About Our Client

My client is a market leading apparel retailer across many product areas including fashion, accessories and home.

Job Description

• To create, manage and own product category budget and strategy to deliver customer needs and brand segmentation working closely with Head of Buying
• Working with Heads of Buying, Marketing & Trade to create a challenging but realistic trading plan for the Product Divisions to deliver budget requirements.
• Effectively manage current and future trading & service challenges help to drive and maximise sales and profitability. Working cross functionally with key stakeholders own the Product team's element of the plan.
• Owning the Category P & L to ensure full optimisation of product performance, from demand, markdown, stock and intake and returns to ensure NAM is achieved / exceeded vs Plan
• Leading the Merchandise teams with WSSI ownership and day to day management to ensure & optimise availability, intake, service and stock levels in line with business demand needs.
• Forecast, analyse and action commercial data to be able to react to trading opportunities / trends in performance to shape the trading plan in season in order to drive the optimum commercial and customer outcome
• Working closely with digital team to interpret and react to online metrics and Warehouse & Logistics to adjust stock & intake Forecasts accordingly
• Working in conjunction with market experts to drive forward, design concepts & solutions and deliver new technology solutions into the merchandise function of the business that are market leading and best in class
• To lead, recruit, performance manage, train, develop and motivate a merchandise team to ensure that the business, brand and individual's objectives as well as development plans are met.

The Successful Applicant

The ideal candidate will already be operating at Head of Merchandising level within a retail business, be an enthusiastic, adaptable leader with the passion to make an impact not just on their own division but across the entire business.
 

• A degree level or equivalent in a relevant subject such as Business Management & Statistics.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to relate business needs and requirements in a compelling and understandable way to the team and the wider business stakeholders.
• The leadership skills to lead a team and engage/influence multiple stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly appraise complex situations, identify key issues and make tough, timely decisions.
• The ability to work under pressure and be resilient and tenacious to get results.
• Excellent communication skills to instigate and maintain excellent working relationships with customers, global suppliers, third parties and cross business stakeholders.
• Proven track record as a Manager and Leader of People within a Merchandising environment.

Package: Generous expat package to cover salary, bonus, accommodation, insurance, car/driver, flight tickets home