Category Manager - Cosmetics at Ekulo Group

Job Summary

• A category manager with extensive experience in understanding consumer needs and the retail environment
• Must possess a commercial mindset and full comprehension of marketing and sales principles
• Responsible for the pricing and overall promotion of the company’s cosmetics product category to maximize consumer appeal, deepening relationships with vendors, making decisions about which products to sell, assisting with marketing and promotion, overseeing inventory, and managing a cross-functional team

Key Responsibilities

• Regularly analyze customer requirements in the store to target buying habits and develop product promotional strategies to achieve sales goals.
• Devise long-term development strategies for product categories
• Develop exit strategies for unsuccessful products
• Place appropriate orders to ensure product availability that meets consumer demands
• Liaise with the sales team to determine competitive pricing and promotional activities of a product category
• Head product innovation- Decode Consumer Insights & anticipate trends to breakthrough products.
• Follow up on the entire product development process
• Assist in developing presentations that highlight category performance and identify key growth opportunities
• Work closely with the sales team to ensure analysis and communication is consistent with company expectations and strategy
• Guide, supervise and implement marketing mix for category product launches
• Monitor the sales and servicing of all our cosmetics customers in the open and modern markets.
• Drive product visibility and communication across all channels
• Attend industry events and trade shows for promoting company products.
• Stay updated on industry trends and competition market Intelligence, analyze data or insights to determine industry and consumer trends, and advise on new product categories
• Monitor Performance, develop, and execute category plans to meet revenue goals.
• Make forecasts for product demand, manage inventory levels to maximize sales.
• Make changes to the product line to increase the profit margin.
• Ensure development of expertise and know-how in the team

Qualification and Experience

• Proven experience as a category manager or similar role
• Solid knowledge of category management, marketing and sales principles
• Understanding of data analysis and forecasting methods
• Proficient in MS Office
• An analytical mind with a strategic ability
• Excellent communication and people skills
• BSc / HND in Business Administration, Marketing or related field
• MBA will be an added advantage
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience

Functional Skills Requirement:

• Ability to engage customers
• A strong, dynamic leader with an entrepreneurial mindset
• Experience in product management, business planning, strategic sales management, retail & corporate sales management – sales, business development, product development, etc

Business Competencies Requirement:

• Excellent communication (written and oral), interpersonal and negotiation skills,
• Ability to inspire change, innovation, and creative solutions
• Ability to deploy and configure a large scale projects
• Supply chain management
• Project management
• Financial analysis
• Negotiation
• Analytical thinking
• Vendor management
• Product selection
• Product mix
• Product pricing
• Product display
• Marketing
• Planning
• Inventory control
• Leadership skill