Category Manager

About Us:
We are a luxury jewelry global powerhouse, with over 120 years of legacy and 3 design studios catering to retailers globally, along with building human-centric brands Aneka and Unsaid for consumers. Our aim is to make jewellery more relevant to the evolving customer, with superior craftsmanship and designs that tell a story. We achieve this through a deep understanding of our consumers, centering everything we do—from insights to creation—around them, helping to create new desires in the world of jewellery. 

At Walking Tree, we are a team of inspired professionals who mine insights and build on unique and innovative ideas together, to form a disruptive and forward-thinking jewellery powerhouse.

For us, our people come first. We are sensitive to the needs of those who make us who we are. We aspire to create simply joyful workspaces that inspire creativity and collaboration. Pooling from our years of expertise and a core value system in place, we ensure that every Walking Tree workspace is infused with infectious energy, resulting in a buzzing creative flow.

Browse through below website link to know more about us:

Job Title: Category Manager
Industry Preference: Merchandising, Inventory Planning, Counter Management, Category Management in Jewellery or other such industries.

Role Summary:

The Category Manager is accountable for inventory allocations and overall inventory productivity for both Unsaid and Aneka. The role is responsible for driving and supporting sales globally, maintaining well balanced inventory across all points of sale including partner retailers to optimize sales and inventory turn. They will provide meaningful and insightful reporting and analytics to drive increased productivity and optimize the inventory flow by coordinating with the Inventory and Logistics teams.

Inventory Planning:

• Plan target inventory levels at global and regional level based on provided sales forecasts, merchandising and inventory policies/productivity objectives.
• Place manufacturing orders with Production team and follow through on receipt timing and on-time delivery
• Project inventory landing at rolling 12-24 month horizon at global level
• Plan, present and justify OTB targets for purchase plans

Inventory Allocation:

• Review each POS inventory targets to ensure they align with internal product assortment plans.
• Collaborate with Retail, Merchandising and Account Managers to tailor inventory at each POS.
• Partner with Merchandising team to identify missing gaps in pricing, categories, sizes, materials, etc to plan replenishments and new allocations
• Partner with logistics teams centrally and regionally to optimize lead times and manage the best available shipping structure.
• Monitor inventory misalignment and initiate rebalances

Cross-functional Communication/Partnerships

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Merchandising, Retail and Business Partners to ensure alignment on project goals and timelines

Reporting:

• Use of internal tools and systems to generate accurate reporting.
• Maintain and distribute weekly/monthly inventory turn dashboards, stock to sales ratio, etc.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years relevant experience in the jewellery/luxury industry within merchandising, product development and category management.
• Graduation/Post Graduation in Business, Accounting, Management, Luxury Brand Management, Retail Management, or other such relevant educational qualifications
• Retail management experience in merchandise planning and/or replenishment planning
• Excellent communicator with the ability to lead in a team environment
• Excellent conflict resolution and negotiation skills
• Ability to manage and function in a dynamic environment while handling multiple assignments
• Strong analytical skills. Familiarity with multi-product, multi-sales channel environment
• Knowledge of distribution operations and merchandise planning experience
• Advanced Excel, Power BI or other Planning Applications

At Walking Tree, we pride ourselves on our inclusive, collaborative, and innovative culture. We believe that our employees are our most valuable asset, and we strive to create an environment where everyone feels valued, inspired, and empowered. We encourage creativity and value the unique perspectives of all team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth.

We offer a wide range of benefits to support our team, including:

• Opportunity to work with international teams and some of the best talent in the world.
• Competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.
• Professional development and continuous learning opportunities.
• Opportunities for internal growth and promotions within the company.
• Employee discount on company products and merchandise.

We are committed to upholding our core values of integrity, respect, and excellence, and we seek to reflect these in every interaction, both internally and externally