Sephora Assistant Category Manager
- Location
- SydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Mid-Level
- Department
- Merchandising, Buying & Planning
- Posted
- May 21, 2026
About Sephora
Sephora is a leading global beauty retailer and a division of LVMH — Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. The brand operates an omni-channel portfolio across multiple markets in the Asia Pacific region and globally, combining a curated product assortment with digital innovation and an emphasis on customer experience. Sephora is known for rapid retail expansion, strong partnerships with beauty brands, and a talent-focused culture supported by the LVMH group.
Sephora — Sydney: Assistant Category Manager (ANZ) to drive brand partnerships, assortment and omni-channel category growth.
Role & Responsibilities
- Contribute to development of ANZ category strategy using market trends, consumer insights and sales data to identify white space and optimise growth, space productivity and profitability.
- Own and manage an assigned brand portfolio across omni-channel, tracking performance by channel, market, segment, margin, productivity, conversion and stock levels against KPIs.
- Drive differentiation through strategic brand group management, nurturing supplier relationships and leading commercial negotiations.
- Lead joint business planning with brands — including animations and campaign planning — and create a robust calendar for existing ranges and new launches.
- Define assortment strategy for omni-channel, liaise with brands on product selection and coordinate launch plans, annual planning and new listing processes.
- Establish clear pricing principles and execute assortment optimisation to maximise category penetration and lifecycle performance.
- Collaborate with Supply Chain on forecasting and inventory planning to deliver target stock health and brand objectives.
- Communicate category strategy and execution plans to Market Merchandising and internal stakeholders to ensure alignment and effective implementation.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Economics or related discipline.
- Minimum four years’ experience in category management, retail buying or an equivalent commercial role in retail.
- Proven track record in developing and implementing category strategies that drive growth, profitability and market penetration.
- Experience negotiating commercial agreements and conducting joint business planning with supplier partners.
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing capability within multicultural, matrixed organisations.
- Excellent presentation and communication skills, with the ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.
Skills
Experience
Minimum four years’ professional experience in category management, retail buying or a closely related commercial role, ideally within beauty, cosmetics or premium retail; demonstrable experience managing brand portfolios, supplier negotiations and omni-channel assortment.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Economics or a related field.
Workplace
This position is based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Benefits
Training and structured career development; hybrid working arrangement.
Culture
Sephora fosters an entrepreneurial, inclusive and consumer‑obsessed culture rooted in beauty expertise and innovation. Backed by LVMH, teams benefit from strong learning programs, cross‑market collaboration and a fast‑paced environment that values creativity and commercial rigour.
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
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Sephora, 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 «Assistant Category Lead», «Category Management Specialist», «Junior Category Manager», «Assistant Merchandiser — Category», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.