Senior Category Manager - Maternity cover(all genders)

As a Senior Buyer in Beauty , you will join a high-performing, driven team dedicated to shaping the future of skincare at Zalando. Working alongside a Senior Buyer, you will take ownership of your own brand portfolio, developing innovative strategies to acquire new partners and drive ambitious growth within our Skincare unit. You will act as a strategic lead, navigating Junior and Assistant Buyers with your experience while collaborating closely with Merchandising to deliver on key unit KPIs. This is a Maternity Cover role for 12 months.

INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN

If you think you have what it takes, we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every single requirement. You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles!

We are committed to providing an exceptional and accessible candidate experience for everyone. If you require any accommodations to support you throughout the hiring process, please let us know – we are here to assist you.

WHAT WE’D LOVE YOU TO DO (AND LOVE DOING)

Drive Portfolio Excellence: Take proactive ownership of your brand portfolio, determining creative direction and identifying Skincare trends to ensure a market-leading assortment

Strategic Brand Acquisition: Hunt and onboard new brands to complement our portfolio, leveraging marketing insights to amplify visibility and recruit new consumers

Partner for Performance: Collaborate with Merchandising to define strategy, manage budgets, and take data-driven actions based on KPIs to maximize unit profit

Master Negotiations: Use your expertise to negotiate the best possible terms with external partners, ensuring success for both the category and Zalando's growth plans

Build Relationships: Develop and maintain excellent long-term relationships with global brand partners, constantly evolving the business to support our overarching strategy

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Exchange regularly with Marketing, Content, Photo Production, and Logistics to ensure a seamless and holistic customer experience

Sector Expertise: You bring a background in Business or a comparable field, ideally with a recommendation of at least 4 years of buying experience in a Head Office or e-commerce environment

Beauty Passion: You possess a deep knowledge of the Beauty industry and a natural flair for identifying upcoming Skincare trends

Analytical Mindset: You have excellent analytical skills and are proficient in Google Suite and MS Office (especially Excel), combining a love for numbers with commercial intuition

Negotiation Professional: You are a strong communicator with a proven track record in business acquisition and delivering results through impactful incentives

Agile & Proactive: You thrive in fast-paced environments, staying organized while maintaining a proactive, "can-do" attitude.

Collaborative Spirit: You value a team-focused approach and enjoy mentoring junior colleagues while maintaining strong independent working practices

OUR OFFER

Zalando provides a range of benefits, here’s an overview of what you can expect. Ask your Talent Acquisition Partner to learn more about what we offer.

27 days of holiday a year to start for full-time employees (+1 day for every calendar year up to 30 days)

2 paid volunteering days a year

Hybrid working model with up to 60% remote per week, actual practice is up to each team to best support their collaboration

Work from abroad for up to 30 working days a year

Employee shares program

40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Lounge by Zalando, discounts from external partners

Relocation assistance available (subject to prior agreement)

Family services, including counseling and support

Health and wellbeing options (including Wellhub, formerly Gympass)

Mental health support and coaching available

Drive your development through our training platform and biannual peer-to-peer review