One of Australia's most recognised omnichannel retailers, renowned for its curated portfolio of premium and luxury brands and a customer experience that sets the benchmark within its sector. Combining the pace of a high-growth digital business with an expanding physical retail presence, the organisation continues to invest heavily in innovation, category expansion and customer engagement. With a collaborative, entrepreneurial culture and a genuine passion for developing its people

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Head of Brands & Merchandise you'll take ownership of a designated product category, leading the complete merchandise lifecycle from strategic category planning and brand management through to purchasing, pricing, promotional execution and inventory optimisation. You'll analyse market trends, customer behaviour and competitor activity to identify commercial opportunities, introduce new brands and products, and build category strategies that deliver sustainable sales and profit growth. Working closely with Planning, Marketing, Retail Operations, Supply Chain and Finance, you'll optimise ranging, manage stock performance, negotiate supplier partnerships, oversee trade investment and ensure seamless execution across both online and retail channels. This is a highly visible, commercially focused role where you'll use customer insights, data and market intelligence to influence trading decisions, maximise category performance and shape the future direction of one of Australia's most recognised beauty retailers.

The Skillet

Whether you're an experienced Merchandise Manager, Category Manager or Senior Buyer it's expected for you to bring a proven track record of driving commercial outcomes within a fast-paced retail environment.



Comfortable owning a category end-to-end, you'll combine strong commercial acumen with analytical thinking, supplier relationship management and cross-functional collaboration to deliver profitable category growth. You enjoy balancing strategy with execution and thrive in an environment where customer insights, data and innovation shape decision making.

Key experience will include:

- Developing and executing category strategies that drive sales, profitability and long-term growth.
- Building and managing solid supplier partnerships, including commercial negotiations, trade investment and promotional planning.
- Strong understanding of pricing strategy, assortment optimisation, inventory planning and demand forecasting.
- Analysing sales performance, customer behaviour and market trends to identify opportunities and make commercially driven decisions.
- Managing stock productivity, sell-through, markdowns and margin performance to maximise category results.
- Partnering closely with Planning, Marketing, Retail Operations, Supply Chain and Finance to deliver seamless execution across both digital and retail channels.
- Confident using Excel and retail systems to interpret data, report on performance and influence business decisions.
- A collaborative, proactive approach with the ability to manage multiple priorities and thrive in a fast-paced, evolving retail environment.
- Hybrid working model with 2 days working from home.
- Generous team discounts across an exceptional portfolio of brands.
- Genuine opportunities for career growth and professional development.
- A supportive leadership team that invests significant time and energy into mentoring, developing and empowering their people.

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📌 Category Manager (Melbourne)
🏢 The Talent Mill AU & NZ - Designer, Luxury, Fashion Retail Recruitment
📍 Melbourne