The Category Manager - Gaming owns the end-to-end commercial performance, profit and loss (P&L responsibilities), and market share growth of the Gaming portfolio across Mighty Ape and Kogan.com, spanning console hardware, physical and digital software, gaming accessories, peripherals, PC gaming and digital currency.
Gaming is a launch-driven, allocation-constrained, and fiercely competitive category where success depends on maintaining strong relationships with suppliers, having strong commercial nous, understanding the operational rhythm of the industry, being able to strategize and execute, and most importantly maximising attach-rate economics across the hardware-software-accessory-digital ecosystem.
Operating with an owner's mindset, this is a commercial role suitable for an experienced Category Manager or Category Buyer looking for their next challenge. The Category Manager sets the strategic direction for the Gaming category, leads top-to-top relationships with global platform holders and distributors, and provides mentorship and trading guidance to the Junior Category Manager - Gaming and Category Coordinator. The primary mission is to defend and extend Mighty Ape's position as New Zealand's destination for gamers, while unlocking incremental growth through the Kogan.com channels and future Australian expansion.
Vendor & Distributor Management, Negotiation & Allocations
Pre-Order, Launch & Lifecycle Management
Promotional Execution & Front-End Merchandising
Senior Commercial Leadership & Mentoring
Gaming is a launch-driven, allocation-constrained, and fiercely competitive category where success depends on maintaining strong relationships with suppliers, having strong commercial nous, understanding the operational rhythm of the industry, being able to strategize and execute, and most importantly maximising attach-rate economics across the hardware-software-accessory-digital ecosystem.
Operating with an owner's mindset, this is a commercial role suitable for an experienced Category Manager or Category Buyer looking for their next challenge. The Category Manager sets the strategic direction for the Gaming category, leads top-to-top relationships with global platform holders and distributors, and provides mentorship and trading guidance to the Junior Category Manager - Gaming and Category Coordinator. The primary mission is to defend and extend Mighty Ape's position as New Zealand's destination for gamers, while unlocking incremental growth through the Kogan.com channels and future Australian expansion.
Requirements
Essential- Significant category management, buying, or trading experience (typically 7+ years), with a track record of full P&L ownership.
- Demonstrated success negotiating with global vendors, platform holders, or major distributors - including allocations, rebates, and exclusives.
- Advanced analytical capability, including strong Excel modelling and confidence working with data from core business systems.
- Deep knowledge of the gaming ecosystem - platforms, release cycles, pre-order dynamics, and the communities that drive them.
- Experience in gaming, consumer electronics, or fast-moving online retail.
- Experience mentoring or developing junior commercial talent.
- Exposure to marketplace or trans-Tasman retail operations.
Responsibilities
Category Strategy, Trading & Commercial Performance- Strategy and Execution: Develop, implement, and own short and long-term business unit strategies and plans (3, 6, and 12 months) that grow gaming market share against mass-market retail, direct-to-consumer platform stores, and digital-first disruptors. At the same time, being able to execute on said plans independently.
- P&L Accountability: Meet and exceed aggressive business KPIs including Sales, Gross Profit, Net Profit, Inventory Turnover and Return On Investment, managing the margin mix between the different subcategories and brands.
- Data-Driven Trading: Conduct daily and weekly commercial performance reviews. Extract data from core business systems and perform deep dive analytics. Leverage the various AI powered tools and utilise advanced Excel modelling to analyse performance trends, optimise top title and hardware competitiveness, and react via the various eCommerce levers.
- Market Intelligence: Actively track global release schedules, platform announcements (e.g. Nintendo Directs, PlayStation State of Play, Xbox showcases), review embargoes, improve contractual terms and perform market scans against competitor pricing to make calculated risks in buying and pricing decisions.
Vendor & Distributor Management, Negotiation & Allocations
- Top-to-Top Vendor Leadership: Own and deepen senior relationships with platform holders and key vendors (e.g. Sony Interactive Entertainment, Microsoft, Nintendo) and local distributors and publishers (e.g. Bandai Namco, Ubisoft, EA, Take-Two, Five Star Games). Represent the Mighty Ape brand at vendor planning sessions and industry events.
- Allocation Maximisation: Negotiate and secure favourable hardware allocations for constrained launches (consoles, limited editions, high-demand accessories), ensuring Mighty Ape wins market share accretive supply during peak demand windows.
- Strategic Term Negotiations: Negotiate optimal everyday discount structures, volume rebates, sell-through support, price protection, lifecycle support and exclusive programmatic additions (e.g. exclusive editions, pre-order bonuses, bundled content).
- Financial Documentation: Fully own and execute rebate processing, price protection claims, and co-op marketing invoice claims, ensuring flawless documentation and prompt supplier collections.
Pre-Order, Launch & Lifecycle Management
- Pre-Order Engine Ownership: Own the pre-order strategy end-to-end - from announcement-day listing speed and pre-order incentives through to launch-day delivery execution - protecting Mighty Ape's reputation for release-day reliability.
- Launch Execution: Lead cross-functional launch plans for major hardware and AAA software releases, coordinating supply, marketing, merchandising, and fulfilment so that launch windows convert to maximum revenue and customer delight.
- Lifecycle & Markdown Management: Manage the full product lifecycle from launch pricing through catalogue and clearance, using price protection and vendor support to exit aging stock while protecting margin and cash flow.
- Supply Chain Alignment: Coordinate directly with internal Demand Planners and Replenishment teams to balance launch allocations, replenishment cycles, and local and international import freight timelines with logistics hubs.
Promotional Execution & Front-End Merchandising
- Marketing Calendar Ownership: Design and run a forward-looking, high-impact marketing calendar built around the global release slate and key trading events (e.g. Black Friday, Big Ape Sale, school holidays). Partner with Marketing and Online Merchandising teams to coordinate targeted emails, daily deals, flash sales, and genre and platform collections.
- Opportunistic and Agile Trading: Capitalise on fast-moving trade triggers (e.g. surprise game announcements, viral titles, esports moments, price drops by platform holders) by executing immediate homepage banner takeovers, bundle creation, and cross-channel promotions.
- Customer Journey Optimisation: Enhance discovery and conversion by spearheading user experience improvements, such as intuitive platform and franchise browse-structures, pre-order visibility, and rich product content for major releases.
Senior Commercial Leadership & Mentoring
- Mentorship: Provide day-to-day coaching, trading guidance, and development support to the Junior Category Manager - Gaming, lifting the commercial capability of the wider category team.
- Cross-Functional Influence: Act as the senior commercial voice for Gaming across the business, influencing range, pricing, and investment decisions and deputising for the Head of Consumer Electronics on Gaming matters where required.
- Continuous Improvement: Identify and lead improvements to category processes, tooling, and ways of working that scale across the Consumer Electronics portfolio
Benefits
WHY MIGHTY APE- Free Primate subscription
- Team member discount
- Annual book allowance
- Health Insurance subsidy
- NZ's favourite destination for games, tech, toys & more
- Collaborative, energetic team culture
- Real ownership and scope to make an impact
- Fun team events, social squad & more