Sr Manager Merchandising Strategy

Ulta Beauty, Inc.•Bolingbrook, IL

About The Position

Discover greater levels of performance. With over 1,400 stores throughout the U.S. and an innovative omni-channel ecosystem, Ulta Beauty is revolutionizing the beauty retail experience. Ulta Beauty is expanding its digital capabilities, opening new stores on a continual basis and re-designing existing locations with the latest design and technological advancements for heightened guest experiences. We’re not just growing, we’re thriving through consistent innovation and a bold commitment to re-imagination. If you want the opportunity to build something strategic, to take ownership of your career trajectory, to apply your passion to operational excellence, Ulta Beauty provides the kind of stability and support few organizations can match. So be curious. Be flexible. Be more than you thought possible. The future is yours at Ulta Beauty. THE IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE: The Senior Manager, Category Strategy & Insights serves as a strategic partner to Merchant leadership—owning category-level diagnostics, insight generation, and strategic storytelling that drive growth and performance. Embedded within assigned categories, this leader translates market dynamics, competitive shifts, consumer trends, and internal performance data into actionable strategies that shape assortment, brand decisions, innovation priorities, and in-market execution. This role bridges analytics and strategy—moving beyond reporting to identify “who’s winning and why,” uncover whitespace opportunities, and enable merchants to make informed, forward-looking decisions. The Senior Manager will play a critical role in category reviews, brand conversations, and enterprise planning moments by delivering clear insights and strong strategic implications. This is a senior individual contributor role with significant cross-functional leadership responsibility.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred
7+ years of relevant experience in strategy consulting or strategic roles within retail, beauty, or consumer industries
Exceptional strategic thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Strong financial acumen with the ability to evaluate drivers of profitable growth, including sales, margin, and productivity
Proven ability to distill complex data into clear, actionable insights and business narratives
Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint; strong data fluency with the ability to independently translate complex data into clear strategic insights
Strong collaboration and influencing skills; comfortable engaging across functions and with senior leaders
Highly proactive, resourceful, and adaptable in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
Skilled at managing multiple priorities, meeting deadlines, and driving progress with a positive, solutions-oriented mindset
Passion for the beauty industry and deep understanding of the retail and consumer landscape

Responsibilities

Serve as strategic thought partner to Merchandising leadership, shaping category growth plans
Diagnose performance drivers and competitive dynamics to identify risks and opportunities
Translate consumer, market, and macro trends into clear category-level implications
Identify whitespace across assortment, innovation, and brand mix
Lead deep-dive analyses to answer critical business questions (“who’s winning and why”)
Leverage internal data and market measurement tools (NIQ/Circana, panel, etc.) to inform decisions
Standardize insights and frameworks to elevate recurring category reviews
Conduct post-mortems and recommend performance optimization actions
Provide strategic and analytical support for priority brand conversations
Inform assortment decisions through portfolio balance and incrementality assessment
Develop executive-ready narratives for ABP, T2T, and key planning milestones
Translate strategy into actionable recommendations and measurable KPIs
Partner cross-functionally to align execution and monitor impact
Refine recommendations based on performance outcomes
Improve efficiency and automation in reporting and recurring analyses
Mentor Analysts and elevate analytical rigor across the team