Category Manager, Body Jewelry

About Body Art Alliance

Body Art Alliance (BAA) is a leading entity in the professional body art industry, housing esteemed brands such as Anatometal, NeoMetal, Tilum, and Painful Pleasures. We are dedicated to providing high-quality, innovative products to professional piercers, studios, distributors, and artists globally.

Position Summary

We are seeking a strategic and collaborative Category Manager to spearhead the growth and development of our Body Jewelry & Piercing portfolio. This role is pivotal in driving innovation, optimizing product assortments, and enhancing customer experiences within the professional piercing sector. The Category Manager will act as the category expert, responsible for the roadmap, new product initiatives, and overall portfolio performance, reporting to the Director of Product Development. This position requires close collaboration with various departments including Product Development, Manufacturing, Marketing, Sales, and Finance to ensure BAA maintains its leadership in the professional body jewelry market. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of the piercing industry, product lifecycle management, and category management principles, complemented by strong analytical and project management capabilities.

What You'll Do

Category Strategy & Business Leadership

• Develop and implement comprehensive strategies to boost revenue, market share, and profitability within the category.
• Formulate and manage short-term and long-term category roadmaps aligned with company goals and market trends.
• Define and execute distinct brand strategies for Anatometal, NeoMetal, Tilum, Painful Pleasures, and other portfolio brands.
• Identify opportunities for portfolio expansion, new product development, and market differentiation.
• Serve as the primary internal expert on body jewelry, piercing trends, customer behavior, and competitive landscape.
• Create compelling business cases and strategic recommendations for new product launches and portfolio investments.
• Initiate and manage continuous improvement projects to enhance category performance and operational efficiency.

Product Innovation & Development

• Oversee the entire product development lifecycle from conception to commercialization.
• Lead the creation of new products, collections, materials, finishes, and innovative designs.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external suppliers to identify opportunities for competitive advantage.
• Develop detailed product briefs that include customer needs, market potential, pricing, material specifications, and design direction.
• Manage the New Product Development and Introduction (NPDI) process to ensure successful product launches.
• Assess product opportunities through customer insights, market research, financial analysis, and competitive benchmarking.
• Establish metrics for launch success and monitor post-launch product performance.
• Improve speed-to-market and product commercialization processes.

Market Intelligence & Industry Expertise

• Conduct continuous market research to understand customer needs, emerging trends, competitive threats, and growth avenues.
• Track trends in piercing techniques, jewelry styles, materials, anatomy-specific jewelry, fashion influences, and professional studio preferences.
• Analyze competitor product offerings, pricing, launches, and market positioning.
• Represent BAA at key industry events, trade shows, and conferences such as APP and JCK.
• Cultivate strong relationships with professional piercers, studio owners, distributors, and industry influencers to gather market intelligence.
• Translate market insights into strategic category recommendations and product development ideas.

Body Jewelry Industry Knowledge & Compliance

• Maintain expert knowledge of body jewelry materials, including implant-grade titanium (ASTM F136), implant-grade steel, niobium, and solid gold.
• Ensure product offerings comply with ASTM, ISO, APP, and other relevant industry standards.
• Stay updated on new materials, manufacturing techniques, jewelry technologies, and industry best practices.
• Develop expertise in jewelry sizing, threading systems, anatomy-specific applications, and professional piercing requirements.
• Collaborate with quality and manufacturing teams to ensure product safety, performance, and compliance.

Product Portfolio & Assortment Management

• Manage the complete product lifecycle, from introduction to discontinuation.
• Optimize category assortments to maximize sales, profitability, inventory efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
• Identify assortment gaps, redundancies, underperforming items, and opportunities for portfolio expansion.
• Develop pricing strategies that balance market competitiveness, profitability, and customer value.
• Manage extensive SKU portfolios across various specifications like gauges, lengths, diameters, materials, finishes, and threading systems.
• Work with Supply Chain and Inventory Planning to maintain optimal inventory levels.
• Drive SKU rationalization while preserving assortment depth in key product segments.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Marketing, Ecommerce, Sales, Operations, Manufacturing, Finance, Inventory Planning, and Product Development teams to execute category strategies.
• Support product launches through merchandising, promotional planning, content creation, and go-to-market activities.
• Ensure product listings feature accurate specifications, technical details, attributes, imagery, and educational content.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Creative teams on product education materials and brand training resources.
• Assist Sales teams with category insights, product knowledge, and competitive positioning.
• Act as a primary liaison between internal departments and external manufacturing and vendor partners.

Customer Insights & Experience

• Analyze customer purchasing patterns, sales trends, market feedback, and product performance data.
• Gather and synthesize feedback from professional piercers, studio owners, distributors, and end consumers.
• Identify opportunities to enhance the customer experience through assortment improvements, product innovation, and educational content.
• Utilize customer insights to guide assortment planning, product development priorities, and category strategy.

Performance, Analytics & Reporting

• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), performance metrics, and growth targets for the category.
• Analyze sales, profitability, inventory productivity, new product performance, and customer adoption trends.
• Measure the return on investment (ROI) for new product investments and category initiatives.
• Prepare and present category reviews, business updates, and strategic recommendations to leadership.
• Identify trends, risks, and opportunities through data analysis and translate findings into actionable plans.
• Ensure accountability for category performance against sales, profitability, innovation, and operational objectives.

Required Qualifications

What We're Looking For

• A Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Merchandising, Product Development, or a related field.
• A minimum of 5 to 8 years of experience in Category Management, Product Management, Merchandising, Product Development, Brand Management, or a similar role.
• Demonstrated success in developing and executing effective category growth strategies.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to translate data into informed business decisions.
• Advanced analytical skills, with proficiency in Microsoft Excel and business intelligence tools like Power BI.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Robust project management capabilities, with the ability to manage multiple priorities concurrently.
• Proven experience collaborating effectively across departments in a dynamic environment.
• Experience working with vendors, manufacturers, and external stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within the professional body jewelry, piercing, jewelry, fashion accessories, or related specialty consumer product sectors.
• Knowledge of implant-grade materials, ASTM standards, ISO certifications, and APP guidelines.
• Experience managing extensive SKU portfolios and complex product assortments.
• Familiarity with product lifecycle management, NPDI processes, and commercialization strategies.
• Experience with e-commerce, wholesale distribution, and omnichannel retail environments.
• Experience utilizing ERP, PLM, or product management systems.
• An MBA or advanced degree is considered a plus.

Why Join Body Art Alliance?

At Body Art Alliance, you will have the chance to influence products used by professional artists and piercers worldwide. You will collaborate with dedicated industry experts, contribute to groundbreaking innovations, and help shape the future of highly respected brands in the industry. We foster a collaborative atmosphere that values creativity, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement. If you are seeking an opportunity to make a significant impact and drive the next phase of growth for Anatometal, NeoMetal, Tilum, and Painful Pleasures, we encourage you to apply.