Category Head – Innovation

To lead the innovation strategy and new product category development (NPD) for assigned categories, driving future business growth through consumer-centric innovation, portfolio expansion, and market differentiation. Key Responsibilities Define and drive the innovation roadmap aligned with business and category growth objectives, develop business plans for effective launches. Identify new business opportunities across categories. Lead end-to-end NPD lifecycle: idea generation, concept validation, development, launch, and post-launch tracking Identify consumer insights, market gaps, and emerging trends to build a strong innovation pipeline Collaborate with R&D, design, supply chain, and sales teams for seamless product development and commercialization Drive product design, packaging, and differentiation strategies Evaluate product feasibility, costing, and pricing Develop go-to-market strategies including branding, positioning, and communication Track performance of new launches and improve speed-to-market and success rate Benchmark competition and bring in global best practices and innovations. Strong innovation pipeline and successful product launches Increased contribution of new products to overall revenue Faster time-to-market and improved launch success rate Differentiated product portfolio with strong market competitiveness Key Skills Strong innovation mind-set with strategic thinking ability Expertise in product development, NPD lifecycle, and portfolio management Strong understanding of consumer insights and market research Cross-functional collaboration and project management skills Analytical mind-set with focus on ROI and business impact Creativity with understanding of design, branding, and packaging trends 5-8 years of experience in FMCG / Consumer goods Proven experience in Innovation / NPD / Category management Preferred Industries -Kids, Toys, Stationary Gifting