Category Manager / Senior Category Manager — Solar, Energy Efficient & Home Appliances

Company Overview

Not specified.

Job Summary

The Category Manager / Senior Category Manager will play a pivotal role in building and scaling new consumer categories within the solar, energy-efficient, and home appliances sectors. This is a founding-team position responsible for identifying market opportunities, validating consumer willingness to pay, launching initial products, and driving growth from inception to scale. The role involves creating a new brand and category engine from scratch, with a focus on innovative product development, strategic positioning, and end-to-end P&L ownership.

Responsibilities

• Identify consumer problems worth solving and evaluate which categories and SKUs the venture should develop.
• Lead 0→1 category creation by gathering customer insights, defining product propositions, validating price points, planning launches, and achieving early product-market fit.
• Assess whether energy efficiency offers sufficient economic benefits to justify customer purchase decisions or premium pricing.
• Build the brand and category from the ground up, managing the journey from initial launch to achieving 1→10 scale.
• Own the P&L for a range of products, including affordable high-volume items like lighting and small appliances, as well as higher-ticket products.
• Develop category strategies covering pricing, positioning, assortment, and platform mix across Amazon, Flipkart, Zepto, Blinkit, and Instamart.
• Manage unit economics end-to-end, including margins, returns, ratings, warranties, and after-sales service.
• Bring product-launch instincts to determine what gets built, how it is positioned, and the speed of scaling or discontinuation.
• Oversee cataloguing, content, conversion optimization, and platform-level growth initiatives for the category.
• Track consumer behavior, competitors, and category trends to identify new opportunities early.
• Collaborate closely with procurement and supply chain teams to ensure product quality, cost efficiency, and timely delivery.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3+ years of experience in solar, energy-efficient products, small or large home appliances, or related consumer hardware sectors with significant digital/ecommerce exposure.
• Proven track record of building and scaling a new brand, category, or product line from scratch, especially in solar, energy-efficient products, or home appliances.
• Experience working in challenger brands, new ventures, or new-category builds, with demonstrated success in taking products from 0→1 and 1→10.
• Experience managing the P&L of a mature, legacy brand is not sufficient; focus is on creation and growth of new demand.
• Marketplace and quick-commerce experience across a range of price points, from high-volume affordable products to premium items.
• Track record of owning a monthly revenue of INR 5–10 crore or more, with hands-on involvement in building from zero.
• Strong product-launch instincts: ability to predict success, validate propositions, and determine pricing strategies.
• Expertise in unit economics, including margins, returns, ratings, warranties, and after-sales.
• Data-driven mindset for evaluating product opportunities and category performance.
• Comfortable working with ambiguity, speed, limited resources, and collaborating directly with founders, procurement, supply chain, and marketing teams.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in challenger brands or start-up environments.
• Strong analytical skills and familiarity with marketplace dynamics.
• Ability to operate independently and make strategic decisions in a fast-paced setting.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Experience

• 3+ years of relevant experience in consumer hardware, energy-efficient products, or home appliances.
• Demonstrated success in launching and scaling new product categories or brands from inception to significant growth.

Environment

• The role involves working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with a focus on early-stage product development.
• Likely a hybrid or remote setting, with close collaboration with cross-functional teams including procurement, supply chain, marketing, and leadership.
• The position requires adaptability to operate with limited early-stage resources and navigate ambiguity.

Salary

Not specified.

GrowthOpportunities

Not specified.

Benefits

Not specified.