Category Head

As a Category Head you will report into the Head of Buying and will write the next chapter of your department's success by creating a clear strategy for your area of responsibility. You define seasonal plans and lever the brand portfolio for your units while leading the team leads for the various product clusters.

**INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN**:
**WHAT WE'D LOVE YOU TO DO (AND LOVE DOING)**:

- You will be developing the current portfolio to the next level by constantly screening fashion industry, Zalando Fashion Store developments and the offprice competition.
- You will be building strong cross-category relationships to foster collaboration between Zalando Fashion Store, Partner Program and Lounge.
- You will be working closely with internal stakeholders in Retail, Merchandising and Supply Planning to improve processes and continually review seasonal strategies for your teams.
- You will be maximising relationships, you will build strong, trustful long term partnerships with the biggest brands for your category to jointly set up their off-price strategy.
- Leading people is your passion. Alongside your key functional responsibilities, you will be fully responsible for leading, coaching and developing your team by identifying their strengths, development areas and training needs. You will look after a team of around twenty across various levels from Junior Buyers to Team Leads.

**WE'D LOVE TO MEET YOU IF**:

- You have relevant Buying Experience at a similar level. You have been part of a fast-paced retailing business, ideally within an E-commerce retailer and have a multi-branded Fashion Buying background, preferably within an off-price business.
- You are a strong leader, you will develop your team to the next level. You pride yourself in your leadership skills with at least 7 years of relevant experience leading a large team.
- Your stakeholder management is part of your role. You are a strong strategic thinker and are able to manage multiple stakeholders effectively through your communication style and emotional intelligence. You understand the challenges of the fashion business and the constant change and are exhilarated by this.
- Your expertise with all tools and processes is relevant for buying positions. You have an entrepreneurial mindset and hands-on mentality. You know your figures at any time, base your decisions on fact and develop a figure based approach in your team.

**OUR OFFER**:
Zalando provides a range of benefits, here's an overview of what you can expect. Ask your Talent Acquisition Partner to learn more about what we offer.
- Employee shares program
- 40% off fashion and beauty products sold and shipped by Zalando, 30% off Zalando Lounge, discounts from external partners
- 2 paid volunteering days a year
- Hybrid working model with 60% (or more) remote per week, actual practice is up to each team to best support their collaboration
- Work from abroad for up to 30 working days a year
- 27 days of vacation a year to start
- Family services, including counseling and support
- Health and wellbeing options (including Gympass)
- Mental health support and coaching available

**ABOUT ZALANDO LOUNGE**:
Zalando Lounge is an online shopping club for fashion and lifestyle products in 17 European countries. We offer our members daily, time-limited sale campaigns with discounts of up to 75% off the recommended retail price. However, Zalando Lounge is so much more than discounts. Our strength lies in our focus on fashion: from sought-after labels to niche brands, from famous international names to trendy luxury brands, we make sure to meet the fashion taste of all our customers, who are always on the hunt for the best products at the best prices. Working with our brand partners, we're pioneering innovative supply-chain and production processes and offer them an impactful and smart solution, creating a new way to shop for fashion - and a new way to sell it.