Kendo Manager, Global Brand Strategy & Operations

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Location
USA
└California
└San Francisco
Employment
Temporary
Seniority
Manager
Compensation
$58–66/hour
Posted
Mar 29, 2026

About Kendo

Kendo Holdings is a San Francisco–based beauty brand developer and wholesaler owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton. As an incubator for next-generation beauty concepts, Kendo builds and scales distinctive brands (including Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin) through rapid product development, creative storytelling and retail partnerships across Sephora and select channels.

Kendo (LVMH) seeks a Manager, Global Brand Strategy & Operations in San Francisco. Temporary, hybrid role leading product lifecycle and E&O strategy.

Role & Responsibilities

  • Own end-to-end Product Lifecycle Management across the brand portfolio, ensuring timely execution of Global Assortment, Space Planning and Discontinuation milestones.
  • Lead global space planning and assortment optimization in partnership with Global Brand and Visual Merchandising teams to maximize retail presence and visibility across store formats.
  • Direct the Discontinue process through quarterly cross‑functional governance, consolidating market feedback and ensuring milestone alignment (Budget, Strat Plan, R1, R2).
  • Develop and execute Excess & Obsolete (E&O) strategy including inventory monetization, monthly sales plans and performance tracking versus targets.
  • Manage negotiations and sales processes with off‑price partners to maximize recovery and margin outcomes.
  • Partner with Brand, Finance, Sales and Supply Planning to drive data‑driven decisions, P&L health and operational efficiencies.
  • Orchestrate global-to-regional alignment and Go‑To‑Market execution, streamlining communications between Global Brand and international markets.
  • Serve as a primary international liaison for monthly global meetings and market week presentations.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Finance or a related field; MBA preferred or equivalent experience.
  • Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in brand, operations or merchandising within beauty, fashion or luxury, with exposure to makeup, skincare or fragrance.
  • Proven experience in inventory management and familiarity with off‑price channels is a strong plus.
  • Demonstrated project management and process improvement experience; Project Manager mindset with a focus on efficiency.
  • Strong analytical aptitude with hands‑on sales performance analysis and business reporting experience.
  • Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple global initiatives concurrently.
  • Effective leadership and cross‑functional collaboration skills, including experience working with international teams and stakeholders.

Skills

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Global Space Planning & Assortment Optimization Discontinuation & E&O Strategy Inventory management and off‑price channel negotiation Sales performance analysis and P&L literacy Cross‑functional stakeholder management Project management Business reporting and data analysis

Experience

Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in brand, operations, or merchandising within the beauty, fashion, or luxury goods industry, with experience in makeup, skincare, or fragrance.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Finance or related field; MBA preferred.

Workplace

The role is situated in San Francisco, California, USA.

Compensation

The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 58 to USD 66 per hour.

Benefits

Hybrid work schedule: in-office Tuesday–Thursday; remote Monday and Friday.

Culture

Kendo operates as a fast, entrepreneurial hub within the LVMH ecosystem, prioritizing creativity, storytelling and product excellence. The culture emphasizes a "can do" spirit, inclusion, resilience and collaborative cross‑discipline partnerships to move ideas quickly from concept to market.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.

Frequently Asked Questions

A.

The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Kendo, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Brand Operations Manager», «Global Brand Strategy Manager», «Product Lifecycle Manager», «Brand Strategy & Operations Lead», «Global Merchandising Operations Manager», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.