Category Manager – Ambient Food

About the role

Baly, Iraq's leading super‑app, is expanding its grocery business and seeks a Category Manager for the Ambient Food segment. You will own the commercial performance of this category, shaping assortment, pricing, promotions and supplier relationships to drive sales and margin growth.

Key responsibilities

• Manage sales, margin, availability and overall commercial results for Ambient Food.
• Design and optimise the SKU assortment based on demand, store footprint and market trends.
• Oversee the full SKU lifecycle – introductions, rationalisation, delisting and range optimisation.
• Source, onboard and negotiate with suppliers on cost, margins, payment terms, rebates and listing fees.
• Maintain strong relationships with manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers, monitoring performance metrics such as fill rates and delivery reliability.
• Develop pricing strategies using market benchmarks and margin targets.
• Plan and execute supplier‑funded promotions, measuring uplift and ROI.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain and Store Operations for demand planning and replenishment.
• Identify and act on slow‑moving or overstocked items.
• Ensure accurate product master data across systems and support merchandising initiatives with Product, Growth and Marketing teams.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Supply Chain or a related field.
• 4+ years of experience in FMCG, grocery retail buying or category management.
• Proven track record managing the Ambient Food category or similar.
• Strong negotiation skills for pricing, margins, trade terms and promotions.
• Deep understanding of FMCG product dynamics and supplier performance.

Required skills

• Category management
• Supplier negotiation
• Pricing strategy development
• Assortment planning
• Data‑driven analysis