Category Group Head - June
Delhi NCR, IndiaFull-timeSenior · 8-15 years
About this role
Industrybuying is looking for a highly motivated and focused Category Group Head to lead and scale a portfolio of product categories. The role will be responsible for driving category growth, profitability, assortment expansion, vendor partnerships, pricing strategy, and operational excellence across multiple categories. As a business leader, the Category Group Head will own the overall P&L of the assigned category group, lead a team of Category Owners, and work cross-functionally with Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing, and Finance to achieve business objectives. The ideal candidate combines strong commercial acumen, leadership capability, analytical thinking, and stakeholder management skills to drive sustainable growth in a dynamic B2B e-commerce environment.
Key Responsibilities
Business & P&L Leadership
- Own the P&L, growth strategy, and overall performance of a portfolio of categories.
- Drive revenue, margin, market share, and profitability across the category group.
- Develop and execute short-term and long-term category growth plans aligned with organizational objectives.
- Identify new business opportunities, emerging product segments, and market expansion initiatives.
Team Leadership & Capability Building
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Category Owners to drive category performance and business outcomes.
- Establish category goals, monitor performance, and ensure achievement of key business metrics.
- Build a high-performance culture through coaching, guidance, and continuous capability development.
Category Strategy & Portfolio Management
- Define assortment strategy and portfolio expansion plans across categories.
- Drive onboarding of new brands, suppliers, and product lines to strengthen category competitiveness.
- Ensure optimal product mix, inventory planning, and lifecycle management across categories.
- Oversee category merchandising and customer experience initiatives to maximize conversion and growth.
Vendor & Strategic Partnership Management
- Build and maintain strategic relationships with key manufacturers, distributors, and supplier partners.
- Lead commercial negotiations related to pricing, margins, rebates, promotional investments, and strategic partnerships.
- Drive joint business planning initiatives with key vendors to accelerate category growth.
Pricing & Market Competitiveness
- Establish category pricing strategies to balance competitiveness, growth, and profitability.
- Monitor market trends, competitive landscape, customer demand, and industry developments.
- Drive data-led pricing and assortment decisions to maximize market share and margins.
Operational Excellence & Supply Chain Collaboration
- Drive inventory optimization, demand forecasting, and working capital efficiency across categories.
- Ensure seamless execution of category initiatives through strong cross-functional collaboration.
Analytics & Business Insights
- Leverage data analytics to identify growth opportunities, profitability levers, and operational improvements.
- Review category performance metrics, sales trends, margins, fulfilment KPIs, and inventory health.
- Present business reviews, strategic recommendations, and performance updates to senior leadership.
Desired Candidate Profile
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Supply Chain, Marketing, or a related field. MBA preferred.
- 8–15 years of experience in Category Management, Business Management, Procurement, Product Management, Sourcing, or related commercial roles.
- Knowledge & experience of using AI tools for Category, will be a plus.
- Proven experience managing multiple categories and leading category, sourcing, or business teams.
- Strong P&L management experience with a track record of delivering revenue and profitability growth.
- Excellent commercial negotiation, vendor management, and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with the ability to translate data into business actions.
- Effective people leadership experience with a demonstrated ability to build and develop high-performing teams.
- Experience in B2B e-commerce, industrial distribution, procurement, manufacturing, or MRO-focused organizations will be highly preferred.
Preferred Industry Experience
- Industrial Supplies & MRO
- Electrical, Industrial Automation, LED & Lighting, Solar, Furniture