Category Manager - Culinary

About the role

Barakat is seeking an experienced Category Manager to lead its culinary portfolio across the United Arab Emirates. You will own the full product lifecycle, from concept through launch, and drive commercial performance in retail, hospitality and foodservice channels.

Key responsibilities

• Analyse revenue, volume, margin and SKU productivity to guide pricing, renovation and delisting decisions.
• Create compelling sales propositions and pitch materials for customers.
• Manage end‑to‑end product development, coordinating R&D, procurement, production, packaging and regulatory compliance.
• Lead internal tastings and customer demonstrations with chefs and sales teams.
• Identify market trends and translate them into viable product concepts.
• Develop packaging, photography and digital assets to ensure brand consistency.
• Own customer feedback loops and turn insights into product improvements.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Food Science, Culinary Management or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in category management, product/brand management, NPD or similar commercial roles within F&B, FMCG or food manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of food production, food safety fundamentals and new product development.
• Proven ability to launch products successfully and influence cross‑functional stakeholders.

Required skills

• Excel
• Project‑tracking tools
• Category Management
• Product Brand Management
• Photography
• Packaging
• Food Production
• Food Safety Fundamentals
• Creative Design