Senior Category Manager - Colour Cosmetics - Faces

INSPIRE | EXHILARATE | DELIGHT

For over seven decades, Chalhoub Group has been a partner and creator of luxury experiences in the Middle East. In its pursuit to excel as a hybrid luxury retailer, the Group has curated a portfolio of over 10 owned brands and strengthened its distribution and marketing expertise for over 400 international names across luxury fashion, beauty, jewellery, watches, eyewear, and art de vivre categories.

Every step at Chalhoub Group is taken to build a future where luxury dreams become reality — bridging cultures and crafting memorable experiences for our consumers. Be it by constantly reinventing itself, committing to innovation, or embracing new technologies, the Group is shaping the future of luxury retail. It delivers seamless omnichannel experiences across more than 950 stores, online platforms, and mobile apps. Driving this innovation journey is The Greenhouse — the Group’s innovation hub, incubator, and accelerator for startups and emerging businesses, regionally and globally.

Chalhoub Group fosters a people-at-heart culture rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a workplace catalysed by forward thinking and future-proofing. Today, it brings together over 16,000 talented professionals across eight countries in the Middle East, with a presence in LATAM. Their collective efforts have earned the Group the Great Place to Work® certification in several markets.

Sustainability is at the core of the Group’s strategy, guided by a clear commitment to people, partners, and the planet. Chalhoub Group is proud to be a member of the United Nations Global Compact, a signatory of the Women’s Empowerment Principles, and to have pledged to reach Net Zero by 2040.

What you'll be doing

Our Category Manager based in the UAE would look after Faces regionally and is responsible for defining and driving the “offer” and purchasing strategy for different product categories and brands. The Category Manager is also responsible for defining the action plan for the categories, merchandising, promotional activities, prices, and negotiations.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop the business plan of the category in line with the strategic objectives of Faces.
• Formulate and communicate the category performance objectives and continuously monitor progress and alignment toward strategic objectives.
• Negotiate annual commercial agreements and the commercialization of advertising spaces with the brands.
• Takes ownership of gross margins & drives an optimal category mix to influence growth.
• Benchmark current performance vs. the competition and the peer market
• Create different tools to improve the categories’ performance
• Handle the production of the annual calendar for the brands promotions, launches, etc.
• Assess the requirements and coordinate with relevant internal/external stakeholders (Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Suppliers, Category Managers and Logistics)
• Negotiate with suppliers for the stock returns (discontinued and slow movers)
• Analyses and helps interpret trends pertaining to the market, competitors, customers & partners, and uses.
• Assists in building a competitive assortment, keeping in mind market and competition trends
• Focus on core categories and new categories/ brands to work on a holistic assortment.
• Works closely with internal functions like a supply chain for inventory management & managing the buying budget, marketing for the promotional calendar, sales operations for driving key initiatives/novelties and e-commerce team in ensuring that the assortment is in line with offline to drive omnichannel retailing.
• Drives team to maximize additional income for the organization through initiatives like space selling (animation)
• Ensures that the commercial teams drive new launches, new categories or new brands/ initiatives successfully.
• Addresses commercial escalations both internal and external.
• Assortment and Lifecycle Management (depending on defined KPIs)
• Store Profitability
• Listing and De-Listing decisions
• Development, Sourcing, and Implementation of new Assortment Concepts, Trends, and Brands.
• Competitive Benchmarking
• Supplier Management & Negotiations
• Purchasing Meetings and first-order responsibilities
• Limit (OTB) and Inventory (shared responsibility w/ supply chain)
• COOP, JBP Negotiation
• Build and negotiate an activation plan for the Category
• Intersection cross-department to Marketing, E-Com, Finance, Logistics, Retail Teams
• Ongoing feedback and exchange with the Retail Team

What you’ll need to succeed

• A minimum of 5 years in a commercial role within the retail sector or a leadership role within category management.
• Demonstrated expertise in P&L management, showcasing the ability to drive financial performance and operational efficiency.
• Offline Beauty Retail category management experience is a must, however online experience is a plus.
• Adaptable and passionate about colour cosmetics market trends and brands.
• Proficiency in managing stakeholders and fostering partnerships, with a track record of successful business development.

What we can offer you  

With us, you will turn your aspirations into reality.  We will help shape your journey through enriching experiences, learning and development opportunities and exposure to different assignments within your role or through internal mobility. Our Group offers diverse career paths for those who are extraordinary, every day.  

We recognise the value that you bring, and we strive to provide a competitive benefits package which includes health care, child education contribution, remote and flexible working policies as well as exclusive employee discounts.  

We Invite All Applicants to Apply

It Takes Diversity Of Thought, Culture, Background, Differing Abilities and Perspectives to truly Inspire, Exhilarate and Delight our customers. At Chalhoub Group, we are committed to inclusion and diversity.

We welcome all applicants to apply and be part of our exciting future. We ensure equal opportunity for all our applicants without regard to gender, age, race, religion, national origin or disability status.