Category Lead - Beauty & Wellness

About the Role

The Category Lead for Beauty & Wellness will take charge of developing and expanding the Beauty & Wellness segment, overseeing full profit and loss responsibilities, strategy formulation, assortment curation, and managing brand alliances. This position is pivotal in driving revenue, profitability, customer growth, and retention while fostering long-term category advancement across digital and hybrid storefronts.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement the Beauty & Wellness category strategy aligned with corporate goals and customer strategies.
• Manage category P&L including revenue targets, gross and contribution margins, inventory efficiency, marketing effectiveness, and overall profitability.
• Prepare and execute a growth plan spanning one to three years, focused on assortment growth, brand portfolio enhancement, marketplace participation, omnichannel growth, and regional expansion.
• Evaluate market conditions, consumer trends, competition, and emerging beauty and wellness opportunities in the GCC region.
• Spot unaddressed market segments and devise initiatives to secure category leadership.
• Curate and oversee a unique product portfolio covering skincare, makeup, fragrance, haircare, personal care, wellness, vitamins, functional nutrition, women's wellness, fitness & recovery, and eco-friendly products.
• Establish category structure involving pricing tiers, customer segmentation, hero products, exclusives, bundles, and subscription models.
• Source, negotiate, and onboard top regional and global brands, including marketplace vendors.
• Lead commercial deal-making encompassing margins, rebates, marketing support, exclusivity, payment terms, and inventory commitments.
• Forge strategic alliances with suppliers to encourage innovation and category distinction.
• Implement an annual trading plan around key retail events like Ramadan, Eid, seasonal sales, and festive occasions.
• Set pricing and promotional tactics balancing market competitiveness, premium positioning, customer value, and profitability.
• Drive sales growth through promotions, bundled offerings, replenishment programs, and loyalty schemes.
• Track and optimize critical metrics such as revenue, margin, conversions, average order value, sell-through rate, customer acquisition, repeat purchase rate, inventory turnover, and market share.
• Conduct regular business performance reviews and initiate improvements to maximize results.
• Collaborate with product, UX, CRM, and marketing teams to craft superior shopping experiences, product content, and engagement strategies.
• Manage category merchandising, onsite navigation, search optimization, personalized recommendations, and customer education initiatives.
• Work with supply chain and planning teams to forecast demand, manage inventory levels, replenish stock, and oversee product lifecycle operations specific to beauty and wellness.
• Ensure compliance and operational readiness for managing temperature-sensitive and perishable products, along with efficient returns handling.
• Lead marketing collaborations, influencer partnerships, and integrated campaigns to boost category visibility and customer loyalty.
• Build and lead a talented multi-disciplinary team driving buying, merchandising, and trading functions, nurturing a culture of innovation and accountability.
• Coordinate cross-functionally with departments such as product, operations, finance, marketing, CRM, marketplace, and retail to meet category goals.
• Mentor emerging leaders to strengthen the category management team for future growth.