Category Manager Luxury (Marketplace)

ZALORA Group; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading e-commerce platform in Kuala Lumpur seeks a strategic leader for its Luxury & Accessories marketplace. Responsibilities include developing category strategies, managing supplier relationships, and leading a team of account managers to enhance brand visibility and market performance in the luxury segment. This role requires a strong background in retail or e-commerce and effective leadership skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in buying, merchandising, key account management or supplier management.
• At least 2 years in a people-manager role.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the category strategy for Luxury & Accessories.
• Identify and onboard premium and luxury brands for marketplace.
• Lead and coach a team of account managers.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Analytical skills

Communication

Leadership

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Marketing, Finance or related field

Tools

MS Excel

Marketplace tools

Job description

Overview

Lead and grow ZALORA’s Luxury & Accessories marketplace business by acquiring premium and luxury brands, optimizing assortment and merchandising, driving supplier partnerships, and managing a team of account managers. You will translate luxury and accessories brand expectations into marketplace success — delivering commercial growth, margin expansion, and premium customer experience.

Responsibilities

• Category strategy & assortment planning: Develop and execute the 12–24 month category strategy for Luxury & Accessories (e.g., bags, small leather goods, watches, sunglasses, jewelry), defining assortment gaps to drive revenue, margin and brand credibility.
• Supplier acquisition & negotiation: Identify, pitch and onboard accessories, premium and luxury brands and boutiques for marketplace models. Negotiate commercial terms (commission, margins, returns, marketing co-investment).
• Account management & brand experience: Own relationship management for strategic luxury and accessories suppliers — conduct regular business reviews, present performance insights, advise on assortment and pricing, and ensure premium presentation (content, imagery, brand pages).
• Merchandising & inventory health: Monitor weekly/monthly sales, margin, sell-through, inventory days, and returns. Implement assortment, pricing and promotional levers to improve product performance and inventory turnover.
• Go-to-market & marketing activation: Partner with Marketing and Growth teams to design and execute campaigns (seasonal drops, brand exclusives, boutique launches) and measure ROI. Ensure luxury and accessories supplier participation in ZALORA marketing calendar.
• Competitive & market intelligence: Continuously analyze competitor activity, luxury and accessories market trends, fashion calendar, and pricing strategy to ensure a differentiated and competitive assortment.
• Team leadership & cross-functional collaboration: Lead, coach and develop a team of account managers. Work closely with Buying, Merchant Ops, Content, Logistics, Customer Service, and Finance to deliver brand-level service and seamless customer and seller experience.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Marketing, Finance, or related field from a reputable university.
• Experience: Minimum 5 years in buying, merchandising, key account management or supplier management in luxury fashion, premium accessories, department stores, or online marketplace retail. At least 2 years in a people-manager role.
• Experience working in e-commerce marketplace platforms or multi-country commercial teams.
• Commercial acumen: Strong negotiation skills and experience setting commercial terms (consignment/marketplace); ability to drive margin improvement.
• Analytical skills: High proficiency with MS Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, basic formulas) and experience interpreting sales, inventory and margin reports.
• Familiarity with marketplace tools (seller onboarding platforms, PIM, OMS) and analytics dashboards.
• Project management: Demonstrated ability to run cross-functional projects (launches, campaigns, onboarding) with tight timelines.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written English; ability to present performance and strategy to senior stakeholders and brand partners.
• Leadership: Experience managing and developing a small team; coaching and performance management skills.
• Personal attributes: Results-driven, detail-oriented, proactive self-starter, and comfortable working in a multicultural fast-paced environment.