Director Category Marketing

OVERVIEW

Experience the possibilities of our progressive, omnichannel approach to beauty retail. At Ulta Beauty, our Marketing team is applying the latest technologies to personalize the buying experience of true beauty enthusiasts—in ways that surprise and delight. Building love and loyalty, one communication, one experience, one brilliant idea at a time. We represent the perfect blend of strategy and creativity. Of tactics and analytics. To make Ulta Beauty a brand guests will advocate for. Growing share of heart. Delivering with disciplined consistency. Whether your deepest passion is for design or content, strategy or data, or some combination of all things marketing, Ulta Beauty will provide significant latitude to explore your talents and passions, with opportunities to stretch and deepen, to grow and build. Truly, the possibilities are beautiful.

THE IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE:

Use your passion experience and talents to be part of something BEAUTIFUL!

In this role, you will be a key marketing leader envisioning and implementing strategy and execution across core beauty categories and key promotional events. You will lead a team dedicated to unlocking category growth by translating business priorities, insights and guest behaviors into marketing plans that build brand equity, drive traffic and increase sales.

 

The Director, Category Marketing reports to the Senior Director, Category & Brand Marketing and plays a critical role in shaping how Ulta Beauty shows up across core categories (i.e. Cosmetics, Haircare, Skincare, Fragrance) while leading key omni and marketing efforts for promotional events and activations across an omni calendar framework. This role will also support International and Ulta Beauty at Target partners.

 

The Director, Category Marketing must be an inspiring people leader, strategic thinker and collaborative partner with a passion for reaching beauty enthusiasts through impactful marketing activations and experiences.

 

We are looking for a strong brand strategist and storyteller with experience leading category marketing and high-profile partnerships that drive direct consumer response in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. This leader is a marketer who loves both the art and science and understands how to inspire and develop impactful marketing plans.

 

CORE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the Category Marketing team in building and executing full-funnel, insight-driven strategies across Ulta Beauty’s core categories to drive brand differentiation and business growth.
• Collaborate with the broader Category and Brand Marketing team, Merchandising, and cross-functional groups to develop strong marketing strategies that meet the needs of the enterprise.
• Translate strategic objectives into omnichannel marketing plans rooted in guest insights, business data and cultural relevance.
• Drive integrated marketing efforts that fuel the success of brand and category-led initiatives, leveraging seasonal priorities and category moments.
• Inspire and lead a growing team of category marketers, fostering a high-performance, inclusive culture with a focus on development and accountability.
• Keep a pulse on industry trends, consumer behavior and category dynamics to influence strategy and spark innovation.
• Monitor marketing performance, analyze KPIs and use insights to optimize campaigns and inform future strategies.

THE ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESS

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field; MBA or MA preferred.
• 10 years of progressive marketing leadership experience in the beauty or consumer products industry, with a strong passion for beauty; global marketing experience is a plus.
• 5 years leading teams, with a focus on employee development, cultural alignment, and long-term growth.
• Proven expertise in strategic planning and 360° campaign execution across multiple consumer touchpoints.
• Adept at navigating complex environments, managing competing priorities, and driving results in fast-paced settings.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and skilled at translating it into actionable strategies.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to influence and build trust across all levels of an organization.
• Strategic thinker with a data-driven mindset who can translate insights into impactful marketing strategies while also executing with precision.
• Highly collaborative and detail-oriented, with excellent prioritization skills in dynamic environments; ability to lead through influence to gain buy-in from stakeholders.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience developing and presenting high-impact presentations to senior leadership.
• Strong project and budget management capabilities across multiple initiatives.
• Experience managing external agencies and partners to execute marketing initiatives.
• High emotional intelligence with the ability to adapt communication and leadership style to diverse stakeholders and brand needs

 

The pay range for this position is $143,000.00 - $200,000.00 / Year with the opportunity for eligible associates to earn additional compensation pursuant to the Company’s bonus plan. Exact pay will be based on factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, level, shift, geographic location, and business and organizational needs. Full-time positions are eligible for paid time off, health, dental, vision, life and disability benefits. Part-time positions are eligible for dental, vision, life, and disability benefits. For additional information concerning our benefits, visit our Benefits and Career Development page: https://learn.bswift.com/ulta

ABOUT

At Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA), the possibilities are beautiful. Ulta Beauty is the largest North American beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services. We bring possibilities to life through the power of beauty each and every day in our stores and online with more than 25,000 products from approximately 500 well-established and emerging beauty brands across all categories and price points, including Ulta Beauty’s own private label. Ulta Beauty also offers a full-service salon in every store featuring—hair, skin, brow, and make-up services.

 

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest records, conviction records, or other criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of any applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York City Fair Chance Act.

Salary : $143,000 - $200,000