About The Role
We are seeking a hands-on and highly experienced Senior Category Manager to lead our Physical Product Gifting, Awards, and Recognition categories—with a strong operational focus on
physical procurement, supplier visits, local-market sourcing, and on-ground quality validation
. This role involves frequent travel to multiple city markets, coordinating bulk procurement, and building a reliable supply ecosystem for
long-service awards, joining kits, corporate swag, and premium gifting products
.You will be responsible for shaping category strategy, strengthening vendor networks, and driving product innovation while ensuring operational excellence in physical sourcing and delivery.
Key Responsibilities
Category Strategy & Growth
- Develop and execute growth strategies for physical product gifting, corporate awards, long-service recognition kits, and onboarding/ joining kits.
- Identify new on-ground sourcing hubs, regional markets, and category expansion opportunities by conducting field visits and physical supplier audits.
- Build short- and long-term plans to improve category efficiency, focusing on cost optimization, reliable supply chains, and product differentiation.
Physical Procurement, Product & Vendor Management
- Manage end-to-end physical procurement cycles, including vendor scouting, product sampling, price negotiation, and quality checks across multiple local markets.
- Frequently travel to local bazaars, wholesale hubs, manufacturers, printers, trophy makers, corporate gifting suppliers, and packaging vendors to source and validate products.
- Lead negotiations to secure competitive pricing, bulk-order advantages, and faster turnaround times for products such as:
- Long-service awards (trophies, mementoes, plaques, medals)
- Joining kits (bags, stationery, tech accessories, welcome kits, custom swag)
- Corporate gifting items (premium gifts, hampers, custom branded merchandise)
- Onboard new local and regional vendors to strengthen supply depth, introduce innovation, and reduce dependency on single sources.
- Ensure all suppliers meet quality, packaging, and delivery standards through routine on-site assessments.
Merchandising & Assortment Planning
- Curate a high-performing assortment aligned with corporate gifting cycles, HR recognition programs, award ceremonies, and onboarding needs.
- Work closely with operations and logistics teams to ensure smooth procurement, warehousing, and dispatch of physically sourced products.
- Optimize inventory, especially for frequently ordered items such as joining kits and long-service award SKUs, considering procurement lead times from different markets.
Sales & Performance Analytics
- Track category performance, procurement efficiencies, and product acceptance across corporate customers.
- Analyze market demand variations, vendor performance, and procurement costs to improve margins and lead times.
- Use insights to refine pricing, packaging bundles, seasonal strategies, and kit configurations.
Marketing & Promotions
- Partner with marketing to build promotional campaigns centered around festive gifting, corporate events, award ceremonies, and HR onboarding cycles.
- Ensure product displays highlight physically verified quality, craftsmanship, and customization capabilities.
- Support field activations, corporate roadshows, and showcase events for awards and gifting solutions.
Requirements & Qualifications
- Bachelor’s/Master’s in Business, Marketing, Supply Chain, or related field.
- 6+ years of experience in physical procurement, category management, or corporate gifting, with strong exposure to awards and joining kit sourcing.
- Hands-on operational experience in travelling across cities/markets to identify, negotiate, and procure physical products.
- Strong vendor network across corporate gifting, printing, packaging, merchandise, and trophy/award manufacturing.
- Excellent negotiation and vendor relationship management skills.
- Data-driven decision-making with strong skills in inventory planning and procurement forecasting.
- Ability to manage multiple physical procurement cycles while ensuring product consistency and delivery reliability.
- Strong communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience managing end-to-end procurement for long-service awards, joining kits, swag, and corporate gifting programs.
- Expertise in regional sourcing hubs
- Familiarity with e-commerce platforms, catalog operations, and omnichannel distribution.
- Understanding of sustainable materials, ethical sourcing practices, and eco-friendly procurement trends.
- Proven track record of scaling physical product categories with complex supply chains.
Why Join Us?
- Lead high-visibility categories that interact closely with HR, corporate clients, and internal business teams.
- Build and manage a strong nationwide vendor ecosystem through on-ground procurement and local-market exploration.
- Work with an ambitious team, attractive compensation, and significant ownership in shaping the physical gifting and awards category
