Category Head

Job Title - Division Head

Experience - 12–18 Years

Location - Head Office (Gurugram)

Employment Type - Full-Time, Permanent

Grade/Level - Senior Leadership

Reports To - Head - Buying & Merchandising

Divisions - Men's | Ladies | Kids

About Us

V2 Retail Ltd. is one of India's leading value-fashion retail chains, founded by Ram Chandra Agarwal in 2011. With 399+ stores across 250 cities, we bring quality, trend-right fashion to millions of customers through our Value & Variety promise and growing portfolio of in-house brands. We are hiring senior Buying & Merchandising leaders to head our Men's, Ladies, and Kids divisions.

We are hiring for three Division Head positions — candidates should apply for the division that matches their category expertise:

• Division Head – Men's – Top Wear, Bottom Wear, Ethnic, Accessories
• Division Head – Ladies – Ladies fashion portfolio across all store formats
• Division Head – Kids – Infants, Toddlers, Boys & Girls

Role Overview

The Division Head is a senior commercial leader responsible for the complete P&L, buying strategy, and product performance of their respective division. This role owns the annual merchandise plan, category vision, OTB management, and vendor strategy — ensuring the division's portfolio delivers trend-right fashion, optimal margin, and strong sell-through. The Division Head leads a multi-tier team of Assistant Division Heads, Sub-Division Heads/Managers, Buyers, PO Officers, and Category Planners, and partners closely with Visual Merchandising, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Store Operations.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Category Vision

• Define the annual and seasonal buying strategy for the division in alignment with V2 Retail's overall retail and commercial objectives.
• Establish category hierarchies, range architecture, and assortment frameworks across all sub-divisions/categories.
• Lead the Open-to-Buy (OTB) planning process, ensuring stock investment is aligned to sales budgets and margin targets.
• Analyse market trends, competitor positioning, and consumer insights to shape product strategy and keep V2 Retail ahead of the value-fashion curve.
• Drive the private-label and in-house brand development agenda within the division.

Commercial Performance & P&L Ownership

• Own the divisional P&L: deliver revenue, gross margin, EBITDA, and sell-through targets.
• Monitor weekly, monthly, and seasonal KPIs; take corrective action on underperforming categories through markdowns, promotions, or range rationalisation.
• Set category-level price architecture and ensure competitive value positioning across all stores and formats.
• Drive stock productivity through intake phasing, replenishment cycles, and clearance strategies.
• Conduct quarterly business reviews with leadership, presenting performance, risks, and strategic pivots.

Range Building, Vendor & Sourcing Strategy

• Oversee range-building processes, ensuring the right product width and depth for each store tier and city cluster.
• Own relationships with key vendors and strategic sourcing partners; lead negotiations on pricing, lead times, payment terms, and exclusivity.
• Approve new vendor onboarding and conduct periodic vendor performance reviews; drive vendor consolidation and sourcing innovation.
• Collaborate with the design/sourcing team to develop differentiated, on-trend product ranges within cost targets.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Assistant Division Heads, Sub-Division Heads/Managers, Buyers, PO Officers, and Category Planners.
• Set clear objectives, conduct performance appraisals, and create individual development plans for all direct and indirect reports.
• Foster a high-performance culture built on data-driven decision-making, collaboration, and commercial accountability.
• Partner with HR on talent acquisition, succession planning, and retention for the division's B&M team.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Visual Merchandising to translate range plans into compelling in-store presentations.
• Partner with Supply Chain/Logistics on intake scheduling, warehouse capacity, and store replenishment.
• Collaborate with Marketing on seasonal campaign plans, product stories, and promotional activations.
• Engage with Store Operations to gather store-level feedback and ensure range suitability across city clusters.

Division-Specific Focus

• Men's: Category vision across Top Wear, Bottom Wear, Ethnic, and Accessories; sub-division range architecture and assortment planning.
• Ladies: Category mix and price architecture for the Ladies portfolio across all store formats and city clusters.
• Kids: Product strategy across Infants, Toddlers, Boys, and Girls, with strong emphasis on kidswear safety and quality standards.

Skills & Experience Required

Essential

• 12–18 years of progressive Buying & Merchandising experience in fashion/apparel retail, including at least 4–5 years in a senior leadership role managing large teams.
• Proven track record of owning divisional P&L and delivering commercial targets in a high-volume, value or mid-market fashion retail environment.
• Deep expertise in OTB planning, range architecture, vendor negotiation, and markdown management.
• Strong analytical mindset with proficiency in retail planning systems, Excel-based modelling, and BI/reporting tools.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-category, multi-channel assortments across 100+ stores.

Desirable

• MBA or Post-Graduate qualification in Retail Management, Fashion Management, or Business Administration.
• Experience building or scaling private-label brands within a value-fashion retail context.
• Exposure to omnichannel or e-commerce integration in buying and ranging strategies.
• Familiarity with Indian fashion trends and regional consumer preferences across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
• For Kids division: awareness of kidswear safety and compliance standards.

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking and commercial acumen.
• Inspirational leadership and people development.
• Data-driven decision-making and analytical rigour.
• Strong negotiation and vendor relationship management.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.