Category Manager Health and Wellness at Kontak Recruitment

• A direct-selling company operating in the health and wellness space is seeking an experienced Category Manager to drive growth across key ingestible and topical product ranges. This is an opportunity to shape category strategy, lead innovation, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver products that genuinely resonate with consumers while driving commercial success.
• The successful candidate will develop and execute strategic plans for assigned health and wellness categories, from new product development through to lifecycle management and promotional planning. This role demands someone who can conduct sharp market analysis, identify white space opportunities, and lead benchmarking exercises to keep offerings differentiated and relevant.
• The ideal candidate will own category range architecture, pricing strategy, and product positioning while partnering with procurement, marketing, design, and sales teams to bring winning concepts to life. Additional responsibilities include leading product revamps, relaunches, and cost optimisation projects, as well as designing artwork and NPD briefs for internal and external stakeholders.

Minimum Requirements

• Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Branding, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of category management experience within health and wellness or skin care spaces.
• Expertise in market analysis and product development.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with proficiency in English and isiZulu and/or Sesotho.
• Competence in Excel and PowerPoint with the ability to interpret and communicate financial indicators.
• Attention to detail and strong project management capabilities.
• Understanding of ingredients used in the health and wellness space is advantageous.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategic plans for assigned categories, including new product development, lifecycle management, and promotional planning.
• Conduct market analysis and consumer trend tracking to identify growth opportunities and white space.
• Work closely with marketing, design, supply chain, and sales teams to build and launch winning product concepts.
• Own category range architecture, pricing strategy, and product positioning.
• Lead benchmarking and competitor analysis to ensure offerings remain differentiated and relevant.
• Partner with procurement and buying teams to align supply, forecast accuracy, and production timelines.
• Identify, plan, and lead projects related to product revamping, relaunching, or cost optimisation.
• Design and develop artwork and design briefs, as well as NPD briefs for internal and external stakeholders.
• Monitor category performance against KPIs including net sales growth, gross margin, innovation hit rates, and promotional ROI.