Lead, Category (Food / Fresh/ Ultra Fresh/ Groceries)

This role is only open to Malaysian local/PR The Role As Category Lead, your #1 mission is to accelerate growth for your portfolio! You are the business owner of your categories, responsible for driving topline and increasing order penetration. You will lead a team to scale these categories rapidly while hitting margin targets and ensuring top-tier stock availability. Key Responsibilities Growth & GMV: Take full accountability for your category portfolio’s sales. Drive category penetration and hit revenue targets, driving order penetration and basket value. Commercial Margins: Monitor & drive healthy margins for your categories. Grow retail media revenue. Assortment & Suppliers: Run constant range optimization. Onboard high-growth SKUs and delist slow-movers. Lead negotiations and Joint Business Plans (JBPs) with FMCG brands. Pricing & Campaigns: Execute the pricing strategy for your categories to stay competitive. Coordinate with suppliers to align their promo spend with our campaign calendar. Availability & Waste: Own Weighted Availability (In-stock) to ensure top SKUs are never missing. Manage inventory health to minimize shrinkage and wastage. Team Leadership: Lead and coach a team of Category Managers. Monitor KPIs and drive a culture of high performance and accountability. Key Responsibilities in detail Topline Growth & Penetration Own the GMV and order volume for your portfolio; drive category penetration and basket value to hit revenue targets. Monitor daily performance and execute swift course-corrections to maintain growth momentum. Range & Market Strategy Curate a "winning" assortment by identifying market trends, competitor gaps, and high-growth SKUs. Run constant range optimization by onboarding local heroes and ruthlessly delisting slow-movers. Sustainable Margin & Commercial Revenue Drive category profitability by optimizing cost structures and securing strategic supplier investments. Grow Retail Media revenue and scale high-visibility advertising opportunities for your key brand partners. Strategic Partnerships & JBP Lead long-term Joint Business Plans (JBPs) with FMCG partners to build strong, collaborative roadmaps for growth. Collaborate with suppliers to secure support and exclusive deals to drive high-impact commercial campaigns Category Operational Health Actively collaborate with Supply Chain for high Weighted Availability, to ensure products are always available for the customer. Manage inventory health & shrinkage Team Leadership Lead and coach a team of Category Managers, fostering a culture of high performance and accountability. Own the delivery of team OKRs and KPI and drive data-driven decision-making 6–8 years of experience in Category Management, Buying, or Merchandising within Retail or FMCG. Industry experience: Ideally you have grocery or food-related experience e.g. Fresh/Grocery/Ultra Fresh (Produce, Meat, Seafood etc.) Commercial Drive: Proven ability to scale categories (GMV) while managing margins and commercial income. Negotiation Power: Experienced in managing large-scale supplier relationships and locking in JBPs. Operational Rigor: Strong understanding of in-stock management (Weighted Availability) and waste control. People Leadership: Experience leading a small team with a focus on coaching and talent development. Agility: Comfortable in a fast-paced, digital environment where speed of execution is key. A hybrid work model offering work-from-home days. Attractive benefits which include foodpanda vouchers, corporate perks, annual PandaFlex which can be spent on physical wellness, travel & relaxation etc. A competitive salary package including equity/RSUs. A great working atmosphere with regular company and team events. A vibrant and international team committed to diversity and inclusion. Responsibility from day one in a fast growing and global company.