Category Manager – SDA / MDA / TV

The Category Manager will drive sales growth, profitability and operational performance across Small Domestic Appliances (SDA), Major Domestic Appliances (MDA) and Television (TV) categories. The role covers category strategy, supplier relationships, commercial negotiations, assortment planning, pricing, promotions and stock management, with a focus on profitable growth and customer experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies to achieve sales, GMV, gross margin and profitability targets.
• Identify market trends, high-demand products and new brands to expand and optimise the product assortment.
• Build and manage relationships with brand principals, authorised distributors, dealers and suppliers.
• Negotiate purchase prices, margins, rebates, promotional funding, credit terms, warranty support and supply commitments.
• Monitor category performance, product-level profitability, competitor pricing and promotional effectiveness.
• Ensure accurate product listings, model numbers, specifications, pricing, warranty details and availability.
• Forecast demand and improve stock accuracy, supplier fulfilment and replenishment.
• Plan seasonal campaigns, product launches and promotions with Marketing and suppliers.
• Monitor delivery, installation, returns, warranty and after-sales issues, implementing corrective actions to improve customer experience.
• Analyse sales, margins, inventory ageing, cancellations and supplier performance to identify improvement opportunities.
• Collaborate with Finance, Operations, Marketing, Catalogue, Technology and Customer Service teams to improve category performance.

Requirements

• 12+ years of UAE/GCC experience in retail, e-commerce or distribution, preferably with direct SDA, MDA and/or TV category ownership.
• At least 5 years of experience managing commercial relationships and cross-functional execution.
• Strong knowledge of consumer appliances and/or television products, brands, models, pricing and market trends.
• Proven ownership of category sales, GMV, gross margin, supplier negotiations and profitability improvement.
• Established relationships with UAE/GCC brand principals, authorised distributors, dealers and suppliers.
• Hands-on experience in e-commerce marketplaces, consumer electronics retail, appliance distribution or organised retail.
• Demonstrated success in improving stock availability, supplier fulfilment, catalogue accuracy and operational efficiency.
• Advanced Excel skills, including Pivot Tables and XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP. SQL or BI tools are an advantage.
• Understanding of warranty terms, delivery, installation, after-sales service and applicable product compliance requirements.
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Commerce or a related field. An MBA or postgraduate qualification is preferred.
• Strong negotiation, analytical, communication and problem-solving skills.
• UAE-based candidates with local market knowledge are preferred.

Role expectation: This is an end-to-end commercial category management role requiring measurable results in sales growth, profitability, supplier performance and operational execution.