Pan EU Senior Category Manager – Book

Joybuy; Madrid; Presencial; EUR 85.000 - 115.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Competitive salary

Great office locations

Diverse and inclusive workplace

Descripción de la vacante

Joybuy in Madrid, part of JD.com’s Europe‑facing retail arm, seeks a senior Book category leader to own strategy, assortment, and pricing across Europe. You will drive negotiations with international publishers and coordinate rights for digital releases while ensuring EU regulatory compliance and efficient cross-border logistics.

You will guide a multicultural team, work with marketing and tech on content and personalization, and help grow Joybuy’s cross-border books business across multiple

Formación

• Bachelor’s degree or above in Marketing, International Trade, Business Administration, Literature, Publishing, or related field.
• Minimum 8 years in category management, marketing, or e-commerce in consumer goods, media, or publishing.
• 3+ years in a team leadership role for books or related content products.
• Strong understanding of European book markets and cross-border e-commerce.

Responsabilidades

• Define annual and mid- to long-term business strategy for the Book category across Europe and drive execution across revenue, margin, inventory, and profit.
• Lead analysis of consumer trends and competitive dynamics; develop country-specific assortment and pricing respecting local rules.
• Drive negotiations with publishing groups; secure exclusive editions and coordinate rights for digital releases.
• Ensure compliance with EU publishing laws, VAT, and cross-border logistics cost management.
• Collaborate with marketing and tech to plan content and improve cross-sell and recommendations.
• Forecast inventory for launches, optimize cross-border logistics, and manage low-unit, heavy physical books.
• Mentor a multicultural team and coordinate with ops/tech on search, recommendation, and personalization.
• Conduct regular business reviews and pivot plans to sustain growth and brand equity.

Conocimientos

Category management

Team leadership

E-commerce

Data analysis

Pricing strategy

Cross-border coordination

Educación

Bachelor's degree

MBA preferred

Literature/Publishing background

Herramientas

Excel

Power BI

Descripción del empleo

Joybuy is JD.com’s dedicated retail platform for Europe, offering products across a wide range of categories. Operating across the UK, Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg, we’re building the future of retail through smart systems, bold ideas, and a customer-first mindset. Backed by JD.com, also known as JINGDONG, and its trusted global technology and supply chain ecosystem, we deliver a shopping experience that is speedy, reliable, and genuinely enjoyable. If you’re ready to make a difference, bring your talent and grow with us. Don’t just buy, Joybuy.

Learn more about who we are and what we do: https://www.joybuy.co.uk/discover/about-us

About The Team

You’ll be joining the Joybuy team, which values collaboration, ownership, and a commitment to delivering high-quality results in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment.

What You’ll Do

• Contribute to defining the annual and mid‑to‑long‑term business strategy for the Book category across Europe, and take primary ownership for driving execution across sales revenue, gross margin, inventory health, and net profit across multiple countries, while aligning operational rhythms with key publishing seasons.
• Lead in‑depth analysis of consumer trends and competitive dynamics in core markets (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain), and develop country‑specific assortment and pricing tactics that comply with local regulations (e.g., fixed book price laws) while responding to local reading preferences.
• Drive top‑level commercial negotiations with major international publishing groups and independent local publishers, secure exclusive editions, signed copies, and other scarce content, and coordinate rights cycles to ensure timely digital releases (e‑books, audiobooks).
• Ensure all products fully comply with EU publishing laws, pricing regulations, and content censorship rules; oversee cross‑border customs and VAT compliance (including UK zero‑rate vs. EU standard rates), and monitor the impact of the Digital Services Act on content display.
• Partner with supply chain teams to accurately forecast inventory for new title launches and promotional events, optimise cross‑border logistics costs by balancing air freight speed and sea freight economics, and manage the unique challenges of low‑unit‑price, heavy physical books.
• Collaborate with marketing to plan themed book lists, author livestreams, and reader community activities; enhance product detail pages with localised copy and A+ content, and work with tech teams to improve recommendation algorithms for series‑based cross‑sell conversion.
• Build, mentor, and develop a multicultural category team, establish efficient selection‑review processes and talent development mechanisms, and coordinate with operations and tech teams to refine search, recommendation, and personalisation features.
• Conduct regular business reviews covering book‑specific metrics (return rates, sample‑read conversion, etc.), identify emerging trends (e.g., podcast recommendations, BookTok), and pivot execution plans promptly to drive sustainable growth and brand equity.

About You

• Bachelor’s degree or above in Marketing, International Trade, Business Administration, Literature, Publishing, or a related field; MBA preferred.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in category management, marketing, or e‑commerce within consumer goods, media, or publishing, with at least 3 years in a team leadership role specifically for books or related content products.
• Deep understanding of European book retail markets, familiarity with BISAC or Thema subject classification standards, and strong awareness of cultural nuances and reading preferences across different European countries.
• Solid knowledge of book supply chain dynamics (including print‑on‑demand, returns/destruction, inventory turnover optimisation) and proven ability to lead supplier framework agreements with annual procurement values exceeding €10 million.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Excel/BI tools to analyse sales attribution, cross‑category affinity, and conversion funnels; ability to drive data‑based assortment and traffic strategies.
• Proven experience managing book categories on cross‑border e‑commerce platforms (e.g., Amazon, Zalando) is highly preferred, with a good grasp of cross‑border B2C operational models.
• Owner‑mindset with resilience in a fast‑paced, cross‑border environment; excellent cross‑cultural communication and team‑influencing skills.
• Fluent in English (working language); proficiency in German, French, Spanish, or Italian is a plus. A strong personal vision for the future integration of print and digital reading is highly valued.

What We Offer

Joining Joybuy means becoming part of a business where people, innovation, and impact work together to shape the future of cross‑border e‑commerce. You’ll contribute to smart supply chains, efficient logistics, and meaningful projects that drive real customer value. With a competitive salary, great office locations, and a supportive, people‑first culture, you’ll have the space to grow your career, learn from talented colleagues, and make a genuine impact in a fast‑expanding international business.

At Joybuy, we’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and make all employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.