About this Category Manager Staples role at Weekday AI
This role is for one of Weekday’s clients
Min Experience: 3+ years
Location: Bangalore
JobType: full-time
This role goes beyond procurement. You will act as the Business Owner for Staples—driving assortment strategy, vendor partnerships, pricing, monetization, availability, and P&L performance.
You will work closely with sourcing, supply chain, marketing, and store operations teams to ensure the category delivers strong growth, margins, and customer value.
Requirements
Roles & Responsibilities
1. Category P&L Ownership
- Own revenue, margins, and profitability for staples
- Drive higher gross margins vs branded benchmarks
- Optimize mix between private label and branded SKUs
2. Sourcing & Supply Chain Development
- Identify and onboard manufacturers, millers, and contract partners
- Negotiate cost structures, TOTs, and long-term supply agreements
- Build a reliable, cost-efficient sourcing network with consistent quality
3. Product Development & Quality
- Define product specifications (quality, grading, packaging)
- Work with vendors to develop differentiated SKUs tailored for Bharat consumers
- Ensure strict quality control and consistency across batches
4. Pricing & Value Leadership
- Design pricing strategies that deliver clear value vs branded alternatives
- Track commodity price movements and adjust pricing dynamically
- Balance margin expansion with price competitiveness
5. Assortment & Merchandising Strategy
- Build a focused, high-velocity assortment for staples
- Drive in-store visibility for staples
- Design merchandising and bundling strategies to improve adoption
6. Demand, Inventory & Scale
- Forecast demand and ensure high fill rates across stores
- Work with supply chain teams to maintain optimal inventory levels
- Scale successful SKUs across regions and formats
7. Category Growth & Adoption
- Drive brand penetration within the staples category
- Work with marketing and ops teams on in-store and app-led interventions
- Track repeat purchase, customer feedback, and product performance
8. Analytics & Performance Tracking
- Track key metrics:
- Gross margin %
- Staples share in category
- Sell-through and inventory turns
- Repeat purchase rates
- Identify underperforming SKUs and drive exit or improvement plan
What we are looking for
- 3 - 6 years in staples procurement, commodity trading, or category management
- Strong experience in oil, grains, spices, pulses, or similar staples categories
- Experience working with manufacturers / contract production
- Strong commercial and P&L mindset
- Deep understanding of commodity cycles and cost structures
- Ability to balance cost, quality, and consumer value
- Structured thinker with strong execution ability
- High ownership and bias for action
Must-have skills
Category Management, Staples
Good-to-have skills
Rice, Pulses, Edible Oil