Asst. Category Manager - Make Up | Retail | Watsons | UAE

Overview Of The Role:

The Assistant Category Manager coordinates and manages the activities within the buying department to ensure efficient execution of product strategies that align with financial goals. This role supports the Category Buyer in developing, communicating, and executing product strategies. Success in this role requires collaboration with cross-functional teams, maintaining stock levels, achieving sales targets, and using data analysis to inform decision-making processes. The role involves significant interaction with suppliers and internal stakeholders to maximize store performance and meet customer needs.

What You Will Do:

Performance Analysis

• Assist and coordinate merchandising and promotional activities to ensure successful execution.
• Work with cross-functional teams to ensure timely and accurate execution of new store assortments and quantities.
• Develop performance reports to determine appropriate allocation for maximum results.
• Create in-store stock analysis by size for key classifications including exclusive brands and other brands.
• Handle queries from suppliers and work closely with them to ensure timely submission of proposals.
• Assist in price checks and obtain samples from suppliers.
• Communicate out-of-stock concerns to the Buying and Planning teams.
• Effectively communicate with Operations and Trading Support for promotions and trading activities.
• Manage and check purchase orders created in SAP.
• Raise shipment and purchase order discrepancy reports.

Performance and Financial Goals Achievement

• Ensure timely and accurate execution of new store assortments and initial distributions and replenishment for existing locations.
• Maintain correct stock levels by store.
• Meet or exceed sales, gross margin, and inventory turn goals.
• Analyze and communicate location performance, including sales/inventory comparisons, seasonality, and marketing impacts.
• Develop departmental distribution strategies to capture location-based opportunities through quantifying volume and profit opportunities analysis.
• Follow product from receipt at the Distribution Centre to point of allocation and complete receipt at store level, especially important during floor set time periods.
• Generate and review range analysis reports at the end of each phase/season to share successes and learn from mistakes.

Field Communication

• Participate in weekly cross-functional meetings to share information on current business issues.
• Develop knowledge of regional variances, store attributes and trends through data analysis and field communication.
• Develop effective field relationships to capture location opportunities and liabilities.

Skills

Required Skills To Be Successful:

• Strong decision-making skills.
• Excellent networking and relationship-building abilities.
• Proven track record in achieving targets in a fast-moving, results-driven environment.
• Ability to work effectively in a multi-functional, deadline-driven environment.

What Qualifies You For The Role:

• Experience in a similar role within a retail brand, preferably in the GCC region.
• Strong interest in the beauty industry.
• Ability to make strong decisions, network, and build relationships.
• Proactive, self-motivated, and career-focused with excellent attention to detail.