Sephora Senior Category Manager
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Senior
- Department
- Merchandising, Buying & Planning
- Posted
- Sep 7, 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 seeks Senior Category Manager in Neuilly-sur-Seine to lead makeup brand portfolio strategy and drive sales across Europe.
Role & Responsibilities
- Develop and execute category acceleration and brand portfolio development strategy across the Europe region
- Analyze market trends and competitor activity to define Sephora's strategic priorities and drive customer differentiation
- Manage the brand portfolio mix (selective and exclusive brands) to maximize sales, ensure profitability, and optimize inventory management
- Communicate category strategy effectively to 18 markets and monitor execution across the region
- Develop existing and new brands with 'only at Sephora' exclusive concepts and on-line and off-line expressions
- Identify and source new brands to reinforce Sephora's positioning as a destination category leader
- Drive innovation in category concepts to enhance the offer and optimize all business levers (favorites, Minis&More, services)
- Monitor monthly budget performance across all portfolio brands and provide recommendations for optimization
- Recommend product discontinuation and manage end-of-life processes to maintain assortment excellence
- Provide distribution and productivity recommendations to track market evolution and drive regional growth
- Participate in pricing and discount strategy development in coordination with regional general management
- Forecast new product performance and demand at the regional level
- Lead cross-functional projects aimed at maximizing category visibility and performance in collaboration with Supply Chain, Marketing, BPM, and Legal teams
Qualifications
- 4–7 years of experience in retail or digital marketing with strong category knowledge
- University or business school education
- International profile with fluent English
- Organizational leadership and operational rigor
- Analytical mindset with strong numerical acumen
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint
- Proven negotiation and interpersonal skills
- Collaborative team spirit with initiative and autonomy
Skills
Experience
4 to 7 years of experience in retail or digital marketing with solid understanding of the beauty category and prestige brand dynamics
Education
University degree or business school education
Workplace
This position is based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Île-de-France, France, within easy reach of Paris.
Benefits
Collaborative community that values authenticity and diversity; empowerment-focused culture with learning and growth opportunities; fulfilling work that makes a meaningful difference in the beauty industry
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 «Category Strategy Manager», «Senior Brand Portfolio Manager», «Merchandising Director», «Product Category Lead», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.