchandising, or retail buying
- Strong P&L management and commercial acumen
- Expertise in retail operations, supply chain, and inventory management
- Excellent analytical, negotiation, and supplier management skills
- Team leadership and cross-functional collaboration experience
- Proficiency in Excel, Power BI/Tableau, ERP/merchandising systems
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Category sales growth vs prior year/budget
- Gross margin and contribution margin improvement
- Inventory turnover, sell-through rate, and SKU availability
- Number of new products launched / SKU rationalization achieved
- Vendor performance and promotional support
- Team performance metrics
- Omnichannel execution and online/offline channel mix
- Customer-centric metrics (Category NPS, satisfaction scores)
Who Should Apply?
- Candidates with experience in retail, beauty & personal care, apparel & fashion, or healthcare verticals
- Able to lead a small team and execute multi-store/multi-channel strategies
- Experienced in P&L accountability and category performance
Misfit Candidates
- Professionals from FMCG grocery, staples, drinks, frozen food, quick commerce, or D2C sectors
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this role remote?
No, this is a work-from-office role with Alternate Saturdays off.
What is the salary?
Up to INR 28 LPA CTC.
What experience is required?
12+ years in category management, merchandising, or retail buying, preferably from retail, beauty & personal care, apparel & fashion, or healthcare verticals.
Who is an ideal candidate?
- Able to lead a small team and manage multi-store operations
- Experienced in P&L accountability and multi-channel execution
- Comes from retail, beauty & personal care, apparel & fashion, or healthcare verticals
Who is a misfit?
Candidates from FMCG grocery, staples, drinks, frozen food, quick commerce, or D2C sectors are not suitable