Weekday (YC W21)
Website:
weekday.works
Job details:
This role is for one of our clients
Industry: Retail
Seniority level: Mid-Senior level
Min Experience: 4+ years
Location: Bengaluru
JobType: full-time
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
We are seeking a Category Manager - Fruits & Vegetables (Quick Commerce) to take full ownership of the end-to-end performance of the F&V category within our quick commerce business.
This position demands a strong operator-builder mindset. You will serve as the Business Owner for F&V, overseeing assortment, sourcing, pricing, availability, waste management, vendor relations, promotions, and overall P&L performance. Collaborating closely with sourcing, supply chain, dark store operations, merchandising, technology, and marketing teams, you will develop a high-performing and scalable F&V business that consistently delivers freshness, availability, and earns customer trust.
Requirements
Your Responsibilities
Category Ownership & Growth
- Take full ownership of the P&L for the Fruits & Vegetables category within Quick Commerce
- Develop and implement strategies to grow the category across fresh produce
- Create category plans aimed at enhancing revenue, margins, and encouraging repeat customer purchases
- Expand the category in alignment with customer demand, regional preferences, and seasonal variations
Assortment & Merchandising
- Develop and continuously refine the assortment covering fruits, vegetables, herbs, and staples
- Ensure assortments are hyperlocal and relevant based on specific city and store clusters
- Consistently enhance SKU productivity and optimize the category mix
- Lead merchandising efforts and improve product visibility on the app and storefront to boost conversion rates
Sourcing & Vendor Management
- Identify, onboard, and manage relationships with farmers, aggregators, mandis, and supply partners
- Negotiate commercial terms, procurement models, and service-level agreements effectively
- Build strong partnerships with suppliers to enhance cost efficiency, quality, and reliability
- Develop alternative sourcing strategies to ensure continuous supply
Pricing & Monetization
- Lead the pricing strategy to maintain a balance between competitiveness, customer value, and profitability
- Manage dynamic pricing based on mandi trends, seasonal factors, and demand fluctuations
- Plan and execute promotions, bundle offers, and campaigns
- Identify additional monetization opportunities through programs funded by suppliers
Inventory, Availability & Waste Management
- Maintain high fill rates and ensure best-in-class product availability in dark stores
- Collaborate with planning and operations teams to optimize inventory turnover
- Reduce waste, shrinkage, and dead stock through improved forecasting and replenishment processes
- Enhance freshness metrics and minimize stock-outs
Operations & Quick Commerce Excellence
- Collaborate with dark store and supply teams to guarantee flawless daily operations
- Develop standard operating procedures for receiving, grading, storage, and handling of fresh produce
- Drive operational efficiencies throughout the procurement-to-customer delivery process
- Support the launch of new cities and stores and prepare for scaling
Data & Performance Tracking
- Monitor essential KPIs such as revenue, margin, fill rate, stock-outs, inventory turnover, waste percentage, freshness scores, and vendor performance
- Utilize data to uncover growth opportunities and implement corrective measures
- Create scalable, repeatable category playbooks for sustained growth
Desired Qualifications
- 4 to 8 years of experience in Category Management, Buying, or Sourcing within Fruits & Vegetables, Fresh, Grocery, or Quick Commerce sectors
- Solid understanding of fresh supply chains, mandi dynamics, and perishables management
- Proven experience in end-to-end category ownership including full P&L responsibility
- Strong skills in vendor management and negotiation
- In-depth knowledge of forecasting, inventory planning, and waste control
- Analytical thinker with strong operational discipline
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
- Previous experience with Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart, BigBasket, or similar platforms is highly desirable
Essential Skills
Category Management
Preferred Skills
Quick Commerce, Retail Category Management
Click on Apply to know more.