Category Development Senior Manager (Pet Food)

DescriptionAt Basamh Group, our mission is to grow people and companies by empowering individuals and fostering collaborative relationships to achieve sustainable success. Backed by over 75 years of experience, we’ve built a strong, consumer-centric ecosystem serving the MEA region. Our excellence in distribution is driven by Basamh Trading Company (BTC) in retail and Specialized Food Services (SFS) in HORECA. GoodyCo leads our efforts in marketing and brand building, while Thokoman Foods anchors our manufacturing capabilities.Guided by our core values of true ownership, passion to grow, transparency and family spirit, we are committed to establishing long-term partnerships with our people and all those we work with. We aim to strengthen our network, uplift our communities, and build a legacy of homegrown success stories that inspire the leaders of tomorrow.Job OverviewTo lead and drive the long-term growth and competitiveness of assigned categories across KSA by owning category strategy, volume and budget planning, trade investment effectiveness, and cross-functional execution, ensuring sustainable business performance and value creation, along with managing Sub-D of Pet Care business.Key ResponsibilitiesCategory Strategy & LeadershipOwn and lead the end-to-end category strategy across KSA, ensuring alignment with company business priorities and long-term growth objectives.Act as the senior category expert, with deep understanding of category dynamics, shopper behavior, channels, and competitive landscape.Define category growth drivers, strategic priorities, and execution frameworks to maximize market performance and competitive advantage.Lead the development, deployment, and governance of category strategies across channels and regions.Business & Financial OwnershipOwn national category volume, budget, and profitability targets, ensuring delivery against agreed business objectives.Lead trade investment strategy and optimization, ensuring strong ROI and disciplined budget management.Drive continuous improvement in forecast accuracy, stock efficiency, and sell-out performance in collaboration with Demand & Supply.Identify risks and opportunities, proactively proposing corrective actions and growth initiatives.Cross-Functional Integration & Execution ExcellenceLead cross-functional collaboration with Brand, Sales, Demand, Supply, Finance, and Operations to ensure flawless execution of category plans.Ensure strong alignment between category plans, brand initiatives, channel strategies, building blocks, and KPIs.Oversee development of trade stories, launch frameworks, promotional mechanics, and in-market execution standards.Champion best practices, success models, and insights reapplication across categories and channels.Stakeholder & Market LeadershipServe as the primary senior point of contact for internal stakeholders on category performance, insights, and strategic direction.Provide distributors and external partners with category intelligence and guidance to enhance distribution, availability, and execution quality.Represent category agenda in senior forums, reviews, and planning cycles, influencing decision-making at leadership level.Sub-Distributor Management & Capability BuildingLead and manage sub-distributor to ensure strong market coverage, execution excellence, and alignment with company objectives and category plans.Set clear performance KPIs (volume, distribution, execution quality, financial compliance) and conduct regular performance reviews.Strengthen Route-to-Market efficiency through optimized territory design, coverage models, and expansion into white spaces.Build sub-distributor capabilities through structured training in sales fundamentals, category knowledge, and operational best practices in collaboration with commercial excellence.Ensure disciplined trade investment, stock management, and financial health across the sub-distributor network.Drive continuous improvement by identifying performance gaps, implementing corrective actions, and sharing best practices across regions.Minimum RequirementsRequired: Bachelor’s degree in related field.8 to 10 years in Sales, Category management and or Trade marketing experienceMS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)Leadership skillsStrong negotiation skillsOrganization skillsPeople management skillsInfluencing skillsStrong communication skillsExcellent numeracy skillsWorking EnvironmentAt Basamh Group, we pride ourselves on attracting talented individuals by offering dynamic and rewarding professional opportunities that inspire growth and innovation. We are deeply committed to fostering a culture of growth by supporting continuous development through hands‑on learning, comprehensive online resources, interactive training, and personalized coaching. Guided by our core value of family spirit, we cultivate an environment where every individual feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. We ensure our people contribute to our collective success