Associate Commercial Director

About the Team Careem Grocery is transforming how people across the region access and shop for groceries, pharmacy, and retail products. As a high-impact vertical within Careem, we operate like a startup within a startup — nimble, fast-paced, and driven by purpose. We are still in the early stages of our journey, which means there's immense opportunity to shape the product and create meaningful impact at scale. As an Associate Director of Commercial for a key grocery segment (Fresh, Packaged Food, or Non-Food), you will be at the helm of defining and driving our commercial strategy across multiple markets. You’ll play a pivotal role in shaping assortment, pricing, promotions, and supplier relationships — with end-to-end P&L ownership. This is a leadership role where you’ll manage and mentor a high-performing team while steering growth, innovation, and customer satisfaction. You’ll report directly to the Head of Grocery, and collaborate cross-functionally with regional leadership, operations, and product teams to unlock the full potential of our dark store grocery offering. What you'll do Own and Lead Commercial Strategy: Set and execute the end-to-end commercial strategy for your segment — including assortment planning, pricing architecture, category hierarchies, and promotional frameworks — aligned with overarching business goals. Drive Market Customization: Partner with regional and local teams to continuously refine assortment strategies to reflect neighborhood preferences, local trends, and consumer insights, using data and performance analytics. P&L Leadership: Take full ownership of your segment’s financial performance, including revenue, margins, and budgeting. Proactively manage cost structures and category-level profitability. Supplier Leadership: Build and maintain strategic relationships with suppliers and partners. Lead negotiations to secure best-in-class terms, ensure supply chain efficiency, and unlock exclusive opportunities. Data-Driven Decision Making: Leverage performance dashboards and analytics to monitor category KPIs and supplier effectiveness, identify growth opportunities, and drive continuous improvement. Team Building and Mentorship: Hire, lead, and develop a team of Category Managers and Pricing Analysts. Cultivate a high-performance culture that champions ownership, collaboration, and innovation. Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with Product, Ops, Marketing, and Finance teams to align initiatives, drive execution, and deliver a seamless customer experience. What you'll need Experience: 8–10+ years of progressive experience in category management, commercial strategy, or procurement in the grocery or consumer goods industry. Prior experience in high-growth startups, e-commerce, or consulting is a strong plus. Leadership: Demonstrated success in building and leading high-performing commercial teams. A strong people leader who inspires excellence and accountability. Strategic and Analytical Thinker: Proven ability to translate high-level goals into actionable plans. Deep comfort with using data and analytics to drive insights and business outcomes. Exceptional Communicator: Able to influence at all levels — from executive stakeholders to external suppliers — and drive alignment across functions. Customer-First Mindset: A genuine passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences and making everyday life simpler for millions in our region. Hands-On & Impact-Oriented: Willingness to roll up sleeves, lead from the front, and operate in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. What we’ll provide you We offer colleagues the opportunity to drive impact in the region while they learn and grow. As a full time Careem colleague, you will be able to: Work and learn from great minds by joining a community of inspiring colleagues. Put your passion to work in a purposeful organisation dedicated to creating impact in a region with a lot of untapped potential. Explore new opportunities to learn and grow every day. Work 4 days a week in office & 1 day from home, and remotely from any country in the world for 30 days a year with unlimited vacation days per year. (If you are in an individual contributor role in tech, you will have 2 office days a week and 3 to work from home.) Access to healthcare benefits and fitness reimbursements for health activities including gym, health club, and training classes.