- Location
- San Francisco California USA
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Director
- Compensation
- $235,980–262,200/year
- Department
- IT & Technology Systems
- Posted
- Oct 30, 2026
About Sephora
Sephora is a global prestige beauty leader, renowned for redefining the retail experience through creativity, inclusivity, and expert service. Founded in France and now part of LVMH, the company brings together an exceptional portfolio of beauty brands with a distinctive culture of discovery and innovation. As an employer, Sephora offers a dynamic, customer-centered environment where talent is encouraged to learn, experiment, and grow across retail, digital, merchandising, operations, and corporate functions. Its teams are united by a passion for beauty, entrepreneurship, and belonging, making Sephora a compelling workplace for professionals seeking impact within a fast-moving international brand.
Sephora’s Director of Merchandising Systems Engineering sets strategy and leads teams responsible for merchandising systems across store and digital channels, including product and SKU management, assortment, space management, brand engagement, operations, and product lifecycle management. The role drives AI-enabled requirements, solution design, delivery, and process automation, and requires 10+ years of retail systems experience and 3+ years of team leadership. This is a permanent, full-time hybrid position in San Francisco, with an annual base salary range of $235,980–$262,200; bonus eligibility may also apply.
Role & Responsibilities
- Set the vision, strategy, and multi-year roadmap for merchandising systems and solutions, aligned with business strategy and industry requirements.
- Engage executive merchandising leadership, merchants, and other stakeholders to align priorities, identify system-improvement opportunities, and drive product execution.
- Lead requirements and solution definition using AI-assisted analysis and design, translating business strategy into clear requirements, solutions, and specifications for unified product and SKU management, assortment, brand engagement, merchandising management, space management, and product lifecycle management.
- Apply AI-first and Agentic SDLC practices to accelerate solution design, specification, delivery, and documentation; enforce standard build processes and quality while partnering with Engineering directors to accelerate delivery.
- Lead business process automation and improvement initiatives using AI in partnership with business teams.
- Build cross-company relationships, report business-performance KPIs through technology platforms, introduce new technologies, and lead and develop product managers, business analysts, and architects through coaching, mentoring, and matrixed resource management.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of retail-industry systems experience managing application product management and delivery for the merchandising domain in a fast-paced retail company.
- 3+ years of experience managing teams and matrixed resources, including coaching and mentoring full-time employees and contractors.
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, business, or a related field.
- Retail merchandising expertise across assortment, space management, new product launch, brand engagement, and omnichannel retail.
- Experience with Blue Yonder Floor/Space or a comparable solution, and Syndigo or a comparable MDM solution.
- AI-first leadership experience driving delivery through Agentic/AI-driven SDLC, AI-augmented product management, and GenAI tools to engage stakeholders, accelerate requirements, and drive process automation.
- Proven expertise in technology product strategy, roadmap development, enterprise-scale SaaS, vendor, or in-house application delivery, and scalable systems design.
Skills
Experience
10+ years of retail-industry systems experience in merchandising application product management and delivery; 3+ years managing teams and matrixed resources.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, business, or a related field.
Workplace
This position is based in San Francisco, California, USA.
Explore jobs in the USA.
Compensation
The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 235,980 to USD 262,200 per annum.
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision coverage; disability and life insurance; 401(k) with 4% match; FSA and HSA programs; student debt retirement plan with eligible student loan payments qualifying for the 401(k) match; PTO, flexibility, and protected leave; training, development, and tuition reimbursement; 30% discount on merchandise and services; opportunities for free products or gratis and flash sale discounts on LVMH brand products; free mental health and financial coaching through Modern Health and Financial Finesse, with 24/7 access; volunteer and donation matching.
Culture
Sephora fosters a dynamic, inclusive workplace where creativity, curiosity, and a passion for beauty are encouraged at every level. As an employer, it is distinguished by its focus on empowerment, continuous learning, and a collaborative retail culture that celebrates individuality and client-centric innovation.
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 «Director of Merchandising Technology», «Director of Retail Systems Engineering», «Director of Merchandising Applications», «Director of Merchandising Technology Systems», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.