Senior Category Manager – Sports Equipment & Accessories - English (UAE)

🎬 The Role

As the Senior Category Manager for Sports Equipment & Accessories, you will scale the sports and outdoor lifestyle vertical across the UAE market. You will focus on high-engagement sub-categories including biking, golf, yoga & wellness, camping & hiking, running, and water sports. You will leverage your deep subject-matter expertise and existing regional network to lead seller acquisition, onboarding, and ongoing seller success. This role requires an entrepreneurial leader who can manage end-to-end marketplace operations, drive continuous category growth, foster community building, and maintain full commercial accountability by owning category KPIs and the P&L.

👤 The Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary subject-matter expert with deep knowledge of the UAE sporting goods landscape, with targeted expertise in biking, golf, yoga, camping & hiking, running, and water sports gear.

• Identify, map out, and execute seller acquisition and onboarding for the right partners in the UAE, targeting specialized sports retailers, authorized brand distributors, pro shops, premium outdoor outfitters, and creator-led fitness brands.

• Fuel seller success by teaching sports brands, fitness instructors, and athletic creators how to run high-converting livestreams, coaching them on product sizing/fit walkthroughs, live gear demonstrations, bundle deals, and live hosting.

• Manage day-to-day marketplace operations and serve as a trusted partner for your seller portfolio, working hand-in-hand with internal product and marketing teams to turn seller feedback into platform wins.

• Oversee category growth and community building initiatives by orchestrating niche gear drop shows, seasonal outdoor campaign streams (e.g., winter camping/water sports seasons), golf & cycling equipment showcases, and sports influencer collaborations.

• Maintain active community and event presence, keeping a pulse on local active lifestyle trends, sports clubs, outdoor communities, and attending major regional sports expos and fitness events.

• Take complete business ownership of the vertical by measuring performance, owning category KPIs and the P&L, and iterating on operational strategies.

🎓 The Skills & Competencies

• Full professional fluency in English — Arabic fluency is preferred.

• 3+ years of experience in the sports, fitness, or outdoor equipment industry as a buyer, category manager, sales lead, store manager, or through a prominent athletic creator/affiliate background.

• Comprehensive industry literacy, knowing technical product specifications, price points, local specialty retail players, and key market stakeholders across biking, golf, outdoor, and water sports.

• Established, warm relationships with sporting goods distributors, specialty pro shops, or fitness brands in the UAE market.

• Strong project management skills with the ability to balance and scale both sides of a digital marketplace.

⭐ The Differentiators

• Prior experience working within a sports e-commerce marketplace or sporting goods retailer in the GCC.

• Passionate active personal engagement or expertise in one or more core focus areas (e.g., cycling, golf, outdoor camping, or water sports).

• Personal history buying, selling, or hosting live streams on commerce or community platforms.

⏳ The Benefits

• A competitive package.

• Meaningful ownership in a hyper-growth startup shaping the future of MENA e-commerce.

• Remote work.

✅ The Process

Application → HR CV Screening → HR Screening Interview → First Business Interview → Second Business Interview → Technical/Case Assessment → Offer

💼 The Employer

Our client is the first livestream shopping platform in the Middle East. By combining the seamless purchasing experience of e-commerce with the engaging visual content of live social media, they are building the future of how people buy and sell in the MENA region. Founded by an elite leadership team with backgrounds at major global e-commerce and live commerce platforms, this fast-growing startup is scaling rapidly and looking for exceptional talent to own the future of social commerce.