Category Manager - Buying Fashion Private Label Women Footwear (all genders)

Role: Category Manager in Zalando Private Label, responsible for product development and collection planning for fashion and lifestyle products. Responsibilities: - Independently steer defined business area, driving commercial impact and executing buying strategy. - Define seasonal brand strategy, budget and assortment planning together with merchandising. - Negotiate purchase and delivery terms with international suppliers and expand supplier relationships. - Supervise the critical path from development to order placement and final delivery to ensure timely product availability. - Act as functional leader and coach for junior team members. - Address complex operational, strategic and financial challenges with data‑supported solutions. - Communicate company strategy and contribute to platform goals. - Manage in‑season planning in close cooperation with planning team. - Collaborate with design team to align collection with customer demand. - Work cross‑functionally with other departments to drive sales and maximise profit. - Travel for supplier visits, trade shows and sourcing trips. Qualifications: - Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Fashion Management or related field. - Minimum 3 years professional experience in buying or merchandising at manager level, preferably in e‑commerce. - Strong strategic mindset with ability to connect plans to timely delivery. - Proficiency in MS Office, Google tools, PLM and strong analytical skills. - Passion for fashion trends and numbers. - Ability to thrive in fast‑paced, collaborative environments and organise workload efficiently. What We Offer: - 27 days of holiday (increasing up to 30 days with tenure) plus 1 paid volunteering day. - Employee share programme. - 40% discount on Zalando fashion and beauty products, 30% discount on Lounge by Zalando and other partner discounts. - Relocation assistance (subject to agreement). - Family services, health and wellbeing options, mental health support and coaching. - Access to training platform and biannual peer‑to‑peer review.