Category Manager

This role is responsible for ensuring that the right medicines and healthcare products are available at the right stores, in the right quantities, and at the right time. You will manage product selection, inventory levels, replenishment, and vendor relationships while ensuring stock moves efficiently and does not get stuck or expire. The role involves working closely with sales data, distributors, and store teams to identify demand, prevent stockouts, reduce excess inventory, and improve overall availability and profitability.

The core responsibilities for the job include the following:

Assortment:

Define the SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) list for each store cluster, balancing chronic vs. acute therapies, branded vs. generic, OTC, and wellness/FMCG adjacencies.

Build molecule-level substitute mapping so a stockout doesn't become a lost order.

Onboard new SKUs and delist slow movers on a fixed review cadence.

Localize assortment by catchment; prescribing patterns around a hospital cluster can look very different from a residential one.

Inventory Planning:

Forecast demand at SKU store level and set stock norms: min/max, reorder points, safety stock, and pack-size rounding.

Plan replenishment cycles and allocation across stores, including new store openings and seasonal spikes.

Balance service levels against working capital; inventory days is your number to defend.

Vendors & Buying:

Manage distributors, stockists, and C& F (Clearing and Forwarding) relationships; negotiate PTR/PTS (Price to Retailer / Price to Seller), schemes, credit terms, and return policies.

Maintain secondary sourcing for shortage-prone molecules.

Track landed cost and protect category gross margin.

Requirements:

3-6 years of experience in category management, buying, merchandising, or inventory planning, preferably in pharma retail, e-pharmacy, distribution, or quick commerce.

Strong working knowledge of the Indian pharma supply chain, including distributor margins, schemes, batch and expiry handling, and returns.

Advanced Excel/Google Sheets skills; comfortable pulling and analyzing your own data with Gen AI.

Hands-on experience with an ERP, WMS (Warehouse Management System), or inventory management system.

Vendor negotiation experience with demonstrable commercial outcomes.

Willingness to work on the floor and visit stores as required; the answer is often in the store, not just on the dashboard.

Good to Have:

B. Pharm / D. Pharm, or a science background with pharma exposure.

Experience in a quick-commerce model.

Exposure to private label or generic substitution programs.

Experience with demand forecasting or replenishment tools.