Commercial Lead – Groceries

About the role

The Commercial Lead – Groceries will head the commercial function of Baly’s grocery business in Iraq, shaping the overall strategy for assortment, pricing, margins and supplier partnerships. Reporting to the Director of Groceries, the role combines category management, pricing and catalog oversight to drive growth and profitability across fresh, ambient food and non‑food categories.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Category Management, Pricing and Catalog teams.
• Define and execute commercial strategy covering assortment, pricing, promotions and supplier negotiations.
• Build and maintain relationships with key suppliers, distributors and FMCG brands.
• Optimize SKU assortment and category mix based on demand, market trends and profitability.
• Set pricing strategy to stay competitive while protecting gross margin.
• Monitor competitors, conduct market benchmarking and drive promotional planning with marketing.
• Ensure catalog accuracy, completeness and customer‑friendly structure.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain and Operations to improve forecasting, inventory and store execution.
• Establish scalable commercial processes, policies, reporting and KPIs as the business expands.
• Identify new commercial opportunities, partnerships and revenue streams.
• Recruit, coach and develop a high‑performing commercial team.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance or a related field.
• Minimum 6 years of experience in grocery, retail or FMCG in Iraq.
• Deep understanding of the Iraqi grocery market, including suppliers, distributors, brands, pricing and consumer behavior.
• Established relationships within the Iraqi FMCG and grocery supplier ecosystem.
• Proven track record of leading category, pricing or commercial teams.

Required skills