Job Title: Head - Buying (Cosmetics & Fragrances)

Department: Buying & Merchandising

Reporting To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

About the Role:

We are seeking an experienced and commercially driven Head - Buying (Cosmetics & Fragrances) to lead the strategic direction of our Beauty category. The incumbent will be responsible for developing category strategies, building strong brand partnerships, identifying emerging trends, driving profitable growth, and delivering an exceptional customer experience across offline and online channels.

This role demands a deep understanding of the beauty industry, strong commercial acumen, excellent vendor management skills, and the ability to translate consumer insights into successful category strategies.

Key Responsibilities:

Category Strategy & Business Growth:

- Develop and execute the overall buying and category strategy for Cosmetics & Fragrances in line with the company's business objectives.

- Build a differentiated product assortment that enhances customer experience and drives category growth.

- Define pricing architecture, promotional strategy and product mix to maximize sales, margins and market share.

- Monitor category performance and implement initiatives to improve revenue, profitability and inventory productivity.

Buying & Product Assortment:

- Identify emerging beauty trends, consumer preferences and innovation opportunities.

- Curate a comprehensive assortment across skincare, makeup, fragrances, personal care and beauty accessories.

- Evaluate product performance and continuously optimize assortment based on customer demand and market insights.

- Lead seasonal buying, new launches and exclusive product introductions.

Brand & Vendor Management:

- Develop and maintain strategic relationships with domestic and international beauty brands.

- Identify and onboard new brands aligned with the company's positioning.

- Lead commercial negotiations including pricing, commercial terms, promotional support and exclusivity arrangements.

- Monitor supplier performance to ensure product quality, service levels and timely deliveries.

Inventory & Demand Planning:

- Drive inventory planning, forecasting and replenishment strategies.

- Optimize inventory turnover while minimizing stock-outs, ageing inventory and markdowns.

- Collaborate closely with Supply Chain and Planning teams to improve product availability and working capital efficiency.

Market & Consumer Insights:

- Conduct regular market research and competitor benchmarking.

- Analyze customer buying behaviour and category performance using data analytics.

- Identify emerging brands, global beauty trends and white-space opportunities.

Sales, Marketing & Merchandising:

- Collaborate with Marketing to develop impactful product launches, campaigns and promotional calendars.

- Partner with Visual Merchandising teams to create engaging in-store experiences.

- Support digital merchandising initiatives for e-commerce and omnichannel platforms.

Financial Management:

- Own category P&L and profitability.

- Develop annual buying plans and budgets.

- Monitor sales, gross margins, inventory investments and return on investment.

- Drive continuous improvements in category profitability.

Leadership:

- Lead, mentor and develop the Buying team.

- Foster a high-performance, collaborative and customer-centric culture.

- Build strong cross-functional partnerships with Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Operations and Store teams.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

- Category Revenue Growth

- Gross Margin Achievement

- Category Profitability

- Inventory Turnover

- Stock Availability

- Inventory Ageing

- Sell-through Rate

- New Brand Acquisition

- Vendor Performance

- Customer Satisfaction

- Market Share Growth

- Successful Product Launches

- Desired Candidate Profile

Education: MBA from a reputed institution.

Experience:

- 15-20 years of experience in Buying, Category Management or Merchandising.

- Minimum 10 years of leadership experience in Beauty, Cosmetics, Personal Care, Luxury Retail or Lifestyle Retail.

- Proven experience in managing large buying portfolios and category P&L.

- Strong exposure to premium beauty brands, fragrances and omnichannel retail.

- Experience in developing strategic partnerships with national and international brands.

Functional Competencies:

- Category Management

- Strategic Buying

- Vendor & Brand Management

- Product Development & Innovation

- Retail Merchandising

- Inventory Planning

- Demand Forecasting

- Pricing Strategy

- Market Intelligence

- Financial & Commercial Acumen

- Negotiation Skills

- Project Management

- Advanced Excel & MS Office

- Data Analysis & Business Reporting

Behavioural Competencies:

- Strategic Thinking

- Leadership & Team Development

- Customer Centricity

- Commercial Orientation

- Strong Communication Skills

- Relationship Building

- Influencing & Negotiation

- Decision Making

- Problem Solving

- Conflict Resolution

- Innovation Mindset

- Results Orientation

- Adaptability & Agility