Category Head

Role: Category Head Location: Gurugram (Work From Office) Experience: 10–15+ Years About: Fairdeal.Market Fairdeal.Market is a rapidly growing B2B quick commerce company enabling businesses to access a wide range of products with delivery in as little as 60 minutes. We are transforming traditional procurement and distribution through technology, supply chain excellence, and data-driven commerce. As we enter the next phase of growth following our recent funding milestone, we are building a world-class category organization to drive assortment expansion, supplier partnerships, profitability, and market leadership across key business verticals. Role Overview We are looking for an experienced and entrepreneurial Category Head to lead category strategy, supplier partnerships, commercial growth, and profitability across the organization. This is a leadership role with complete ownership of category performance, requiring a strong blend of commercial acumen, strategic thinking, market understanding, and execution excellence. The ideal candidate will be responsible for building scalable category frameworks, driving business growth, strengthening supplier ecosystems, and delivering sustainable profitability while working closely with leadership and cross-functional teams. Key Responsibilities A. Business & P&L Ownership • Own and drive category-level revenue, profitability, growth, and market share • Develop and execute short-term and long-term category strategies aligned with business objectives • Build annual operating plans, business forecasts, and category roadmaps • Identify new growth opportunities, emerging trends, and untapped market segments • Drive category-level business performance through structured planning and execution • Establish clear performance metrics and accountability frameworks across categories B. Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Management • Develop and strengthen relationships with key manufacturers, brands, distributors, and suppliers • Lead high-value commercial negotiations and strategic partnerships • Establish sourcing frameworks that improve margins, availability, and supply reliability • Build scalable supplier ecosystems across multiple product categories • Drive favorable commercial terms, procurement efficiencies, and long-term business partnerships • Ensure consistent product availability and supply continuity across categories C. Category Growth & Expansion • Drive category expansion through assortment planning and product portfolio optimization • Identify high-potential products and categories to accelerate business growth • Develop category-specific pricing, promotion, and go-to-market strategies • Improve category penetration, contribution margins, and customer adoption • Leverage market intelligence to identify opportunities for category innovation and expansion • Drive strategic initiatives to improve category competitiveness and market positioning D. Data-Driven Decision Making • Leverage market insights, customer behavior, sales performance, and competitive intelligence to drive business decisions • Monitor category KPIs and develop actionable improvement plans • Work closely with analytics teams to build forecasting and demand-planning models • Analyze category performance trends and identify areas for optimization • Drive a data-first culture within the category organization • Ensure category decisions are backed by commercial and operational insights E. Leadership & Stakeholder Management • Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing category management team • Establish clear goals, performance standards, and development plans for team members • Collaborate closely with Product, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology, Finance, and Marketing teams • Present category performance, growth opportunities, and strategic recommendations to leadership • Drive alignment across stakeholders to ensure successful execution of category initiatives • Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement What We’re Looking For • 10–15+ years of experience in Category Management, Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, Buying, Merchandising, Retail, E-commerce, B2B Commerce, or Marketplace businesses • Demonstrated experience managing large-scale categories with significant revenue and profitability ownership • Proven track record of driving category growth, improving margins, and building strategic supplier partnerships • Strong P&L management experience with a commercial and analytical mindset • Deep understanding of procurement, supply chain, pricing, and commercial negotiations • Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities • Strong leadership experience managing and scaling high-performing teams • Ability to thrive in fast-paced, high-growth, entrepreneurial environments • Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills Preferred Background • Experience in high-growth startups, marketplaces, retail businesses, procurement platforms, or B2B commerce companies • Candidates from organizations such as Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Udaan, Moglix, Industrybuying, large retail chains, distribution businesses, or procurement-focused organizations • Strong understanding of FMCG, retail distribution, supply chain, and commerce ecosystems • Experience managing multi-category portfolios and supplier networks at scale Key Skills & Attributes • Strong commercial acumen and business ownership mindset • Strategic thinker with strong execution capability • Deep supplier relationship and negotiation expertise • High ownership and accountability • Data-driven decision-making approach • Strong leadership and team-building capability • Ability to balance growth, profitability, and operational excellence • Entrepreneurial mindset with bias for action • Strong cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills What You’ll Get • Opportunity to build and scale category functions for one of India's fastest-growing B2B commerce platforms • Complete ownership of category growth, profitability, and strategic direction • Direct exposure to founders and leadership team • High-impact role with significant decision-making authority • Opportunity to shape the future of procurement and commerce in India • Competitive compensation, performance-linked rewards, and long-term growth opportunities • Fast-paced, ownership-driven culture with substantial business impact from day one Department: Category Experience: 10 - 15 years