Category Director - Global Luxury

• Health, dental and vision insurance
• Generous paid time off (vacation, flex or sick)
• *401(k) retirement plan 
• *Company paid life insurance
• *Tuition reimbursement
• Employee discounts across all company brands
• Employee assistance program
• Training and exciting career growth opportunities
• Referral program – refer a friend and earn a bonus

Purpose: The purpose of the Category Director – Global & Luxury Brands is to develop and execute the strategy of assigned Premium categories and maximizing sales and profits for the Premium categories of business in both Duty Free and Duty Paid locations. 

Essential Functions:

• Responsible for overseeing all aspects of the assigned Premium categories. Premium categories include luxury brands in both Duty Free and Duty Paid for watches, jewelry, designer sunglasses and leather; Luxury Apparel; Private Label and Local programs. For Duty Free only.
• Develops and implements assortment strategies, aligned with overall category strategy and objectives of global
• Leads Buying professionals in the development and implementation of category management strategies that align with company objectives and customer needs
• Establishes multi-year growth strategies in margin and sales for assigned categories
• Directs all aspects of product assortments in both Duty Free and Duty Paid for assigned categories, including, but not limited to, the product selection, plan-o-grams, orders and inventory management, sales and margin review, supplier relations, and market research.
• Works in partnership with global to oversee vendor relationships, contract negotiation, and compliance with company policies and procedures to secure favorable agreements to enhance the company’s competitive edge
• Provides input to pricing, promotion, assortment, and commercial policies
• Drives category performance through correct and complete implementation of the agreed category strategy during the commercial plan
• Supervises local product category management in the countries and identifies and reports local needs for customization of assortment, promotion, and pricing planning

Interdependencies: Supply Chain, Marketing & Communications, Global buying team, Space Planning, Operations

Reporting Relationship: The Category Director – Global & Luxury Brands reports into the VP Category Management Premium and Commercial Strategy

Minimum Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Work Environment:

• Education and Experience: The combination of education and professional experience must exceed 10 years:
• In a leadership role: Requires 5 years of experience leading a senior level team of category management of Premium Luxury and International brand professionals engaged in developing and executing high end retail programs.
• In a technical role: Requires 10 years of buying experience in International Brands or Duty Free Retail experience engaged in developing and delivering perfume and cosmetics programs
• A bachelor’s degree in a program related to the functional area can count for 3 of the ten-year requirement
• An MBA or a master’s level degree in a program related to the functional area can count for an additional 2 years of the ten-year requirement
• In the industry: 3-5 years of travel or luxury retail experience
• Specialized Training:
• Training that leads to an in-depth understanding of buying and category management
• Specialized Skillset/Competencies/Traits
• Strong vendor relations: Ability to establish and maintain good long-term relationships.
• Advanced business acumen and also has the strategic mindset required to understand the long-term implications of buying and category management decisions and to advance the organizations goals
• Demonstrated history of anticipating the needs of the business and complex stakeholders, the employee population, and individual circumstances
• Demonstrated history of creating and maintaining positive work environments through coaching, developing, and leading teams to achieve common goals
• Demonstrated experience exhibiting a continuous improvement mindset with the ability to optimize work processes and achieve positive results

• Travel/Location
  • Requires a regular presence in F&B or Retail Center of Excellence locations
  • Requires 40% travel to airport locations

Avolta, including Dufry, HMSHost Corporation, Hudson, and affiliates (“the Company”), is an equal opportunity employer. It is the Company’s policy to ensure equal employment opportunity in all aspects of employment and to comply with anti-discrimination laws and regulations. The Company prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and provides equal opportunities to applicants and team members without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, age, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions and lactation), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, national origin, disability, military service and veteran status, ancestry, citizenship status, marital status, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances (referred to as “protected characteristics”).