Strategy & Analytics Manager, Category Management
Alibaba.com, Sunnyvale, CA, United States
Own the performance and growth of Alibaba.com's priority B2B categories in the US market. The mandate is simple: grow category GMV by rigorously evaluating both sides of the marketplace — the quality and competitiveness of our seller supply, and the depth and conversion of buyer demand. Every category decision must be data-driven, commercially anchored, and actionable.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Category GMV Ownership: Track and drive GMV growth for 8–12 priority US B2B categories (e.g., home furnishings, industrial components, apparel, packaging). Own the category scorecard: GMV, active buyers, RFQ volume, conversion rate, and average order value — refreshed weekly
Seller / Supplier Evaluation: Assess supplier pool quality by category — coverage depth, listing quality scores, RFQ response rates ( Buyer Demand Analysis: Analyze US buyer search intent, RFQ patterns, and sourcing behavior by category. Identify demand signals ahead of peak seasons (using US import data, Google Trends, internal search volume). Map where buyer demand exists but supplier supply is insufficient — and vice versa
Supply‑Demand Gap Programs: Design targeted interventions for supply‑demand mismatches: work with Supplier BD to recruit missing supplier types, work with Marketing to activate latent buyer demand, and define category‑specific promotions that improve liquidity
Competitive & Tariff Analysis: Benchmark Alibaba.com's category competitiveness vs. domestic sourcing alternatives — model landed cost (FOB + freight + duty) for representative SKUs. Monitor Section 301 tariff dynamics and assess impact on category price competitiveness
REQUIRED BACKGROUND — WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Category / Merchandising Analytics: 2–4 years in category management, merchandise planning, retail buying analytics, or marketplace category operations — with direct GMV or revenue accountability. Pure finance or generalist strategy backgrounds will not be considered without this anchor
Supply + Demand Side Thinking: Must demonstrate experience evaluating both sides of a category: seller/supplier quality assessment AND buyer demand analysis. Single‑side experience (e.g., only vendor management or only consumer insights) is insufficient
Trade Data Fluency: Familiarity with US import/export data sources (USITC DataWeb, Census Bureau trade stats, ITC Trade Map) and ability to pull HS‑code‑level data to size category import volumes. Tariff and landed cost modeling experience is a strong differentiator
Analytics Stack: SQL required. Excel/Google Sheets modeling (pivot tables, VLOOKUP‑level minimum; index‑match and scenario modeling preferred). Tableau or Looker a plus
B2B / Wholesale Context: Experience in B2B or wholesale categories — understanding reseller, distributor, or procurement buyer economics — strongly preferred over pure D2C or retail consumer experience
The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $126,000/year and $207,600/year. However, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.
If hired, employee will be in an “at‑will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.
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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Category GMV Ownership: Track and drive GMV growth for 8–12 priority US B2B categories (e.g., home furnishings, industrial components, apparel, packaging). Own the category scorecard: GMV, active buyers, RFQ volume, conversion rate, and average order value — refreshed weekly
Seller / Supplier Evaluation: Assess supplier pool quality by category — coverage depth, listing quality scores, RFQ response rates ( Buyer Demand Analysis: Analyze US buyer search intent, RFQ patterns, and sourcing behavior by category. Identify demand signals ahead of peak seasons (using US import data, Google Trends, internal search volume). Map where buyer demand exists but supplier supply is insufficient — and vice versa
Supply‑Demand Gap Programs: Design targeted interventions for supply‑demand mismatches: work with Supplier BD to recruit missing supplier types, work with Marketing to activate latent buyer demand, and define category‑specific promotions that improve liquidity
Competitive & Tariff Analysis: Benchmark Alibaba.com's category competitiveness vs. domestic sourcing alternatives — model landed cost (FOB + freight + duty) for representative SKUs. Monitor Section 301 tariff dynamics and assess impact on category price competitiveness
REQUIRED BACKGROUND — WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Category / Merchandising Analytics: 2–4 years in category management, merchandise planning, retail buying analytics, or marketplace category operations — with direct GMV or revenue accountability. Pure finance or generalist strategy backgrounds will not be considered without this anchor
Supply + Demand Side Thinking: Must demonstrate experience evaluating both sides of a category: seller/supplier quality assessment AND buyer demand analysis. Single‑side experience (e.g., only vendor management or only consumer insights) is insufficient
Trade Data Fluency: Familiarity with US import/export data sources (USITC DataWeb, Census Bureau trade stats, ITC Trade Map) and ability to pull HS‑code‑level data to size category import volumes. Tariff and landed cost modeling experience is a strong differentiator
Analytics Stack: SQL required. Excel/Google Sheets modeling (pivot tables, VLOOKUP‑level minimum; index‑match and scenario modeling preferred). Tableau or Looker a plus
B2B / Wholesale Context: Experience in B2B or wholesale categories — understanding reseller, distributor, or procurement buyer economics — strongly preferred over pure D2C or retail consumer experience
The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $126,000/year and $207,600/year. However, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.
If hired, employee will be in an “at‑will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.
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