Head of Watches & Jewellery Product Category

The Head of Watches & Jewellery Product Category will act as the worldwide business owner for the watches and jewellery portfolio on MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys, steering the category’s vision and aligning it with each brand’s commercial goals. Reporting to senior retail leadership, the role blends strategic category management with hands‑on commercial leadership to elevate the onboard retail experience across both contemporary and luxury settings. Each day the incumbent will shape and implement the global category strategy, monitor sales, margin and profitability, and adjust product mix, pricing and promotions to meet targets. Responsibilities include curating assortments that reflect guest demographics, itineraries and ship profiles, developing exclusive capsule collections, and overseeing the full product lifecycle from selection to phase‑out. The role also negotiates terms with leading watch and jewellery houses, manages supplier performance, defines merchandising standards, collaborates with visual merchandising on boutique design, and works closely with retail operations, planning, order management and performance teams to ensure seamless execution. Leadership duties involve guiding the watches & jewellery merchandising team, fostering a culture of innovation and data‑driven decision making, and supporting succession planning. Candidates must bring more than ten years of experience in luxury watches or jewellery merchandising, with a proven record of managing international product categories in luxury retail, travel retail or omnichannel environments. A strong background in assortment planning, buying, supplier negotiations and overall category management is essential, as is experience partnering with globally recognised watch and jewellery brands and a history of success in luxury retail settings. Additional strengths include the ability to lead cross‑functional projects such as new‑build boutique roll‑outs and refurbishments, represent the group at industry trade fairs, and cultivate long‑term brand partnerships. The position offers a global platform, close interaction with onboard teams, and the chance to shape a premium retail offering for a worldwide cruise audience.