Category Development Manager

We are looking for a strategic and commercially driven Category Development Manager to identify, develop, and launch new category growth opportunities. The role will lead the end-to-end journey from market opportunity identification and business case development to product development, sourcing, commercialization, and launch performance. Key Responsibilities : - Identify and evaluate new category and product opportunities aligned with business growth strategy. - Develop category roadmaps, business cases, P&L models, pricing strategies, and go-to-market plans. - Lead end-to-end new product development and commercialization through stage-gate processes. - Drive market, consumer, competitor, and trend analysis to identify high-potential opportunities. - Partner with R&D, Marketing, Sales, Procurement, Finance, Quality, Operations, and Supply Chain to deliver successful launches. - Manage external partners, co-manufacturers, suppliers, research agencies, and strategic partners. - Track revenue, profitability, market share, launch performance, and ROI and recommend corrective actions. - Present category strategies, investment proposals, and performance updates to senior management. Ideal Candidate : - Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Economics, Engineering, Food Science, or a related field. - 10+ years of FMCG / Food & Beverage experience in Category Development, Product Development, Innovation, Portfolio, or Brand Management. - Proven experience launching and commercializing new categories, products, or brands. - Mandatory experience in Coffee or related beverage categories. - Strong expertise in market assessment, consumer insights, category strategy, pricing, commercialization, and financial modelling. - Experience working with co-manufacturers, suppliers, and external strategic partners. - Strong commercial acumen, analytical skills, stakeholder management, and project leadership. - Arabic language is an advantage.