Category Management Manager Sunglasses

JR United Kingdom; London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading travel retail and F&B company seeks a Category Manager for the Eyewear category. The role involves strategic planning, optimizing assortments, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance customer experience and profitability across 24 countries in the EMEA region.

Benefits

Opportunity to work with globally recognized brands

Exposure to high-impact projects

Professional growth and fresh ideas encouraged

Qualifications

• Experienced category manager with understanding of the Eyewear industry.
• Strong analytical skills and proactive mindset.
• Ability to interpret complex data and identify trends.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and implement the Commercial Plan for the Sunglasses Category.
• Collaborate with local commercial, marketing, and supply chain teams.
• Conduct regular reviews of trade performance and analyze key metrics.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Adaptability

Education

Experience in the Eyewear industry

Job description

WHO WE ARE

Avolta is the world’s leading travel experience player. With a traveler-centric philosophy and a geographically diverse network, the travel retail and F&B company addresses the needs of up to 2.3 billion passengers each year, with 5,500 outlets in more than 75 countries across six continents. Guided by their Destination 2027 strategy and boosted by their recent combination with travel F&B giant Autogrill, the company is well positioned to realize their ambition to create a Travel Experience Revolution through their many locations at airports, motorways, cruise lines, seaports, and railway stations among others.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Category Manager plays a pivotal strategic role in driving the commercial success and long-term growth of the Eyewear category, overseeing performance across more than 24 countries within the EMEA region. This role involves setting and executing the category vision, aligning global strategies with regional market dynamics, and ensuring consistent brand representation across diverse retail environments. The Category Manager is responsible for optimizing assortments, identifying market-specific opportunities, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver tailored, data-driven solutions that enhance customer experience and maximize profitability across all markets.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Prepare and implement the Commercial Plan for the Sunglasses Category.
2. Develop and execute a comprehensive Commercial Plan for the Sunglasses Category, encompassing product strategy, pricing, promotional activities, and sales forecasting. This includes analyzing market trends, consumer behavior, and competitive positioning to identify growth opportunities and optimize category performance.
3. Collaborate cross-functionally with local commercial teams, marketing, and supply chain teams to ensure alignment with overall business objectives and timely execution of initiatives.
4. Conduct regular reviews of trade performance at topline and SKU level, analyzing key metrics such as sales, margin, stock turn, and sell-through rates.
5. Manage the Sunglasses assortments at global and local levels as well as the allocation of sunglasses brands in each store, new or existing, to align with the global category strategy.
6. Work with key stakeholders to identify and implement potential growth opportunities.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

1. We are looking for an experienced category manager with understanding of the Eyewear industry.
2. We seek a highly motivated and detail-oriented individual with strong analytical skills and a proactive mindset. The ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to interpret complex data, identify trends, and provide actionable insights to support strategic decision-making.
3. Adaptability is key, as the role requires navigating a dynamic environment and embracing change with a positive, solution-focused attitude. Strong communication skills, a collaborative spirit, and a commitment to continuous learning are essential for success in this role.

WHAT WE OFFER

Joining our team means becoming part of a dynamic, fast-paced environment where innovation and collaboration are at the heart of everything we do. You’ll have the opportunity to work with globally recognized brands, gaining exposure to high-impact projects that shape the future of fashion retail across international markets. With a footprint spanning over 24 countries in the EMEA region, this role offers exceptional global visibility and the chance to influence category strategy on a broad scale. We’re committed to fostering professional growth, encouraging fresh ideas, and empowering our people to make a real difference in a business that’s constantly evolving.