At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team to drive skincare category growth and enhance customer experience.
- Company: Join Space NK, a leading beauty retailer with a passion for skincare.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career development, and a vibrant work culture.
- Other info: Be part of an inclusive team that values innovation and collaboration.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the beauty industry while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Strong leadership and commercial acumen; experience in retail or beauty preferred.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
- Head of Category, Skincare – Space NK, London
- Role
Overview: The objective of the Head of Category is to lead a multi‑disciplinary team of buyers and merchandisers to deliver the customer and commercial growth and profit targets for your portfolio.
The Head of Category reports into the Category Director.
- Strategic Objectives
- Attract New Customers through our Brands
- Increase Space NK Brand Awareness & Appeal
- Make it Easy for the Customer to Shop
- Retain Customers & Grow their Spend
- Achieve Scale to deliver Profitability
Key Responsibilities
- End to End Responsibility of Category Commercial Performance
- Owner of all customer and commercial KPIs
- Lead Monday trade reporting meeting with category team on all key metrics
- Report to Category Director and other senior management team on category KPIs
- Budget, Forecast Development & Reporting
- Develop annual budget + targets for category KPIs
- Deliver intermittent re‑forecasts as required for business purposes
- Cascade KPIs and targets (including re‑forecasts) to category team
- Product Assortment Development
- Responsible for commercial performance of product portfolio
- Oversight of Buyers to ensure product assortment is delivering maximum customer and commercial output
- Identify new trends, brands, products, and range gaps; work with brand partners & identify new brands to bring newness in to address
- Execute Market Week with all brands to review performance and product pipeline
- Ensure all ongoing brands in portfolio have a joint business plan in place including customer, sales, and margin targets and two‑way support plans
- Manage underperforming brands and products through range actions, stock initiatives, marketing initiatives, or e‑commerce / store led initiatives
- Develop strategic brand relationships, securing incremental support and investment
- Customer Journey
- Oversight of Category Co‑Ordinator within category team to ensure they continuously deliver improvements of the onsite customer journey
- Analyse and optimise customer journey within category pages and PDPs
- Identify opportunities for improvements (assets, navigation, descriptions, placements) within owned category pages; this includes but is not limited to PDPs, PLPs, customer navigation, home page placements, or other landing pages
- Ensure new product launches, brand launches, or other collection / landing pages are developed, merchandised, tested and launched accurately and on time
- Develop and report on brand commercial performance during Market Week to identify asks for further improvement (e. g. assets, samples, offers)
- Collaborate with digital marketing, content, and technology departments to identify these opportunities and execute tests and/or site improvements
- Weekly OTB Sign Off
- Review department WSSIs weekly with category Merchandiser including all metrics
- Review OTB weekly to ensure intake flow into the business is in line with target
- Stock Efficiency & Stock Health Management
- Oversight of category Merchandiser to ensure stock is managed efficiently and effectively to deliver a positive customer experience within the stock investment targets
- Ensure category stock ownership is in line with target
- Identify availability challenges and risks and develop solutions to improve availability – by brand, by channel, by SKU grade
- Identify areas of overstock or excess within each channel and develop strategies to move or exit underperforming stock
- Work with stores, warehouse, finance to execute stock initiatives
- Partner with e‑commerce team to identify quick win actions to impact stock health
- Execute audits with brands to review stock performance and identify asks and targets
- Report on supplier compliance and lead claims process
- Marketing, Promotional Planning & Reporting
- Create single category view of product and brand pipeline post Market Week – collaborating with category team and prioritising commercial and customer metrics
- Pitch A‑launch priorities to Category Director, Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Marketing Officer in 2x per year pitch process for marketing prioritisation
- Collaborate with Marketing department to develop business Trading / Marketing Calendar including promotional and marketing plans
- Create briefs required for any category‑led initiatives to inform total business
- Measure and report on performance of category‑led initiatives
- Margin Management
- Monitor and report weekly on Intake Margin, Discount Spend, Trading Margin
- Continuously identify opportunities for margin enhancement – buy‑in negotiations; marketing or promotional income; cost savings initiatives; assortment mix optimisation
- Internal Leadership & Stakeholder Management
- Ensure all key category initiatives are proactively communicated to other key departments
- Partner with other departments to deliver on their objectives as needed
- Proactively identify opportunities for business improvement
- Actively participate in wider Heads of group sessions such as away days, monthly stand ups, period review
- Team Development
- Establish team culture which is entrepreneurial and action‑oriented supported by analytics
- Establish clear KPIs and objectives for each member of the team
- Ensure clear development plans are in place for each individual
- Hold regular development meetings with direct reports; ensure all team members are receiving regular development feedback
Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience
- Strong leadership capability and ability to strategically direct for your area and cascade business objectives through the team and wider business
- Strong commercial acumen – comfortable with analysing data, identifying patterns, and brainstorming solutions
- Strong people skills with a focus and drive to build strong relationships both internally and externally
- Proactive, entrepreneurial, self‑starter who can identify opportunities and think end‑to‑end on delivery
- Comfortable with ambiguity and openness to change; will step into a role to help change and drive new ways of thinking and new processes
- Actively seeks feedback from peers, managers, and team to improve operating model and experience and culture for everyone involved
- Team Builder, Development and Leadership
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Excel, Power Point, and Outlook
- All applicants must have the right to live and work in the UK
Space NK are an equal opportunities employer.
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Head of Category, Skincare in London employer: Space NK
Space NK is an excellent employer for those seeking a vibrant and rewarding career in the beauty industry. With a focus on teamwork and inclusivity, employees enjoy a supportive work culture that fosters personal growth and development. Located in Manchester, the company offers competitive salaries, generous annual leave, and an impressive employee discount, making it an attractive place for passionate beauty enthusiasts to thrive.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Category, Skincare in London
✨Get Your Retail Game On
Start by getting to know the local retail scene. Make a list of stores that align with your vibe and visit them. You'll be surprised at how many job openings come from chatting with staff or managers in-store. Plus, showing that you have a genuine interest in their brand can make you stand out when applying for that full-time role!
✨Join Retail Networks and Forums
Tap into retail-specific communities and forums, whether online or in-person. Platforms like Retail Week or local retail meetups can provide invaluable insights and connections. You never know who might drop a tip about an upcoming job at companies like Space NK, so don’t miss out on building those relationships!
✨Be Ready for Busy Season Opportunities
Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal hiring windows, especially in the run-up to major shopping periods. Retailers often look for full-time staff to carry through busy times and may even keep you on after the season. Stay proactive by regularly checking in with your favourite retailers about their hiring plans.
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail’s all about customer interactions, so make sure you showcase any relevant experience in your conversations and interviews. Share specific examples of your customer service skills and how they’ve led to positive outcomes. This is your moment to shine when applying to roles at places like Space NK!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Category, Skincare in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Customer Service Skills:In retail, customer service is key! Make sure your CV highlights any experience where you've dealt with customers, whether it’s resolving issues or enhancing the shopping experience. Use concrete examples to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to handle difficult situations with ease.
Tailor Your CV for Retail:When applying for a full-time role like this one at Space NK, customise your CV to reflect retail-specific buzzwords. Include any relevant skills such as inventory management or visual merchandising, and if you have experience with POS systems, shout about it! This will show you’re serious about joining the retail team.
Craft a Genuine Cover Letter:Don’t just repeat your CV in your cover letter! Use it as a chance to explain why you're excited about the opportunity at Space NK and how your values align with their brand. Mention specific aspects of the company that resonate with you and let your enthusiasm shine through!
Highlight Your Adaptability:In retail, things can get busy and unpredictable, so demonstrate how adaptable and flexible you are. Share examples of times you've had to adjust your approach on the fly or take on new responsibilities. This will show Space NK that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at Space NK
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail is all about providing an exceptional customer experience, so be ready to discuss your past customer service stories. We should have examples on hand of how we've handled difficult situations or gone above and beyond to meet a customer's needs. These anecdotes will bring your application to life!
✨Familiarity with Point of Sale Systems
Many retail roles require us to work with Point of Sale (POS) systems, so it's a good idea to brush up on any relevant software you’ve used before. If you’re familiar with systems like Shopify or Square, don’t forget to mention this during the interview. Highlighting technical proficiency can set us apart from other candidates!
✨Understand Product Knowledge
Be prepared to discuss the products that the store sells and how we can contribute to their sales. Showing enthusiasm for the products and a willingness to learn can impress interviewers. We should research popular items or trends in the industry before the interview, so we can speak confidently about them.
✨Be Ready for Role-Playing Scenarios
Many retail interviews include role-playing scenarios where we might have to deal with a difficult customer or upsell a product. Practising these scenarios with a friend or family member can help us feel more comfortable. The key here is to showcase our problem-solving skills and ability to remain calm under pressure!
