Program Manager - Category

Location:

Employment Type:

About The Role

Category Program Manager

Key Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Growth

• Define and execute the category strategy in alignment with the company’s retail objectives.
• Identify growth opportunities through retail analytics, shopper insights, and market trend analysis.
• Work with merchandising and buying teams to ensure optimal product assortment, placement, and pricing.
  

Program Planning & Execution

• Plan and manage in-store category activations, promotions, and experiential marketing events.
• Drive adoption of new initiatives across stores, ensuring operational readiness and on-brand execution.
• Manage program timelines, budgets, and KPIs to ensure delivery within agreed parameters.
  

Vendor & Brand Collaboration

• Act as the primary liaison between brand partners and internal teams for category-specific initiatives.
• Negotiate and coordinate with vendors for joint promotions, training, and marketing support.
• Ensure vendor compliance with in-store guidelines, display standards, and promotional commitments.
  

Operational Excellence

• Supervise category support teams to ensure smooth execution of category plans in stores.
• Monitor sales, stock levels, and customer feedback to optimize category performance.
• Implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and reduce operational bottlenecks.
  

Performance Measurement & Reporting

• Track category performance against KPIs (sales growth, conversion rates, ROI on activations).
• Provide actionable insights and recommendations to leadership for continuous improvement.
• Prepare weekly and monthly reports on category health and program outcomes.
  

Key Requirements

Education:

Experience:

Skills & Competencies

• Strong retail business acumen with expertise in category growth levers.
• Excellent project management, stakeholder management, and vendor negotiation skills.
• Data-driven approach with proficiency in retail analytics and KPI tracking.
• Tools: MS Project, Microsoft Office Suite, SQL (Kissflow experience is a plus).
• Communication skills in English & Hindi (Korean proficiency is an advantage).