Category Lead

Job Description:

Formulate business strategies by assessing consumer, channel, competition, technologies, external eco-system, etc and set direction for each crucial area such as Category Strategy, GTM, Product Planning, NPD, R&D, Customer Service, Manufacturing/ Sourcing, Sales & Marketing, profitability, etc.

Lead annual Category Strategy Development process to facilitate short-term and long-term roadmap on PRM, TRM, Functional Capabilities, Investments & Resources, ROI, etc and align with each crucial function & top management to secure resources and deliver upon the strategic plan.

Steer & influence cross-functional category preparation by devising suitable initiatives and persuading functions to deliver high-quality output in a time bound manner.

Lead channel development agenda in collaboration with respective channel heads and key account managers (KAM) covering suitable product offering development, pricing and trade terms, discounts and promotions, margin management, marcom material development, training of KAMs and in-shop promoters, customer service and supply chain readiness, insights and data building, etc.

Develop Annual Operating Plan (AOP) in collaboration with respective channel heads and KAMs by participating in JBPs with major Key Accounts and set targets for each channel and key account by assessing potential and company readiness.

Develop Annual Marketing Plan in collaboration with respective MarCom Manager, Digital Marketing Lead, Retail & Sellout Lead and the CMO covering holistic media & retail activation plan and strategic marketing initiatives.

Consistently explore futuristic opportunities around products, technologies, service, business models, etc and shape value creation levers in collaboration with external & internal stakeholders to strengthen category prospects.

Regularly monitor business progress across channels and functions, raise timely flags and take necessary actions to optimize output. Ensure achievement of primary & secondary sales targets with appropriate product and segment-mix through effective sales forecasting, pricing & inventory management, fulfilment, stock liquidation, etc.

Own P&L responsibility by effectively managing margins, schemes, budget and resources and taking timely actions to ensure the agreed P&L health.

Timely prepare high-level reports to update Top Management on the business performance and progress of the strategic initiatives.

Education Qualification:

MBA with specialization in Sales & Marketing

Professional experience:

· Approx. 15 years of experience in Sales & Marketing with significant exposure to the category/ business management and P&L roles at HO level.

· Must have minimum 5 years of corporate level experience with the prominent brand in water purifier industry.

· A person with significant track record of demonstrating high-level leadership potential will be preferred.

Key Skills/Competencies:

· Strong interpersonal & communication skills.

· Good command over Microsoft Office (especially excel & power point).

· Strong logical & analytical thinking - Should be data oriented and able to do scenario/ contingency planning, forecasting, ROI modelling, etc.

· Leadership oriented - Should be self-motivated and capable to inspire others by setting examples.

· Highly collaborative - Should be able to steer agenda and influence wider set of people in a formal and informal settings through logical argumentation & persuasion.

· Result oriented and timekeeper – Should be able to deliver results in definite timeperiod.

• · Adaptive, Learning Enthusiast, Ethical, Resilient, etc.