QSTL- HEAD OF CATEGORY MANAGEMENT

About this job:

Q-Sourcing Tanzania Limited is a manpower management solutions firm operating in the East African Region in the countries of Tanzania Uganda Kenya Rwanda and South Sudan.

On behalf of our Tanzania based Client We Are Looking for a Competent and Experienced Head of Category Management.

POSITION IN THE ORGANISATION

Line Manager: Chief Marketing Officer

Duty Station: Kampala Uganda

Supervises: Category Manager

Job Purpose: The Head of Category is responsible for delivering the Category P&L targets with a business unit approach. The Head of Category is the overall custodian of Category identity and positioning. They will be responsible for Developing and Executing of Category strategy across different countries within Africa.

Internal Stakeholders

• Category Team
  
• R&D Team
  
• Market Research Team
  
• Finance Team
  
• Supply Chain Team
  
• Commercial Team
  
• Media and Creative Team
  

External stakeholders

• Distributors
  
• Media
  
• Advertising Agency
  
• External Consultants
  

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Category Strategy Development & Execution

• Define and execute long-term Category strategies aligned with Pan-African business goals.
  
• Translate business objectives into actionable growth plans for responsible categories.
  
• Develop and manage country-specific product portfolios ensuring optimal SKU mix and performance.
  
• Monitor Category dynamics to identify risks and opportunities that impact long-term growth.
  
• Serve as the strategic Category lead ensuring alignment across business units and functions
  

Consumer & Market Insight-Driven Innovation

• Identify white space opportunities through deep understanding of consumer shopper and market insights.
  
• Translate insights into innovation ideas and build robust business cases for Chief Marketing Officer Approval.
  
• Lead the end-to-end NPD process in collaboration with the Creative team and relevant stakeholders.
  
• Ensure product development timelines are met through close coordination and project tracking.
  
• Drive continuous improvement in innovation processes based on post-launch analysis and feedback
  
• Accountable for Go-to-market execution and delivery of the NPD approved metrics
  

Category & Communication Management

• Ensure Category strategies align with Category objectives and drive sustainable growth.
  
• Support the creation and execution of integrated marketing and communication plans.
  
• Monitor campaign performance and adjust plans based on data and insights.
  
• Champion Category consistency and integrity across all consumer touchpoints and across different countries
  
• Leverage agency partnerships to deliver impactful activation and product launches.
  

Cross-functional Collaboration & Leadership

• Lead cross-functional teams to ensure seamless execution of Category initiatives.
  
• Partner with Creative Sales and Operations teams to align on key priorities and deliverables.
  
• Influence the Chief Marketing Officer and present strategic recommendations to drive decision-making.
  
• Manage external partners and agencies to ensure effective execution of go-to-market strategies.
  
• Foster a collaborative culture and mentor team members to support capability development in line with the MPL Culture
  

Leadership Influence

• Communicate complex Category strategies and business insights in a clear compelling manner to influence senior leadership and drive alignment.
  
• Act as a key spokesperson for the Category ensuring consistency of narrative across internal forums and strategic discussions.
  
• Champion a culture of open transparent communication across the team to drive engagement and accountability.
  
• Adapt communication style and content to effectively engage diverse audiences from executive teams to frontline functions.
  
• Facilitate alignment by translating strategic plans into actionable messages for cross-functional teams and regional markets.
  

Financial Management

• Own full P&L responsibility for the Category (s) including sales margins and profitability targets.
  
• Analyze commercial performance and recommend actions to address gaps and accelerate growth.
  
• Define recommended retail pricing (RRP) and pricing architecture by country and category.
  
• Collaborate with Finance and Commercial teams to manage financial forecasts and budget planning.
  
• Identify and capitalize on revenue growth opportunities through effective portfolio and price mix management.
  

Quality Management and Continuous Improvement

• Ensure all Category initiatives product developments and launches comply with internal quality standards and external regulatory requirements.
  
• Collaborate with Quality Assurance and Regulatory teams to embed quality controls across the product lifecycle.
  
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement by integrating quality KPIs into Category performance tracking.
  
• Identify and mitigate risks related to product quality safety and compliance early in the development process.
  
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions in case of quality deviations ensuring learning is captured and applied across future initiatives.
  

Requirements

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

Bachelors degree in business administration.

Professional Qualification with membership of CIM.

Possession of an MBA is an added advantage.

Related Minimum Experience:

10 to 12 years of experience in FMCG Industry preferably in Marketing/ Innovation and agency planning.

Excellent track record of leadership and team building driving the development and evolution of entrepreneurial high performance cultures.

Knowledge.

Solid experience in price and margin management

Skills

Idea Architect

Category Management

Consumer Insights

Project Management

Category P&L Management

Attributes:

Self-Starter & Action Oriented

Ability to harness peer Relationships.

Agile and Driven

Collaboration

Problem Solving

Communication Skills

Physical Requirements and Environmental Conditions

Frequency of travel: Frequent travel is required for market visits and may require overnight stays.

Light physical activities and efforts required working in an office environment.

ADDED ADVANTAGE

Advanced experience with MS Office EXCEL and Market Research

How to apply:

All candidates who meet the criteria outlined as above are encouraged to send their CVs/Resumes to: or link below not later than 6^th January 2026.

position is open to Locals only.

For any further clarifications call 0.

Note:

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Q-SOURCING SERVTEC IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. ANY SOLICITATION WILL LEAD TO DISQUALIFICATION.