Head of Category - Skincare

About Space NK

Space NK is the premier destination for beauty enthusiasts, offering a carefully curated selection of over 100 innovative and trend-setting beauty brands worldwide. Through our physical stores, online platform, and loyalty program, we have cultivated a thriving community for beauty discovery where the customer experience is our top priority. We strive to provide everything shoppers need to explore and delight in our extensive brand portfolio.

Role Overview

The Head of Category for Skincare leads a cross-functional team of buyers and merchandisers with full accountability for the portfolio's commercial success, customer engagement, and growth objectives. Reporting to the Category Director, this role is pivotal in achieving profitability and enhancing brand presence in the beauty sector.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee all commercial category performance metrics, including customer and financial KPIs, and lead weekly trade reporting meetings.
• Develop, monitor, and update annual budgets and forecasts to align with business goals, cascading targets to the category team.
• Guide product assortment strategy by overseeing buyers to maximize commercial and customer outcomes, identifying emerging trends and new brand opportunities.
• Manage product and brand performance, including underperforming lines, through stock initiatives and marketing collaborations.
• Enhance the customer journey across online category pages by optimizing navigation, product placements, and launch initiatives in partnership with digital marketing and content teams.
• Control weekly Open-To-Buy (OTB) processes and ensure alignment of stock intake with planning targets.
• Maintain stock health through close collaboration with merchandising, warehouse, finance, and e-commerce teams to address availability challenges and manage inventory turnover.
• Plan and execute marketing and promotional activities including prioritizing product launches and collaborating with marketing on the trading calendar and promotional briefs.
• Monitor and improve margin management by evaluating intake margin, discount spend, and trading margin opportunities.
• Foster strong internal relationships and communicate key category initiatives clearly across departments to drive strategic business improvements.
• Lead and develop the category team by setting clear KPIs, establishing a proactive culture, and providing continuous feedback and growth opportunities.

Qualifications and Experience

• Proven leadership skills with the ability to set strategic direction and motivate a team to achieve business goals.
• Strong commercial insight demonstrated through robust data analysis, problem-solving, and strategic thinking capabilities.
• Excellent interpersonal skills for cultivating relationships both internally and externally.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with initiative-taking ability and resilience in a dynamic, changing environment.
• Openness to feedback, commitment to improving operational processes and team culture.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite including Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Additional Information

Applicants must possess the legal right to live and work in the UK. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Space NK is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Personal data from applications will be retained securely for up to 12 months and used solely for recruitment purposes. Candidates may request data deletion if desired.