Role Profile
• A Senior Merchandiser is accountable to plan and oversee the execution of all trade decisions and deliver sales and margins plans in line with overall business expectations. This includes (but not limited to) the planning of all category stock/intake requirements, maintaining gross profit on purchases, building and selecting product ranges, managing supply chain activities and budgets development and monitoring.
• Deputise Merchandising Managers as required, on all trading and merchandising related tasks, meetings and forums.

Below are the responsibilities of a Senior Merchandiser but not limited to:

• Lead a team of Merchandisers and Assistant Merchandisers in delivering sales and margin plans.
• Provide the team with guidance through strategic thinking in execution of tasks and data governance activities, ensuring that the data are managed the right way and in the right place.
• Plan and executes pricing strategies, ensuring greatest margin potential.
• Selects all products for promotional events in all stores as well as single store events.
• Keep up-to-date on the latest marketing and industry trends.
• Maximize sales and inventory by managing the allocation strategy, consolidation and model stock levels by store.
• Partner with the Merchandise Financial Planning Team to balance overall inventory for the brand.
• Partner with the Merchandise Financial Planning Team to review & react to sales performance/selling reports and generates pricing and consolidation directives to maximise sales and margin potential.
• Accountable to recommending clearance sales and varying delivery schedules to help control stock levels.
• Drive and lead discussions around planning and execution of business planning activities.
• Conduct team post-seasonal review as part of Size Scaling and Chanel Clustering process.
• Review and confirm size curves as part of Size Scaling and Chanel Clustering process.
• Accountable to drive the Demand Consensus meetings and engage brand leadership for Demand Planning and Fulfilment related matters.
• Accountable for end-to-end demand planning and fulfilment process for the brand including (but not limited to) the management of moving events and calendars, statistical forecast and finetuning efforts and ensuring the approved forecast are published on time.
• Responsible to review and collaborate with Senior Merchandise Financial Planner to support in-season management of middle-out planning, including making recommendations for actions around sales, markdown or promotion and stock to reflect in season trends (EP).
• Review Product Planning and Selection performed by Product Merchandisers in Assortment Planning (AP).
• Participate in business improvement projects.
• Accountable to ensure that the Merchandisers and Assistant Merchandisers are updated with the latest training.
• Identify the need to build stocks during peak trade periods.
• Provide strategic direction for Re-classification.
• Deliver supply chain processes and monitoring speed to market of stock.
• Instigate competitor profiling.
• Provide strategic direction/recommendation as well as, oversee and approve the planning and delivery of store openings and closings, including matters relating to categories of stock, quantities and building the allocation for the stores.
• Approving other trading and merchandising strategies and processes such as grading, size profiles and allocation which will be executed by Asst Merchandisers or Merchandisers.
• Manage the processes related to merchandising assortment.
• Responsible to coach merchandisers in day to day trading and merchandising activities, as part of ensure talents are developed within the brands.

Language and knowledge required:

• English speaking essential (ability to converse in Arabic is a good addition).
• Possess commercial awareness, understanding of the retail business and commercial focus.
• Possess a good understanding of retail math concepts with strong analytical and numerical skills to review budgets and report sales figures to the brand leadership.

Qualification and experience:

• Relevant degree, with retail experience is preferable.
• 3 - 4 years of experience of performing at Merchandiser level, or leading a team of Merchandisers/Assistant Merchandisers.

Skills and competencies:

• Proven skills to lead a team
• Ability to collaborate, engage and partner with internal stakeholders by building effective relationships
• Strong communication and presentation skills (including good written and verbal English)
• Ability to make decisions with limited information but also able to synthesise large quantities of data to drive business decisions
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills; strong aptitude with numbers; retail math skills, understanding of forecasting methodology
• Proven strong negotiation skills with internal and external stakeholders
• Extremely well organised with a keen eye to details