Global Category Management Brand Manager - Luxury

Purpose of the role

The Global Category Manager for Luxury & Fashion will contribute to the development and execution of the global category strategy, managing buying, assortments, supplier partnerships, merchandising and commercial initiatives to drive sustainable growth and profitability. The role will work closely with global and local teams to ensure a consistent category approach while responding to consumer trends, market opportunities and operational needs.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and implement the Commercial Plan for the Luxury & Fashion category, contributing to the overall category strategy and long-term company objectives.
• Manage global Luxury & Fashion assortments, ensuring the right product, brand, sizing and colour mix based on consumer trends and commercial objectives.
• Review OTB together with Demand Planning and incorporate operational feedback by brand, product category and product group.
• Lead product selections at vendor showrooms according to brand collection cycles and review NOS assortments to ensure alignment with brand policies and store capacity.
• Oversee item and PO creation and execution in coordination with the relevant teams.
• Monitor sales performance, KPIs, market trends and stock levels at both topline and SKU level, identifying opportunities to improve performance and profitability.
• Define markdown guidelines and exit strategies for slow-moving or excess stock, including negotiating return-to-vendor and stock swap agreements where appropriate.
• Build and manage strong relationships with key suppliers and brands, negotiating commercial terms, exclusivity agreements, promotional initiatives, A&P income, rebates and other commercial contributions.
• Define category guidelines for store layouts and brand space allocation, ensuring strong product visibility, effective space utilisation and alignment with the global category strategy.
• Work with local teams to maintain visual merchandising standards and coordinate brand training to strengthen product knowledge across store teams.
• Partner with Marketing to develop category-specific campaigns, promotions, in-store activations and digital touchpoints that increase customer engagement and revenue.
• Identify and lead growth opportunities and strategic initiatives in collaboration with local operations, suppliers and other key stakeholders.
• Contribute to the annual commercial planning process through category insights, sales forecasts, market trends and brand innovations.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Finance, Marketing, Retail Operations, Technical, Demand Planning and other relevant teams to ensure effective execution of category initiatives.
• Support tender processes by assessing requirements, aligning proposals with commercial objectives and coordinating the required documentation.
• Conduct ongoing product, consumer and market research to identify trends, opportunities and competitive developments.

What we are looking for

• University degree required. A degree in Business, Marketing, Fashion Management, Luxury Brand Management or a related field is preferred.
• Previous experience in fashion, luxury or retail is highly desirable.
• Experience or knowledge of buying, merchandising, category management, assortment planning or supplier management would be a strong asset.
• Strong commercial mindset with the ability to analyse sales performance, market trends and stock levels and translate insights into actions.
• Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with global brands, suppliers and internal teams.
• Ability to work effectively across functions and collaborate with both global and local stakeholders.
• Fluent English is mandatory, both written and spoken.
• Additional languages, particularly French and/or Italian, would be highly valued given the international scope of the role and interaction with global brand partners.