About the Role

Nahdi Medical Co. is seeking an Acute & Specialty Medication Category Department Manager to join its team in Jeddah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. This full-time role is central to the Merchandise Division, where the manager will lead the end-to-end management of an assigned product category. The position focuses on shaping category strategy, managing the product portfolio, and optimizing commercial performance to drive sustainable sales growth, profitability, and an exceptional customer experience.

Key Responsibilities

The Category Department Manager will oversee all aspects of the product category, from strategic planning to operational execution. Core responsibilities include:

• Developing and executing category strategies in alignment with commercial objectives.
• Analyzing market trends, customer insights, and competitor activities to identify growth opportunities.
• Building and maintaining an optimal product assortment that balances innovation, profitability, and customer demand.
• Managing category revenue, profitability, SKU portfolio, and store coverage.
• Leading product listing and delisting decisions based on performance analysis and market demand.
• Introducing new and exclusive products to strengthen Nahdi's competitive advantage.
• Ensuring all products comply with regulatory requirements and internal quality standards.

Supplier and Commercial Partnership Management

A significant part of this role involves fostering strong external relationships and optimizing commercial terms:

• Building and maintaining strategic relationships with suppliers to negotiate commercial agreements, rebates, and promotional support.
• Leading Joint Business Planning (JBP) initiatives with key suppliers to maximize commercial performance and supply chain efficiency.
• Ensuring suppliers meet contractual commitments related to pricing, promotions, product availability, and service levels.
• Developing and implementing category pricing strategies in collaboration with Finance and Marketing.
• Securing supplier investments, marketing funds, promotional budgets, and commercial discounts.
• Monitoring promotional performance and adjusting pricing and promotional activities to optimize sales and margins.

Operational Collaboration and Performance

The role requires extensive cross-functional collaboration to ensure seamless operations and drive performance:

• Partnering with Supply Chain and Merchandise Planning teams to maintain optimal inventory levels and define distribution strategies.
• Collaborating with Merchandising and Store Operations to ensure planogram compliance and effective in-store execution.
• Working closely with Marketing to develop impactful customer communication and promotional campaigns.
• Partnering with Finance to optimize category profitability, gross margins, and working capital.
• Establishing and monitoring key category performance indicators, including sales growth, gross margin, and inventory turnover.
• Developing and improving operating procedures, processes, and reporting frameworks.

Required Experience and Leadership

Candidates for this position should demonstrate strong leadership capabilities and relevant industry experience:

• A minimum of 5 to 10 years of experience in category management or a similar role.
• Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop a category team, fostering a high-performance culture and supporting career growth.
• Demonstrated expertise in strategic planning, supplier negotiation, and portfolio optimization within a retail or pharmaceutical context.

Work Environment

The role operates primarily within an office setting, with occasional external engagements:

• Indoors: Approximately 85% of the time.
• Outdoors: Approximately 15% of the time, primarily for supplier meetings and market visits.
• Working Days: 5 days per week.
• Days Off: 2 days per week.
• Working Hours: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, including a 1-hour break.