Category Head - Indian Festivals & Seasonal Non-Food

Category Head Indian Festivals & Seasonal Non-Food

Location: Dubai, UAEExperience: 5 10+ YearsRole OverviewLooking for an experienced Category Head to own the Indian Festivals & Seasonal Non-Food category across major festivals including Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Rakhi, Holi and other key occasions.Key ResponsibilitiesOwn the category end-to-end across assortment, pricing, margins, sales and profitability.

Develop product assortments based on festival trends, customer demand and past performance. Strong understanding of what sells across major Indian festivals. Plan demand and order quantities based on festival calendars. Work backwards from festival dates to ensure timely product availability and ordering. Manage vendors, suppliers, pricing and commercial negotiations. Track category performance, inventory and margins and improve the assortment accordingly. Manage the white-label candles category, including assortment and commercial performance. Requirements5 10+ years in Category Management, Buying, Merchandising or Product Management. Mandatory experience with Indian festival/seasonal non-food categories. Proven experience owning a category commercially not just procurement or order placement. Strong understanding of assortment planning, pricing, margins and demand forecasting. Strong vendor management and negotiation skills. UAE/GCC experience preferred. Ideal Candidate ProfileThe Ideal Candidate Should HaveHands-on experience managing product assortments across major Indian festivals such as Diwali, Rakhi, Holi and Ganesh Chaturthi. A strong understanding of festival-specific consumer demand and what products perform during each occasion. Proven ownership of a category from product selection and assortment through pricing, margins, ordering and profitability. Experience working backwards from festival calendars to forecast demand, determine quantities and ensure products are ordered and available on time. Strong commercial understanding with the ability to balance sales, margins, inventory and product availability. Experience managing vendors/suppliers and negotiating pricing and commercial terms. Ideally, exposure to seasonal, gifting, home d cor, lifestyle or other non-food consumer categories. A hands-on, commercially driven approach rather than a profile focused primarily on procurement or purchase-order execution.