Head of Strategy & Category Development, India

IN

If you’ve worn a pair of glasses, we’ve already met.

We are a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, frames, and sunglasses. We offer our industry stakeholders in over 150 countries access to a global platform of high-quality vision care products (such as the Essilor brand, with Varilux, Crizal, Eyezen, Stellest and Transitions), iconic brands that consumers love (such as Ray-Ban, Oakley, Persol, Oliver Peoples, Vogue Eyewear and Costa), as well as a network that offers consumers high-quality vision care and best-in-class shopping experiences (such as Sunglass Hut, LensCrafters, Salmoiraghi & Viganò and the GrandVision network), and leading e-commerce platforms.

The VisilabGroup, part of the globally operating company EssilorLuxottica, is the No. 1 optician in Switzerland with the brands Visilab, Kochoptik, McOptic, and Linsenmax, and 170 stores.

Join our global community of over 190,000 dedicated employees around the world in driving the transformation of the eyewear and eyecare industry.

Discover more by following us on LinkedIn!

Your #FutureInSight with EssilorLuxottica

Are you willing to pioneer new frontiers, foster inclusivity and collaboration, embrace agility, ignite passion, and make a positive impact on the world? ​Join us in redefining the boundaries of what’s possible!​

• Develop a deep understanding of the lenses and frames category, including consumers, optical retailers, opticians, hospitals, manufacturers, and medical communities.
• Track industry trends, competition, regulatory developments, and healthcare policies to proactively identify opportunities and risks.
• Stay closely connected with medical research and advancements related to eye care, ophthalmology, and lens‑based solutions.
• Define and own the long‑term category vision and strategic roadmap for India, aligned with global priorities and local market dynamics.

• Lead category‑level product innovation strategy, leveraging internal R&D as well as external partnerships and solutions.
• Drive strong medical consensus, scientific credibility, and evidence‑based positioning for lens solutions.
• Own portfolio architecture, pricing strategy, and brand positioning across lens categories.
• Design and execute robust Go‑to‑Market strategies, working cross‑functionally with Marketing, PR, Sales, Medical Affairs, and Training teams.

• Build and nurture strategic partnerships with retailers, hospitals, government bodies, NGOs, and industry forums to grow vision care awareness and category adoption.
• Act as a key representative of India within global and APAC forums to secure resources, influence decision‑making, and accelerate category transformation.

• Act as the central PMO for the lens category, ensuring disciplined planning and execution of the category roadmap.
• Leverage enterprise‑wide capabilities across products, services, instruments, and frames to create a differentiated and competitive offering.
• Partner closely with Global R&D, Medical Affairs, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Operations, and Customer Training teams for seamless execution.
• Identify execution risks, bottlenecks, and dependencies; proactively escalate and resolve issues.
• Lead regular governance reviews to track milestones, timelines, and outcomes.

• Own category performance management, tracking orders, invoices, inventory, and key commercial KPIs on a weekly and monthly basis.
• Provide clear, insight‑driven business updates to India leadership and global stakeholders.
• Track and evaluate ROI across category initiatives, refining strategies to maximize impact and efficiency.

• Provide strategic and analytical support to the India Management Team on priority initiatives and leadership communication.
• Act as a key interface with APAC and Global HQ on category performance, strategy updates, and alignment.

• 15+ years of professional experience; consulting, B2B2C marketing, category leadership, or strategy roles preferred.
• Proven success in driving Go‑to‑Market strategies for innovative products.
• Prior experience in FMCG, medical devices, OTC, pharmaceuticals, optical or healthcare industries strongly preferred.
• Strong track record of cross‑functional leadership and complex project management.
• Experience managing brand, product, or category innovation in B2B2C environments.
• Deep understanding of marketing mix—consumer insights, product, pricing, distribution, and promotion.
• Passion for vision care, healthcare technology, and ophthalmic innovation.
• Exposure to global teams or working with international headquarters is a strong advantage.

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