Role SummaryWe are looking for an entrepreneurial and commercially driven Category Lead – Food &Gourmet; Gifting to build, scale, and lead one of IGP's most strategic growth categories.This role requires a leader with strong e-commerce experience, proven P&L; ownership, anda track record of building and scaling categories from 0-to-1 and beyond. The idealcandidate will drive category strategy, sourcing, merchandising, vendor partnerships, pricing,inventory planning, and customer growth while delivering sustainable revenue andprofitability.The Category Lead will own the end-to-end business performance of the category and play acritical role in shaping IGPs leadership position in the food and gourmet gifting market.Key ResponsibilitiesBusiness & P&L; OwnershipOwn the complete category P&L; including revenue, gross margin, contribution margin, inventory health, and profitability.Develop and execute a multi-year growth roadmap for the Food & Gourmet category.Drive category revenue growth through assortment expansion, customer acquisition, and repeat purchase strategies.Establish financial targets and monitor performance against business goals.Category Building & GrowthBuild and scale food and gourmet gifting categories across:o Dry Fruitso Chocolateso Gourmet Foodso Snackso Sweetso Bakeryo Festive Hamperso Corporate GiftingIdentify emerging consumer trends and new growth opportunities.Launch and incubate new product categories, brands, and gifting concepts.E-commerce & MerchandisingLead assortment planning and category merchandising across digital channels.Optimize product mix, pricing architecture, promotions, and customer experience.Improve category KPIs including:o Revenueo Conversion Rateo Average Order Value (AOV)o Repeat Purchase Rateo Category Contribution MarginVendor & Brand PartnershipsBuild strategic relationships with national brands, premium manufacturers, importers,



and regional suppliers.Lead commercial negotiations and secure favorable trade terms.Develop exclusive partnerships and private-label opportunities.Ensure supply continuity, quality compliance, and competitive sourcing.Inventory & Demand PlanningPartner with supply chain teams to optimize inventory investments and working capital.Drive accurate demand forecasting for key occasions such as:o Diwalio Rakhio Valentines Dayo Mothers Dayo Christmas & New YearManage inventory risks including excess stock, expiry, and stock-outs.Marketing & Growth InitiativesCollaborate with Growth, CRM, and Marketing teams to drive category visibility and customer acquisition.Lead festive campaigns, new launches, and promotional events.Drive trade-funded marketing initiatives and vendor-supported campaigns.Cross-functional LeadershipWork closely with Operations, Finance, Product, Technology, Supply Chain, and Customer Experience teams.Ensure seamless execution of category initiatives and launches.Build scalable processes and operating mechanisms to support rapid growth.Desired Candidate ProfileMust Have10–15 years of experience in Category Management, Buying, Merchandising,Business Management, or E-commerce.Proven experience managing large-scale food, FMCG, gourmet, gifting, or consumer categories.Robust e-commerce background with exposure to online category growth and digital merchandising.Demonstrated ownership of category/business P&L.Proven; experience building and scaling categories from 0-to-1 and 1-to-10 stages.Strong commercial acumen and vendor negotiation skills.Experience managing large SKU portfolios and complex supply ecosystems.Data-driven decision-making mindset.Preferred ExperienceFood & BeverageGourmet FoodsFMCGModern RetailE-commerce MarketplacesGifting & Lifestyle CategoriesSuccess MetricsRevenue GrowthGross Margin ImprovementCategory Contribution MarginNew Category Launch SuccessInventory TurnsFill Rate & Service LevelsVendor PerformanceCustomer Repeat RateAverage Order Value (AOV)Market Share within Food Gifting

📌 Category Lead - Food & Gourmet Gifting (Solapur)
🏢 IGP
📍 Solapur