Category Lead

Koala is a global furniture brand bringing Australian design and innovation to the world. We create forward-thinking products that solve problems for people and homes everywhere, driven by our purpose to make the world a more comfortable place.

We’ve always believed in doing things differently, whether in the way we develop products, how we do people and culture, or the way we bring the brand to life. That mindset has fuelled our growth, helping us disrupt categories in ways that are creative, bold and often unexpected. While we’re a household name in Australia, our journey on the global stage is only just beginning.

Since launching in 2015, our furniture has reached homes across Australia, Japan, the US and the UK. As a B Corp-certified, customer-obsessed, and data-led company, we’re committed to revolutionising furniture for generations to come through design, innovation, and meaningful sustainability.

Role Description

As Category Lead at Koala, you'll own the US commercial strategy from pricing and promotions through to demand forecasting and inventory positioning. You'll sit at the intersection of marketing, planning, and commercial, using data and insight to drive revenue growth and protect margin. This is a high-impact role for someone who thrives on connecting the dots across the business to turn insight into action.

Key Responsibilities

P&L & Commercial Strategy

• Take shared accountability (with DTC Marketing) for the Category P&L, delivering against both revenue and profitability targets

• Own the commercial calendar in close collaboration with marketing — building the underlying outlook and planning processes that support commercial decision-making across the business

• Build and execute promotional strategies, owning the governance of promotional investment and setting guardrails around discount depth, frequency, and allocation to protect margin while driving volume

• Monitor the macro environment, tracking broader economic trends, category-level competitor shifts, and demand-side barriers that could impact category performance

• Conduct ongoing competitor analysis to identify threats and opportunities, translating findings into actionable commercial recommendations

• Assess product market fit using sales data, customer feedback, and market trends to inform ranging and investment decisions

• Partner with the Sydney-based Product team on range optimisation and positioning, and work closely with Ecommerce to ensure effective execution of range strategy online.

• Provide consistent weekly and monthly category reporting that translates complex data into clear, actionable insights for the wider business

Forecasting & Marketing Alignment

• Partner closely with the DTC marketing team to build unit volume forecasts aligned to campaign activity and channel plans

• Own the commercial calendar in collaboration with marketing, building the processes and outlook that drive commercial decision-making across the business.

• Develop a deep understanding of the relationship between marketing investment and sales outcomes, using this to sharpen forecasting accuracy and maximise revenue impact

• Provide category-level insight to support media planning, launch sequencing, and promotional calendars

• Develop and evolve funnel analytics capability, building ways to track and interpret the website and customer journey to surface risks and opportunities early

S&OP & Revenue Planning

• Play a leading role in the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process, ensuring category plans are grounded in demand signal and commercial reality

• Identify and bridge revenue gaps through proactive planning, scenario modelling, and cross-functional collaboration

• Surface and size commercial opportunities, building the case for investment and activation across the business

Inventory & Supply Collaboration

• Work closely with inventory planning teams to align demand forecasts with stock positioning

• Recommend safety stock levels that flex with opportunity and risk, ensuring availability is never the ceiling on growth

• Flag category-level risks early and collaborate on mitigation strategies to protect both revenue and working capital
  

Ideal background

• 7+ years experience in category management, or commercial roles within eCommerce or DTC environments, preferably with a strong knowledge of the furniture or home space in the US

• Strong analytical skills with experience using AI and data to drive pricing, assortment, and performance decisions

• Proven experience owning or influencing P&L outcomes

• Strong stakeholder management skills and experience working cross-functionally with global marketing, supply chain, and product teams

• Familiarity with inventory planning, demand forecasting, and supply constraints

• Experience in fast-paced startup or high-growth environments (comfortable with ambiguity and change)

• Strong business judgment and ability to balance growth vs. profitability trade-offs

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or related field (or equivalent experience)
  

Treehouse Perks and Privileges

Koala is only great when its employees are happy — and we’re one happy bunch!

• Work From SofaBed (WFB) - Most of our team is located in LA and surrounding areas, but also happy for you to be fully remote.

• Take a break - Generous time off - Koala life leave, volunteer, parental, and more to help keep your work-life balance, balanced.

• Surprise & delight - The two-word combo at the core of everything we do. All Koalas can expect to enjoy free Koala products with ‘mates rates’ for your friends and fam.

• Support & wellbeing - Our employee experience respects and embraces all families, formed, found, and evolving. You’ll have access to our Employee Assistance Program, which includes unlimited sessions for financial, work, relationship, family or wellbeing support.

• Competitive 401k matching and comprehensive Anthem private health insurance plans.

• Accelerate your career - via our Learning Management platform Juno, as well as individual and team growth budgets and dedicated days.

• Short-term incentive plans ensure you benefit as Koala succeeds!

• Community & connection - We believe that simply doing ‘no harm’ isn’t good enough So, how are we doing our part? We believe that simply doing ‘no harm’ isn’t good enough So, how are we doing our part? BCorp Certified, WWF Partnership, volunteer days, a member of SoftLanding, 1%and so much more.

• All in all, the Koala Kommunity is a great place to hang out and belong to!

Koalities We Look For

At Koala, we do things a little differently and we don’t shy away from the fact that we expect a lot from our employees! We are ambitious. We are curious. We are selfless. We want you to challenge expectations, always look to make a difference and give us something different from the norm. We want people that bring great energy, that have a long-game focus and are always trying to find new angles and approaches to the way we work. We're a team full of entrepreneurial spirit and have a relentless focus on 'what's next' but while always reviewing 'what's been done' and learning, growing and adapting. We're confident, but NEVER arrogant and we adapt to change like Steve Smith under a short ball (Aussie cricket reference FYI). Honesty and empathy drive everything we do, as well as a total focus on exceeding our customers’ expectations. So if you feel like this could be you... well what the bloody hell are you waiting for? Drop us a line, and let's see what you've got! ;)

There’s no such thing as a ‘perfect’ candidate, Koala is a place where everyone has opportunity. So however you identify and whatever background you bring with you, please apply if this is a role that would make you excited to come into work every day. We’re an equal opportunity employer, and recognize that a diverse workforce is crucial to our success as a business.

To read more, check out our careers, LinkedIn, or the great work we do with Work180.