Senior Category Manager _ Direct Experiences
OTHER•Paris
About this role
Mission
Lead the category strategy, commercialization and merchandising for Smartbox Direct Experiences, our new D2C business line.
You will shape category positioning, curate offers sourced by Supply, and turn them into high-performing, beautifully merchandised ranges supported by CRM, paid media, onsite placements and partners.
This role sits at the intersection of Product, Supply, BI and Marketing, ensuring every category has a clear role, narrative and growth plan.
Key Responsibilities
Category Strategy & Leadership
- Own multiple categories end-to-end and execute the DE positioning plan
- Define the strategic role of each category (traffic, margin, retention)
- Identify assortment gaps & pricing/value issues with BI data
- Influence Supply priorities based on demand and opportunity
- Structure clear referencing so CRM & onsite activation becomes plug-and-play
- Build and run GTM plans for new categories, deals, peaks and flash sales
Product & Merchandising
- Define merchandising logic (ranking, bundles, urgency, advantage cues)
- Own category presentation: product cards, listing logic, filters, landing pages
- Shape bundle value narratives and ensure benefit clarity
- Work with Product on UX enhancements enabling better discovery
Customer & Market Insights
- Analyse category-level demand trends and consumer behaviour data, internal & external.
- Benchmark competitors and OTAs to understand pricing models, messaging, and merchandising patterns.
- Partner with BI to monitor category performance in real time (CTR, CVR, GM, revenue per session).
Content, Messaging & Storytelling
- Own category naming, messaging frameworks, and communication consistency.
- Produce creative briefs for banners, landing pages, promotional assets, and CRM pushes.
- Ensure all value claims (discounts, savings, advantages) are compliant, accurate, and fact-based.
Performance Tracking & Continuous Optimisation
- Monitor category-specific funnel metrics
- Identify product, content, or pricing blockers and propose mitigation actions.
- Run structured test-and-learn programs (copy, creatives, landing pages, category layouts).
- Drive a continuous improvement approach
Requirements & Skills
- 5+ years experience in Category Management/Product Marketing
- Experience in travel, marketplace, OTA, or e-commerce is necessary.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate with or manage performance marketing agencies.
- Strong analytical capability and comfortable with commercial KPIs
- Ability to turn complex bundled offers into simple, high-impact customer propositions.
- Excellent stakeholder management: Product, Supply, BI, CRM, external agencies.
- Experience in travel, marketplace, OTA, or e-commerce is highly valuable.
- Excellent written and oral communication in English, Italian is a nice to have.
- Ability to adapt to changes in direction as this Product/New Proposition is still evolving - someone with scaleup experience might feel more comfortable here
- This role is based in Paris (2 days remote / week)
What you'll do
- The Senior Category Manager will lead the category strategy and merchandising for Smartbox Direct Experiences, ensuring each category has a clear role and growth plan. This includes defining category positioning, managing product presentation, and analyzing market trends.
About Smartbox Group
Believing that life is more fulfilled through experiences than physical goods, Smartbox Group invented the concept of experience gifts, to offer unforgettable memories. In a world where people are more than ever looking for time for themselves, and are seeking meaningful relationships, offering someone the possibility to experience something rather than offering a material gift is the most valuable and thoughtful way to tell your loved ones you love them. At Smartbox Group, all our energy and creativity are focused on the idea of providing the most beautiful gift to offer and to receive 🎁
With nearly 15,000 different products in various leisure themes : Stays, Wellness, Adventure, Gastronomy… we allow people to enrich their lives with moments of sharing, moments of emotions and unforgettable memories, by living experiences or by offering them.
Living more than owning, sharing more than having is more than ever a fundamental trend in our society and that is exactly what we offer at Smartbox Group.
Present in 11 countries, with 7 million experience gifts sold per year for an annual business volume of nearly 500 million euros, Smartbox Group employs 1,100 people in Europe and more than 41,000 European partners trust us (hotels, restaurants, wellness centres, oudoor activities…).
Do you also want to inspire people to experience life ? Join the pioneer & European leader of experience gifts!
Ready to join Smartbox Group?
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Senior Category Manager _ Direct Experiences do at Smartbox Group?
As a Senior Category Manager _ Direct Experiences at Smartbox Group, you will: the Senior Category Manager will lead the category strategy and merchandising for Smartbox Direct Experiences, ensuring each category has a clear role and growth plan. This includes defining category positioning, managing product presentation, and analyzing market trends..
Is the Senior Category Manager _ Direct Experiences position at Smartbox Group remote?
The Senior Category Manager _ Direct Experiences position at Smartbox Group is based in Paris, Ile-de-France, France. Contact the company through Clera for specific work arrangement details.
How do I apply for the Senior Category Manager _ Direct Experiences position at Smartbox Group?
You can apply for the Senior Category Manager _ Direct Experiences position at Smartbox Groupdirectly through Clera. Click the "Apply Now" button above to start your application. Clera's AI-powered platform will help match your profile with this opportunity and guide you through the application process.