📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Senior Lead Category Growth
🔹 Company: Emma – The Sleep Company
🔹 Location: Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal
🔹 Job Type: On-site
🔹 Category: Manufacturing
🔹 Date Posted: 2025-06-18
🔹 Experience Level: 5-10 years
🔹 Remote Status: On-site
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Owning the P&L of product categories in Brazil, focusing on profitable growth and margin expansion.
- Defining and executing category strategies for mattresses, beds, and accessories, adapting global assortments to local markets.
- Driving pricing excellence and leading go-to-market initiatives for new product launches.
- Managing the full product lifecycle and running campaign & commercial planning.
- Collaborating with regional webshop teams and operations to improve digital conversion, category presentation, and supply performance.
- Acting as a category expert and leading a high-performing team.
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic and analytical thinker with a proven track record in category management, business strategy, or consulting. The ideal candidate will have experience in e-commerce, retail, or consumer goods and be comfortable with ambiguity and cross-functional collaboration.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Own the P&L of the product categories in Brazil, focusing on profitable growth and margin expansion.
✅ Define and execute the category strategy for mattresses, beds, and accessories, adapting the global assortment to the local market and uncovering new segment opportunities.
✅ Drive pricing excellence by owning the local pricing strategy across channels and products to maximize revenue and margin, supported by strong analytics.
✅ Lead go-to-market initiatives for new product launches in Brazil, collaborating with global product success, sourcing, marketing, and webshop teams.
✅ Manage the full product lifecycle, planning and coordinating phase-ins/phase-outs to ensure timely and cost-effective portfolio evolution.
✅ Run campaign & commercial planning in alignment with the marketing counterpart, ensuring a coherent and impactful promotional calendar.
✅ Partner with the regional webshop team to improve digital conversion and category presentation.
✅ Collaborate with operations and sourcing to improve cost structure and supply performance for the Brazilian market.
✅ Act as a category expert for the Brazilian business, providing insights, benchmarking, and recommendations to the local leadership team.
✅ Lead and grow a high-performing team as Emma continues to scale in Brazil.
ASSUMPTION: The responsibilities listed above are subject to change based on business needs and may evolve over time. The ideal candidate will be adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field. An MBA is a plus.
Experience: 5-7+ years of experience in category management, business strategy, or consulting, ideally in e-commerce, retail, or consumer goods.
Required Skills:
- Strategic and analytical thinking
- Proven category leadership experience
- Business ownership mindset
- Strong commercial acumen
- Execution-oriented leadership
- Collaboration and influence skills
- Comfort with ambiguity
- Fluency in Portuguese and English
Preferred Skills:
- Experience working in a fast-paced, scaling environment
- Knowledge of the Brazilian market and consumer behavior
- Experience with pricing optimization tools and techniques
ASSUMPTION: While not explicitly stated, experience in the sleep industry or mattress category would be beneficial but is not strictly required. The ideal candidate will have transferable skills and be eager to learn the nuances of the sleep industry.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: Based on market research and the role's requirements, the estimated salary range for this position is €70,000 - €90,000 per year. This range takes into account the candidate's experience level, the company's size, and the cost of living in Lisbon.
Benefits:
- Health insurance including dentist
- Discounts on Emma products
- 24 days of holidays per year, with an additional day per year at Emma (max. 29 days)
- Pet-friendly environment
- Exciting events and opportunities to create epic memories
- Tools and resources to support growth and learning
Working Hours: Full-time position with standard working hours. Flexibility may be available based on team needs and individual arrangements.
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on market data and the role's requirements. The actual salary offer may vary based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, and negotiations.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Emma operates in the manufacturing industry, specifically focusing on sleep technology, mattress design and innovation, ergonomic sleep solutions, and sustainable sleep solutions. The company is a leading direct-to-consumer (D2C) sleep brand, available in over 35 countries with more than 25 stores across Europe.
Company Size: Emma is a mid-sized company with 1,001-5,000 employees, providing a collaborative and dynamic work environment where individuals can drive meaningful impact.
Founded: Emma was founded in 2015 and has since grown into the world's largest D2C sleep brand, recommended by leading consumer associations in EMEA, APAC, and the Americas.
Company Description:
- Emma is a community of smart, driven people united by a strong culture of collaboration, teamwork, and knowledge sharing.
- The company empowers employees to think big, take ownership, and drive meaningful impact through hands-on experience, mentorship, and continuous learning.
- Emma's diverse workforce, with Emmies from over 60 nationalities working across offices in Frankfurt, Lisbon, Manila, and Mexico City, enriches the workplace culture.
Company Specialties:
- Sleep technology
- Mattress design and innovation
- Ergonomic sleep solutions
- Sustainable sleep solutions
- E-commerce retail
- Global sleep wellness
- Sleep research and insights
Company Website: https://team.emma-sleep.com/
ASSUMPTION: Emma's focus on sleep technology and wellness positions it as a unique player in the manufacturing industry. The company's commitment to innovation, sustainability, and global expansion creates exciting opportunities for growth and learning.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: This role is a senior leadership position, requiring a strategic mindset and proven experience in category management, business strategy, or consulting.
Reporting Structure: The Senior Lead Category Growth will report directly to the local leadership team and collaborate with various global, regional, and local teams, including marketing, sourcing, webshop, operations, and product success.
Work Arrangement: This is an on-site position based in Lisbon, Portugal. However, Emma offers a pet-friendly environment and exciting events, fostering a positive work-life balance.
Growth Opportunities:
- As Emma continues to scale in Brazil and expand globally, there will be opportunities for the Senior Lead Category Growth to take on additional responsibilities and grow within the organization.
- The role offers the chance to lead and grow a high-performing team, developing leadership and mentoring skills.
- Working for a fast-scaling company like Emma provides exposure to various aspects of the business, enabling the candidate to gain a well-rounded understanding of the industry and develop transferable skills.
ASSUMPTION: The Senior Lead Category Growth role is a critical position within Emma's expansion strategy in Brazil. The ideal candidate will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the business and contribute to the company's continued success.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Emma's Lisbon office is a collaborative and dynamic workspace, fostering a culture of teamwork and knowledge sharing.
Office Location(s): Lisbon, Portugal
Geographic Context:
- Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal, known for its historic sites, vibrant culture, and coastal location.
- The city offers a high quality of life, with a relatively low cost of living compared to other European capitals.
- Lisbon has a Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and warm, dry summers.
Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with a one-hour lunch break. However, Emma offers flexibility based on team needs and individual arrangements.
ASSUMPTION: Working in Lisbon provides the ideal candidate with the opportunity to live and work in a vibrant, multicultural city with a rich history and a strong focus on work-life balance.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Online application submission
- Phone or video screen with the HR team
- In-depth interview with the hiring manager and/or team members
- Case study or presentation, depending on the role
- Final interview with the local leadership team
Key Assessment Areas:
- Strategic thinking and analytical skills
- Category management and business strategy experience
- Commercial acumen and pricing expertise
- Leadership and team management skills
- Collaboration and communication skills
- Adaptability and comfort with ambiguity
- Fluency in Portuguese and English
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in category management, business strategy, or consulting, with a focus on e-commerce, retail, or consumer goods.
- Demonstrate your understanding of the Brazilian market and consumer behavior, as well as your familiarity with pricing optimization tools and techniques.
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that assess your strategic thinking, leadership, and collaboration skills.
- Research Emma's company culture and values to ensure a strong fit and alignment with your personal work style and career goals.
ATS Keywords: Category Management, Business Strategy, Pricing Excellence, Go-To-Market Initiatives, Product Lifecycle Management, Campaign Planning, Commercial Planning, Category Expertise, Team Leadership, Brazilian Market, Portuguese, English
ASSUMPTION: Emma's recruitment process is designed to assess the candidate's strategic thinking, leadership, and cultural fit. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate their relevant experience and skills throughout the interview process.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
- Google Workspace (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs)
- Project management tools (Asana, Trello, Jira)
- Data visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI)
- Pricing optimization tools (e.g., Prisync, Keepa)
ASSUMPTION: The ideal candidate will have experience with the tools and technologies listed above and be comfortable learning new tools as needed.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Think big
- Take ownership
- Collaborate and learn
- Drive meaningful impact
- Embrace diversity and inclusion
Work Style:
- Fast-paced and dynamic work environment
- Collaborative and team-oriented culture
- Empowered to drive meaningful impact
- Focus on continuous learning and growth
- Diverse and inclusive team with over 60 nationalities represented
Self-Assessment Questions:
- Do you thrive in a fast-paced, scaling environment, and are you comfortable with ambiguity?
- Are you able to connect the dots between customer insights, product performance, pricing dynamics, and operational levers to define high-impact growth strategies?
- Do you have a proven track record of driving profitable growth and margin expansion in a category management or business strategy role?
- Are you comfortable leading and growing a high-performing team, and do you have a business ownership mindset?
- Are you fluent in Portuguese and English, and are you able to work effectively in an international environment while staying close to the Brazilian customer?
ASSUMPTION: Emma's company culture is built on a strong foundation of collaboration, teamwork, and knowledge sharing. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate their alignment with Emma's values and work style throughout the interview process.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Navigating the complexities of the Brazilian market and consumer behavior
- Managing pricing dynamics and optimizing revenue and margin across channels and products
- Balancing short-term priorities with long-term strategic goals
- Collaborating effectively with global, regional, and local teams across various functions
- Adapting to a fast-scaling environment with changing priorities and ambiguous situations
ASSUMPTION: The Senior Lead Category Growth role presents unique challenges and opportunities for growth and learning. The ideal candidate will be comfortable with ambiguity and able to navigate complex, evolving environments.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- Compared to related roles in category management or business strategy, this position offers a unique focus on the sleep industry and a global, direct-to-consumer business model.
- Emma's emphasis on innovation, sustainability, and global expansion sets it apart from traditional manufacturing or retail companies.
- As a senior leadership role, this position offers significant growth and learning opportunities, as well as the chance to make a meaningful impact on the business.
ASSUMPTION: The Senior Lead Category Growth role is a unique opportunity to join a fast-scaling, innovative company in the sleep technology industry. The ideal candidate will have transferable skills and be eager to learn the nuances of the sleep industry.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing a comprehensive category strategy for the Brazilian market, including market segmentation, product portfolio optimization, and pricing strategy
- Leading a cross-functional team to launch a new product line in Brazil, including market research, product development, pricing, and go-to-market planning
- Conducting a competitive analysis of the Brazilian mattress market, identifying gaps, and developing recommendations for product differentiation and positioning
ASSUMPTION: The sample projects listed above are illustrative of the types of initiatives the Senior Lead Category Growth may be expected to lead. The actual projects and priorities will depend on the business needs and market dynamics at the time of hire.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- What are the top priorities for this role in the first 30, 60, and 90 days?
- How does this role fit into the overall category management and business strategy for Emma in Brazil?
- What are the key challenges facing the Brazilian market for mattresses, beds, and accessories, and how can this role address them?
- How does Emma support the growth and development of its employees, and what opportunities are there for professional growth within the organization?
- What is the company's approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how does this role contribute to those efforts?
ASSUMPTION: The key questions listed above are designed to help the candidate better understand the role's priorities, challenges, and opportunities for growth and development. The ideal candidate will be proactive in asking insightful questions throughout the interview process.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in category management, business strategy, or consulting, with a focus on e-commerce, retail, or consumer goods.
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that assess your strategic thinking, leadership, and collaboration skills.
- Research Emma's company culture and values to ensure a strong fit and alignment with your personal work style and career goals.
- Follow up with the hiring manager one week after submitting your application to express your interest and reiterate your qualifications for the role.
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
