Head of Category Management at Ruff n Tumble

• The Head of Category Management leads the development and execution of annual category plans, commercial calendars, assortment strategies, inventory allocation frameworks, replenishment systems, pricing recommendations, and category performance initiatives while ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and revenue targets.

Key Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Commercial Planning

• Lead the development and execution of annual category plans and category calendars across all product categories.
• Define short-term and long-term category growth strategies aligned with business objectives and commercial targets.
• Develop category sales forecasts, demand plans, and inventory requirements to support sustainable growth.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align category initiatives with organizational priorities.
• Drive strategic category projects with measurable commercial outcomes.
• Identify opportunities to improve sales performance, profitability, market penetration, and operational efficiency.

Category Management & Merchandise Planning

• Develop and implement category strategies that maximize sales, profitability, and inventory productivity.
• Lead assortment planning, product selection, category expansion, and rationalization initiatives.
• Own and manage the full product lifecycle from launch through growth, maturity, and discontinuation.
• Analyze category performance and recommend assortment, pricing, and promotional actions.
• Monitor product performance and customer buying behavior to optimize inventory investments.
• Ensure effective product allocation and distribution across stores and sales channels.

Demand Forecasting & Inventory Optimization

• Develop accurate demand forecasts using sales trends, seasonality, market conditions, and business initiatives.
• Oversee inventory planning and replenishment strategies to maintain optimal stock levels.
• Monitor stock movement and recommend actions to improve inventory turnover and reduce stock aging.
• Lead pre-season and in-season inventory allocation planning.
• Manage stock transfers, replenishment activities, and inventory balancing across locations.
• Identify and mitigate inventory risks including overstocking, stock-outs, and obsolete inventory.

Procurement & Supplier Collaboration

• Partner with sourcing and procurement teams on strategic buying decisions and supplier negotiations.
• Support achievement of favorable pricing structures, payment terms, and supply agreements.
• Develop and maintain strong supplier and vendor relationships.
• Evaluate supplier performance and recommend improvement initiatives.
• Support sourcing initiatives that improve cost efficiency and product availability.

Category Performance & Business Analytics

• Monitor category sales, inventory, margin, and profitability performance against targets.
• Conduct regular category performance reviews and identify growth opportunities.
• Analyze category and commercial performance and provide actionable recommendations.
• Perform cross-functional analysis to support strategic business decisions.
• Evaluate effectiveness of promotions, markdowns, and pricing initiatives.
• Track return on investment (ROI) across category initiatives and projects.

Retail Execution & Merchandising Excellence

• Oversee execution of category merchandising strategies across all retail locations.
• Ensure effective assortment execution and product presentation.
• Collaborate with Visual Merchandising teams to optimize customer engagement and conversion.
• Support initiatives that enhance customer experience and strengthen category performance.

Market Intelligence & Growth Opportunities

• Conduct market research to understand customer behavior, industry trends, and competitive activity.
• Monitor competitor pricing, assortment strategies, and market developments.
• Identify emerging product categories and growth opportunities.
• Provide strategic recommendations based on market insights and business intelligence.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop category management and merchandise planning teams.
• Establish performance objectives and accountability measures for direct reports.
• Foster collaboration across departments to achieve business objectives.
• Build a high-performance culture focused on innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Support succession planning and capability development within the category function.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Economics, Supply Chain Management, Statistics, Finance, Marketing, or a related discipline.
• MBA or Master’s Degree in Economics, Finance, Statistics, Supply Chain Management, Merchandising, or a related field is an added advantage.

Experience

• Minimum of 8–10 years of progressive experience in Category Management, Merchandise Planning, Commercial Management, Retail Planning, Supply Chain, or a related function.
• Experience within retail, FMCG, fashion, lifestyle, or consumer goods industries is highly desirable.
• Proven track record of driving category growth, assortment optimization, inventory performance, and commercial results.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams and influencing strategic business decisions