Global Category Management Brand Manager - Luxury

Avolta-1; Madrid; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Avolta is hiring a Global Category Manager for Luxury & Fashion in Madrid. You will drive the global category strategy, manage buying, assortments, supplier partnerships, and merchandising to sustain growth and profitability.

Collaborate with global and local teams to align with consumer trends and market needs. You will lead vendor negotiations, manage product selections, and ensure proper category guidelines across stores, with a focus on category campaigns and training.

Qualifications

• University degree in a relevant field is required.
• Experience in fashion, luxury or retail is highly desirable.
• Experience or knowledge of buying, merchandising, category management or supplier management is a strong asset.
• Strong commercial mindset with the ability to analyse sales performance and stock levels.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the Commercial Plan for the Luxury & Fashion category and contribute to long-term objectives.
• Manage global Luxury & Fashion assortments based on consumer trends and commercial goals.
• Review OTB with Demand Planning and incorporate feedback by brand and product group.
• Lead product selections at vendor showrooms and review NOS assortments for brand policy alignment.
• Oversee item and PO creation and execution with relevant teams.
• Monitor sales, KPIs, trends and stock levels at topline and SKU level.
• Define markdown guidelines and exit strategies for slow-moving stock.
• Negotiate terms, exclusivity, promotions and rebates with suppliers and brands.
• Define category guidelines for store layouts and space allocation.
• Coordinate visual merchandising standards and brand training with local teams.
• Partner with Marketing on category campaigns and in-store activations.
• Identify growth opportunities and strategic initiatives with stakeholders.
• Contribute to annual commercial planning with insights and forecasts.
• Collaborate with Finance, Marketing, Retail Ops and others to execute category initiatives.

Skills

Fluent English

Buying

Merchandising

Category management

Negotiation

Education

University degree

Business/Marketing/Fashion Management background

Job description

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Global Category Management Brand Manager - Luxury

Country: ES

Location: Madrid Office

Job Type: Indefinite

At Avolta (SIX: AVOL), our people are at the driving force behind our success. With a team of over 76,000 individuals representing more than 150 nationalities, we are a truly global company driven by passion, innovation, and excellence.

Born from the combination of Dufry and Autogrill, Avolta is redefining the travel experience through the dedication and expertise of our diverse workforce. Across 73 countries and 1,000 locations, our teams bring energy, creativity, and commitment to delivering world-class travel retail and food & beverage experiences.

We operate across multiple channels - including airports, motorways, cruise ships, ports, railways, and more - offering endless opportunities for collaboration and growth. Our people are empowered to make an impact, supported by a culture that values teamwork, development, and innovation.

Sustainability and social responsibility are embedded in our strategy, ensuring we grow in a way that benefits both our employees and the communities we serve.

Are you looking for a dynamic, international career where your contributions truly matter? Join Avolta and be part of a team that’s shaping the future of travel - together.

Purpose of the role

The Global Category Manager for Luxury & Fashion will contribute to the development and execution of the global category strategy, managing buying, assortments, supplier partnerships, merchandising and commercial initiatives to drive sustainable growth and profitability. The role will work closely with global and local teams to ensure a consistent category approach while responding to consumer trends, market opportunities and operational needs.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and implement the Commercial Plan for the Luxury & Fashion category, contributing to the overall category strategy and long-term company objectives.
• Manage global Luxury & Fashion assortments, ensuring the right product, brand, sizing and colour mix based on consumer trends and commercial objectives.
• Review OTB together with Demand Planning and incorporate operational feedback by brand, product category and product group.
• Lead product selections at vendor showrooms according to brand collection cycles and review NOS assortments to ensure alignment with brand policies and store capacity.
• Oversee item and PO creation and execution in coordination with the relevant teams.
• Monitor sales performance, KPIs, market trends and stock levels at both topline and SKU level, identifying opportunities to improve performance and profitability.
• Define markdown guidelines and exit strategies for slow-moving or excess stock, including negotiating return-to-vendor and stock swap agreements where appropriate.
• Build and manage strong relationships with key suppliers and brands, negotiating commercial terms, exclusivity agreements, promotional initiatives, A&P income, rebates and other commercial contributions.
• Define category guidelines for store layouts and brand space allocation, ensuring strong product visibility, effective space utilisation and alignment with the global category strategy.
• Work with local teams to maintain visual merchandising standards and coordinate brand training to strengthen product knowledge across store teams.
• Partner with Marketing to develop category-specific campaigns, promotions, in-store activations and digital touchpoints that increase customer engagement and revenue.
• Identify and lead growth opportunities and strategic initiatives in collaboration with local operations, suppliers and other key stakeholders.
• Contribute to the annual commercial planning process through category insights, sales forecasts, market trends and brand innovations.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Finance, Marketing, Retail Operations, Technical, Demand Planning and other relevant teams to ensure effective execution of category initiatives.
• Support tender processes by assessing requirements, aligning proposals with commercial objectives and coordinating the required documentation.
• Conduct ongoing product, consumer and market research to identify trends, opportunities and competitive developments.

What we are looking for

• University degree required. A degree in Business, Marketing, Fashion Management, Luxury Brand Management or a related field is preferred.
• Previous experience in fashion, luxury or retail is highly desirable.
• Experience or knowledge of buying, merchandising, category management, assortment planning or supplier management would be a strong asset.
• Strong commercial mindset with the ability to analyse sales performance, market trends and stock levels and translate insights into actions.
• Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with global brands, suppliers and internal teams.
• Ability to work effectively across functions and collaborate with both global and local stakeholders.
• Fluent English is mandatory, both written and spoken.
• Additional languages, particularly French and/or Italian, would be highly valued given the international scope of the role and interaction with global brand partners.

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We look forward to connecting with you soon!