Merchandising manager

Job title	Merchandising Manager
Reports to	Product & Merchandising Director
Location	Peachman Way, Broadland Business Park, Norwich, NR7 0WF
Working hours	40 hours per week, 8.45am to 5.15pm

What you'll be doing - the overview
As our Merchandising Manager, you’ll be highly numerate and have experience of retail merchandising, ready to make a real impact in a fast-paced environment. A great understanding of all commercial functions of the business and an appetite to learn and develop is essential. You’ll need to show an enthusiasm for gaining greater scope of the wider business strategy and objectives and will possess strong communication skills and a willingness to push through difficult decisions for the good of the business. The role requires someone who possesses a common-sense approach to numbers. Process management and attention to detail are very important to us, alongside the ability to be a team player as well as being prepared to take the lead and act autonomously when we need you to.
What you'll be doing - the detail
• Responsibility for delivering target product margin • Management of the line card process to ensure all options are forecasted appropriately dependent on their segmentation. • Reviews assortment in season and plans changes with the Head of Buying to help achieve or beat sales forecasts within OTB. • Ensures future seasons of WSSI are set up and worked through at appropriate times. • Has a good understanding of, and provides input to, the budgeting process. • Responsibility for managing MD in line with margin targets. • To manage the lifecycle of products. • Responsibility for the management of Tier 2 stock. • Responsibility for ensuring Outlet merchandise is priced in line with Obsolete and Tier product strategy. • Management of the end-to-end Range Planning process including sign off meetings, in conjunction with the Head of Buying. • Responsibility for Category Plan, including Risk and Opportunities through sales forecast, closing stocks, margins and option counts. • Achieving gross product margin targets set by the Senior Leadership Team. • Effectively managing RPO and sell through targets of seasonal ranges. • Setting and executing the clearance and tiered product strategy in conjunction with the Product & Merchandising Director. • On time implementation of seasonal cost prices in conjunction with the Head of Buying. • Management and control of the OTB and WSSI. • Responsibility for stock management and in-flow to hit forecast sales and closing stock targets. • Manages intake with Head of Operations to ensure all intake is on time and within budget. • Responsible for planning and delivering the collection and buy to support online sales on SR.com. • Offers input to 3-year strategic plan in particular margin and stock targets.

What you need
• Proven experience of demand planning, merchandising and inventory control • Experience of implementing SF&OP processes is desirable • Confident leader with strong influencing and management skills • Highly motivated, enthusiastic and results driven • Degree educated in a numerical discipline • Experience in retail merchandising • Confident in using Excel and formulae to understand large data sets • Methodical and diligent • Strong organisational skills • Strong business acumen and commercial awareness • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal • Robust, resilient character that can work in a fast-paced environment • Ability to work under pressure and to strict deadlines • Ability to manage information and analyse data • Able to work independently, using your own initiative, as well as working as part of a team

What you need

• Proven experience of demand planning, merchandising and inventory control
• Experience of implementing SF&OP processes is desirable
• Confident leader with strong influencing and management skills
• Highly motivated, enthusiastic and results driven
• Degree educated in a numerical discipline
• Experience in retail merchandising
• Confident in using Excel and formulae to understand large data sets
• Methodical and diligent
• Strong organisational skills
• Strong business acumen and commercial awareness
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Robust, resilient character that can work in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to work under pressure and to strict deadlines
• Ability to manage information and analyse data
• Able to work independently, using your own initiative, as well as working as part of a team

How do I become part of the team?
If you think that the above describes you, all you need to do is send your CV and a covering letter to Donna.Squire@startriteshoes.com and then we’ll be in touch if we like what we see!