Category Lead - Accessories

About Brompton Bicycle 

Brompton Bicycle is a British icon. Since 1975 we have designed and hand-built the world's most refined folding bicycle in our London factory, selling in over 45 countries to riders who refuse to compromise between city living and genuine cycling pleasure. We are a company driven by craft, engineering obsession and a belief that urban mobility should be both practical and joyful. 

As we scale our global ambitions — expanding our product portfolio, entering new markets and investing in our next generation of platforms — we are creating this senior commercial leadership role to own the category that is at the very heart of everything we do. 

Role Purpose 

The Category Lead — Accessories is a leadership role with end-to-end accountability for the global success of Brompton's Accessories category — spanning bags, luggage, locks, lights, helmets, urban cycling apparel, lifestyle wear and branded gifting. As part of the whole category team under the Go to Market department, you will be the single global owner of category performance, integrating product, brand and partnership inputs into clear commercial decisions that drive profitable, sustainable growth. 

This is a role for a commercially rigorous, creatively minded leader who is equally comfortable curating a desirable, brand-enhancing range and holding themselves accountable for near-term trading performance. You will work across the full commercial cycle — from range architecture and partnership strategy through to pricing, trading and regional execution — influencing senior stakeholders across Product, Brand, Marketing, Retail, eCommerce and regional teams worldwide. 

Key Responsibilities 

Category Strategy & Commercial Direction 

You will define and lead the global Accessories category strategy, making clear choices about where and how Brompton competes. This includes: 

• Owning the end-to-end commercial strategy for the Accessories and Clothing category, including bags, luggage, locks, lights, helmets, urban cycling apparel, lifestyle wear and branded gifting 

• Defining and managing the range architecture — balancing Brompton-designed own-brand product with carefully curated third-party brand partnerships — ensuring the full offer is coherent, desirable and profitable 

• Translating business strategy into category-level commercial commitments that are coherent across all markets  

Market Insight & Opportunity Definition 

You will lead Brompton's view of the global Accessories market, ensuring commercial decisions are grounded in rigorous insight: 

• Conduct consumer and market trend research to identify new product opportunities — drawing on urban fashion trends, cycling culture, sustainability movements and Brompton's global community 

• Translate insight into clear strategic choices about where to compete, where not to compete, and which customer segments and use-cases to prioritise 

• Ensure the category strategy is driven by data and commercial reality, not assumptions 

Partnerships, Pricing and Range Planning 

You will own the commercial architecture that underpins the category's profitability and brand fit: 

• Identify, evaluate and negotiate strategic brand partnerships and licensing opportunities that complement the Brompton brand, managing relationships with partner brands end-to-end 

• Develop the pricing architecture and margin strategy across the full category, including promotional planning, seasonal markdowns and clearance protocols 

• Challenge and refine range and partnership plans to ensure credibility, consistency, and alignment to category strategy 

Global Leadership & Market Integration 

You will act as the global integrator of category performance, leading through influence across a matrixed organisation: 

• Support the expansion of the Accessories and Clothing category into new markets, working with regional commercial teams to adapt the range where necessary for local tastes and climates 

• Align regional delivery with global category strategy, working directly with regional leaders to validate plans and identify risks early 

• Be the connective tissue between global commercial ambition and local market execution 

Portfolio & Lifecycle Management 

You will define and actively manage the Accessories product portfolio throughout its lifecycle: 

• Lead the product development process for own-brand accessories and apparel, collaborating with Brompton's in-house design team and external manufacturers to bring new products from concept to market 

• Own range structure and complexity management across own-brand and partner-brand lines 

• Ensure the range remains coherent, differentiated and commercially viable at all times 

Commercial Inputs to Product Development 

You will be the commercial voice in product and partnership decisions: 

• Provide clear commercial guardrails to design and partnership discussions — including margin requirements, market timing constraints and demand assumptions 

• Lead commercial input into new product and partnership business cases and investment decisions 

• Ensure every product and partnership decision is commercially viable, aligned to category strategy, and supported by credible demand 

Trading, Merchandising and Performance 

You will hold end-to-end commercial accountability for category trading performance: 

• Drive accessories and clothing performance in the Brompton online store and flagship retail locations, optimising product placement, bundling strategies and cross-sell opportunities with bicycle purchases 

• Monitor category performance through regular trading reviews, tracking revenue, margin, sell-through, returns and customer ratings, and taking decisive action to manage underperforming lines 

• Work closely with Marketing and Brand teams to ensure accessories and clothing are showcased compellingly across all touchpoints — including product photography, social content, in-store displays and event activations such as Brompton World Championship 

Sustainability and Responsible Sourcing 

You will champion responsible practice within the category: 

• Champion sustainability in product development — working with supply chain and design teams to increase the proportion of sustainable materials and ethical manufacturing in the category 

• Ensure partner brands and licensing relationships are held to Brompton's standards of quality, ethics and sustainability 

• Balance commercial performance with Brompton's broader sustainability commitment 

Decision Authority & Accountability 

You will be the final owner of: 

• Accessories category strategy, range architecture, and brand partnership decisions 

• Pricing, promotional and margin strategy across the category 

• Product and partnership trade-offs and exit decisions within the Accessories category 

You will be accountable for: 

• Revenue, margin and overall contribution of the Accessories category 

• Range health — clarity, differentiation, and brand fit 

• Pricing and promotional discipline and consistency across markets 

• Commercial success of new product launches and brand partnerships 

• Trading performance, sell-through and management of underperforming lines 

• Quality of regional range adaptation and delivery against targets 

Key Working Relationships 

You will work in close partnership with the category team and senior leaders across the business. Key interfaces include: 

Design & Product Development Team 

• Joint owner of new own-brand product commercial success 

• Provides commercial guardrails; receives product concepts and development plans 

Brand & Marketing Teams 

• Aligns range and partnership plans with brand storytelling, content and activation 

• Works within category positioning and brand guardrails 

Regional Go to Market Teams 

• Provide market insight and support local range adaptation 

• Held accountable for delivery against agreed targets 

Retail & eCommerce Teams 

• Partner on merchandising, bundling and cross-sell execution 

• Key channel for category trading performance 

External Brand Partners & Manufacturers 

• Negotiated and managed end-to-end by the Commercial Lead 

• Key partner on product quality, ethics and delivery 

Supply Chain 

• Partner on sourcing, sustainable materials and ethical manufacturing 

• Provide constraints and capability inputs 

Finance 

• Financial modelling, financial performance, business case appraisal and provides challenge to the category team 

Person Specification 

We are looking for a commercially driven leader with deep experience managing branded product categories. The table below sets out what we consider essential and desirable in the successful candidate. 

What We Offer 

Joining Brompton means joining a company where craft, ambition and purpose sit side by side. We offer: 

• A competitive salary and performance-related bonus 

• Generous pension contribution 

• Private medical insurance 

• 25 days' annual leave plus UK public holidays 

• A Brompton bicycle through our employee hire scheme (naturally) 

• Employee discount on all Brompton products and accessories 

• Access to our London headquarters and a vibrant, passionate team 

• The opportunity to shape the commercial future of one of Britain's most iconic brands