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
