Category Lead - Staples

This role is for one of our clients

Industry: Retail

Seniority level: Mid-Senior level

Min Experience: 4 years

Location: Bangalore

JobType: full-time

This position extends beyond procurement, as you will manage the complete lifecycle of staple products—from sourcing and pricing to quality control and overseeing the category P&L.

In this role, you will function as a mini-General Manager for the category, taking charge of enhancing margin growth, ensuring product-market fit, and driving scalability.

Requirements

Roles & Responsibilities

1. Category P&L Ownership

Take full responsibility for the revenue, margins, and profitability of staples.

Drive gross margins above branded category benchmarks.

Optimize the product mix between private label and branded SKUs.

2. Sourcing & Supply Chain Development

Identify and onboard manufacturers, millers, and contract partners.

Negotiate cost structures, terms of trade (TOTs), and long-term supply agreements.

Develop a reliable, cost-effective sourcing network ensuring consistent quality.

3. Product Development & Quality

Define product specifications including quality, grading, and packaging.

Collaborate with vendors to create differentiated SKUs tailored for Bharat consumers.

Ensure strict quality control and batch-to-batch consistency.

4. Pricing & Value Leadership

Develop pricing strategies that provide clear value compared to branded alternatives.

Monitor commodity price fluctuations and adjust pricing dynamically.

Balance expanding margins with maintaining price competitiveness.

5. Assortment & Merchandising Strategy

Build a focused, high-turnover assortment for staples.

Enhance in-store visibility for staple products.

Create merchandising and bundling strategies to boost product adoption.

6. Demand, Inventory & Scale

Accurately forecast demand and maintain high fill rates across stores.

Collaborate with supply chain teams to maintain optimal inventory levels.

Scale successful SKUs across multiple regions and formats.

7. Category Growth & Adoption

Drive brand penetration within the staples category.

Partner with marketing and operations teams on in-store and app-based interventions.

Monitor repeat purchase rates, customer feedback, and product performance.

8. Analytics & Performance Tracking

Monitor key metrics including:

Gross margin percentage

Staples' category share

Sell-through rates and inventory turnover

Repeat purchase rates

Identify underperforming SKUs and implement exit strategies or improvement plans.

What we are looking for

4 to 8 years of experience in staples procurement, commodity trading, or category management.

Strong expertise in oil, grains, spices, pulses, or related staples categories.

Experience collaborating with manufacturers and contract production partners.

Solid commercial acumen with a P&L ownership mindset.

Deep understanding of commodity cycles and cost structures.

Ability to balance cost, quality, and consumer value effectively.

Structured thinker with excellent execution skills.

High sense of ownership and a proactive approach.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.