Category Manager – Fresh Food, Frozen & Dairy

Category Manager – Fresh Food, Frozen & Dairy

Location: Colombo 10, Sri Lanka

Job Identification: 2675

Discipline: Sourcing, Supply Chain, and Logistics

Company: Hayleys PLC

The Role

The Category Manager – Fresh Food, Frozen & Dairy is responsible for developing and managing a premium fresh food portfolio that delivers exceptional value to customers. You will lead the strategic direction and sustainable business performance of essential categories, including Produce, Meat, Fish, Poultry, Dairy, and Frozen foods, ensuring market competitiveness and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Category Management

• Strategy Leadership: Define and execute the long-term category strategy for all fresh, frozen, and dairy segments.

• Commercial Planning: Develop product ranges, pricing structures, promotional calendars, and margin strategies to drive growth.

• Performance Delivery: Take full ownership of sales, margin, and stock turnover targets across all assigned categories.

Supply Chain & Operations

• Supplier Partnerships: Build and maintain high-impact relationships with suppliers and lead commercial negotiations for favorable agreements.

• Quality & Freshness: Safeguard consistent product quality and availability, ensuring “freshness first” standards are met daily.

• Operational Synergy: Work closely with operations and supply chain teams to optimize logistics and minimize waste.

• Monitoring & Analytics: Track key metrics (sales, margin, shrinkage/waste) and implement swift corrective actions to mitigate losses.

Leadership & Market Positioning

• Market Competitiveness: Manage pricing strategies to ensure a strong value perception and maintain a competitive edge in the market.

• Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing category team, fostering a culture of accountability and excellence.

Candidate Profile

Experience & Skills:

• Commercial Acumen: Strong financial and commercial understanding with a track record of driving profitable results.

• Negotiation Expertise: Proven ability to source products and negotiate complex commercial terms with suppliers.

• Analytical Thinking: Strong decision-making skills supported by data-driven insights and market awareness.

• Multitasking: Ability to manage high complexity and multiple product categories simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.

Attributes:

• Entrepreneurial Mindset: A self-starter who takes full ownership of category results and business outcomes.

• Customer-Centric: Deeply focused on understanding customer needs and evolving market trends.

• Leadership: Experienced in performance management and team development.

• Resilience: Highly adaptable and able to thrive under pressure in a high-volume retail or wholesale environment.

Why Join Us?

If you are ready to take on this challenging and rewarding role, we invite you to apply. We offer an attractive remuneration package tailored to the expertise and experience of the right candidate.

Hayleys is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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