Category Manager
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 14, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 4, 2026.
Position: Category Manager (Hair Care)
ROLE PURPOSE
The Category Manager is responsible for leading an assigned product category as a business owner, driving sustainable sales, profitability, market share, and customer value.
The role requires strong commercial acumen, analytical thinking, and strategic decision-making to develop category growth plans, optimize assortment and pricing, manage supplier partnerships, and deliver business performance.
Success in this role requires an individual who enjoys working with data, is naturally curious, takes ownership, and can translate insights into commercial actions.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES
Business Performance & Commercial Growth:
Own and deliver category sales, gross profit, income, and inventory targets.
Monitor category performance and identify opportunities to drive growth and profitability.
Develop business cases and commercial recommendations based on market trends and business performance.
Recommend corrective actions when business performance deviates from targets
Category Strategy & Planning:
Develop and execute annual category strategies aligned with company objectives.
Conduct category reviews, identify growth opportunities and optimise assortment.
Lead new product introductions and rationalise underperforming SKUs.
Build category roadmaps that support long-term business growth.
Commercial Analysis:
Analyse sales, margin, market share, pricing and promotional performance.
Develop forecasts using historical trends, assumptions and market insights.
Translate data into clear business insights and actionable recommendations.
Evaluate business risks and opportunities proactively.
Pricing & Promotion Strategy:
Develop pricing strategies that balance competitiveness and profitability.
Plan and execute effective promotional calendars.
Evaluate promotion ROI and recommend improvements.
Optimise supplier funding and promotional investments.
Inventory & Supply Management:
Maintain healthy inventory levels while minimising stock ageing and shrinkage.
Monitor forecast accuracy and collaborate with Supply Chain to improve availability.
Drive improvements in stock productivity and replenishment planning.
Merchandising & Space Productivity:
Develop planograms that improve productivity and shopper experience.
Review space allocation using sales and productivity analysis.
Drive execution excellence across stores.
Supplier Partnership:
Build collaborative partnerships with suppliers.
Lead business reviews and Joint Business Planning discussions.
Negotiate commercial terms, promotional funding and income opportunities.
Challenge suppliers using data and market insights.
Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders to align on business objectives.
Market & Shopper Insights:
Stay informed on consumer behaviour, industry trends and competitor activities.
Translate market insights into actionable category strategies.
Identify emerging trends and innovation opportunities.
Cross-functional Collaboration:
Work closely with Marketing, Supply Chain, Operations and Finance.
Influence stakeholders to deliver category objectives.
Communicate effectively across all levels of the organisation.
JOB HOLDER REQUIREMENT
Diploma or Bachelor's Degree in Business, Marketing, or a related discipline.
Minimum 4-6 years of relevant commercial experience in Retail, FMCG, Category Management, Trade Marketing, or a related commercial function.
Proven experience in business performance management, forecasting, commercial planning, and category development.
Strong commercial acumen with the ability to understand business drivers and make sound commercial decisions.
Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to translate data into actionable business insights and recommendations.
Experience in supplier management, negotiations, and building collaborative partnerships with cross-functional stakeholders.
Strong understanding of consumer behaviour, market trends, pricing, and competitive dynamics.
Proficient in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, with experience in data analysis, forecasting, and business presentations.
Excellent communication, presentation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
Demonstrates ownership, accountability, and a proactive, results-driven mindset, with the ability to work independently and adapt in a fast-paced environment.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize effectively and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
Energetic, collaborative, customer-focused, and comfortable working across all levels of the organization.
This role is best suited for individuals who enjoy using data to make commercial decisions, think strategically, and are comfortable taking ownership of business performance.
Established in 1972, Guardian Health & Beauty is Singapore’s Number 1 Health and Beauty retailer. With more than 120 stores nation-wide, it retails a comprehensive range of health & beauty products. Guardian has evolved from its pharmacy roots to a holistic one-stop solution for customers’ health and beauty needs. It continues to expand its products and service range to meet the redefinition of beauty by today’s customers - where health meets beauty.
With a strong health heritage, it has the largest network of award-winning pharmacists and a wide selection of health products. Professional services such as patient-care counselling, dispensary services, beauty and personal care solutions are offered at stores as a convenient one-stop for health and beauty. Guardian also operates its online store with more than 9,000 products available and offers the “Click & Collect” services.
Guardian Health & Beauty is a Progressive Wage (PW) mark accredited company.
DFI Retail Group is responsible for ensuring that all personal information collected from each Candidate presented to DFI Retail Group is used for recruitment purposes only and the data collection process is in accordance with all applicable laws and compliant with the Code of Practice on Human Resource Management.
To find out more about Our Businesses and Our People, please visit our website https://www.dfiretailgroup.com