The Category Lead is responsible for the long-term development of their métier on a worldwide basis.  This role will be integral in understanding the needs of brand; developing a global strategy and long-term vision, initiating briefs of new projects, interacting with the labs and the countries, and following through product development to first production run.  

The Category Lead is accountable for the specific vision and growth strategy of the category they lead worldwide. They drive the strategic direction in alignment with their Brand Lead, US and International needs, divisional priorities and consumer trends to secure brand growth whilst managing resources. They are responsible to provide an innovative and relevant panier to their zones/countries (inclusive of products, education, digital and communication elements). They oversee all creative direction for advertising, assets, packaging, graphics and formulation. They have joint accountability to develop brand advocacy and community engagement. 

This role has multi-functional direct reports from Asst Mgr to Dir level. As a team/people leader, they shape the culture and work environment of their category and team. They set brand and people goals to develop talents in alignment with any cross functional leads. 

This role:

• Reports directly into the Senior Vice President
• Identifies consumer, salon, and technological trends globally
• Builds the brand DNA
• Has strong synergy and positive relationship with US Marketing Team and international countries
• Generates ideas and concepts for products which are innovative and revolutionary to the professional salon industry
• Collaborates with   Education, R&I, Corporate, Countries and Zones in refining new ideas and concepts
• Initiates new product strategies, including the positioning, formulation, packaging, advertising, merchandising, and pricing
• Repositions existing brands to stimulate consumer demand
• Conducts extensive market research, focus groups and manages survey design and administration
• Performs and uses competitive analysis to inform decisions
• Provides context for team to work within – including the history, values, trends and future objectives of the division within the market

• College degree (BFA, BA, or similar) in Marketing or Business, visual arts, other creative fields required 
• Experience in hair color, hair care and/or hair styling marketing preferred
• Exceptional knowledge of professional beauty industry along with products and content that performs best is important. This includes understanding of metrics and performance measures for all distribution channels.
• Minimum 7 - 10 years progressively responsible experience successfully guiding strategic marketing, branding, and product management within consumer goods businesses.  
• Exceptional financial acumen required including experience with budgeting and P&L management.  
• Proven leadership skills including the ability to lead, motivate, and develop team members.  
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships across functional areas of the business enabling the successful achievement of initiatives across all brand categories.
• Superior leadership and communication skills.   Need to be able to articulate clear business direction and strategies. Also, to liaise between different departments, participate in senior level management discussions and facilitate the creative process at all levels.
• Proven experience in creating a consistent and comprehensive brand presence across multiple channels preferred. 
• Exceptional attention to detail required
• Project management and planning skills required 
• Ability to make quick decisions, problem solve and multi-task
• Excellent written/oral communication skills
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills required to effectively manage relationships with diverse international internal and external contacts
• Strong execution, leadership and consensus building/decision making skills.  
• Computer literacy on Windows, MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel.  
• Ability to travel domestically or internationally periodically (max. 25%).
• Language skills a plus.

 Benefits Information As Follows:

 Salary Range: $145,300-$207,000 (The actual compensation will depend on a variety of job-related factors which may include geographic location, work experience, education, and skill level)  

 ·         Competitive Benefit Package (Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, Pension Plan)  

 ·         Hybrid Work Policy (3 Days in Office, 2 Days Work from Home) 

 ·         Flexible Time Off (Paid Company Holidays, Paid Vacation, Vacation Buy Program, Volunteer Time, Summer Fridays & More!)  

 ·         Access to Company Perks (VIP Access to L’Oréal’s Internal Shop for Discounted Products, Monthly Mobile Allowance)  

 ·         Learning & Development Opportunities (Unlimited Access to E-learnings, Lunch & Learn Sessions, Mentorship Programs, & More!)  

 ·         Employee Resource Groups (Think Tanks and Innovation Squads)  

 ·         Access to Mental Health & Wellness Programs   

 Don’t meet every single requirement? At L'Oréal, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and innovative workplace. If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with the qualifications listed in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways! You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles!

 We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse environment. We would love to find out more about you as a candidate and do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, medical condition or disability, or any other legally protected status.

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