Sephora Senior Category Manager, Fragrance
- Employment
- Contract
- Seniority
- Senior
- Department
- Merchandising, Buying & Planning
- Posted
- Jun 3, 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 Senior Category Manager, Fragrance (temporary contract) in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Lead EU fragrance portfolio strategy.
Role & Responsibilities
- Analyze market trends and establish category priorities to drive customer engagement and brand differentiation across the EU region
- Develop and execute fragrance portfolio strategy, balancing sales maximization with profitability and inventory optimization
- Communicate strategy effectively to 18 regional markets and monitor successful execution of brand portfolio initiatives
- Co-construct category differentiation strategy in collaboration with marketing and cross-functional teams
- Identify and evaluate new brand partnerships to reinforce Sephora's position as a destination for fragrance
- Drive development of existing and new brands through 'only at Sephora' concepts and exclusive plans (Favorites, Minis&More, services, etc.)
- Oversee assortment optimization, including discontinuation recommendations and end-of-life product management
- Monitor monthly budget performance across all portfolio brands and provide forecasting at regional level
- Collaborate with Supply Chain, Marketing, BPM, and Legal teams on cross-functional initiatives
- Provide distribution recommendations to enhance productivity and ensure category alignment with regional market evolution
Qualifications
- 4–7 years of experience in retail or digital marketing with demonstrated expertise in the fragrance/beauty category
- University degree or business school education
- Fluent English (international profile required)
- Organizational leadership and strong numerical rigor
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint
- Ability to manage multiple strategic initiatives simultaneously
- Strong negotiation and interpersonal skills
Skills
Experience
4–7 years in retail or digital marketing, with demonstrated knowledge of the fragrance and prestige beauty category.
Education
University degree or business school qualification.
Workplace
This position is based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Île-de-France, France, within easy reach of Paris.
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 «Fragrance Category Lead», «Senior Brand Manager, Perfumes», «Category Director, Fragrances», «Fragrance Portfolio 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.