Merchandise Specialist Associate Manager

Responsibilities:

• Manage product buying and stock planning by working closely with principals and vendors to ensure the right products are available in the right quantity across stores.

• Monitor and manage inventory performance, balancing product availability while minimizing overstock, aging stock, and slow-moving products.

• Develop pricing and promotional strategies based on business needs, seasonality, and product performance, including thematic campaigns such as weekend, payday, clearance, and other commercial promotions.

• Analyze sales and product performance data to identify fast-moving, slow-moving, and underperforming products, and translate insights into actionable commercial strategies.

• Drive product profitability and margin performance, ensuring pricing, promotion, and inventory decisions are aligned with business targets.

• Maintain strong relationships with principals and vendors, including coordination on product availability, pricing, promotions, and other commercial initiatives.

• Collaborate with Finance, Marketing, and Retail Operations to ensure smooth execution of product and commercial strategies.

• Prepare and report monthly accruals to Finance and support accurate financial tracking for the Product team.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management, Marketing, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in retail, merchandising, product management, buying, or a related commercial function.
• Strong understanding of retail inventory, product performance, pricing, promotion, and margin management.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to turn sales and inventory data into actionable business strategies.
• Strong commercial acumen and understanding of retail business dynamics.
• Good negotiation and relationship management skills, particularly with principals and vendors.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced retail environment with multiple priorities and changing business needs.