Merchandise Manager

The Manager - Merchandise plays a critical role in ensuring that Unicomer Jamaica offers a dynamic and commercially viable product assortment.

UNICOMER (JAMAICA) LIMITED

POSITION: Manager - Merchandise

REPORTS TO: Director – Commercial

SUPERVISION GIVEN TO: Merchandise Officer, Fulfilment Planner, indirect line Merchandise Administrator

JOB SUMMARY: To assist with planning and selecting a commercially viable range of products and accessories for designated product categories to support the Company’s strategy and budget objectives, thus sustaining turnover, quality and service levels whilst achieving gross margin objectives. To manage the supply chain to maximize product availability and stock productivity.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITES:

• Develop and manage local range plans, elaborating on the plan submitted by the Regional Buyers/ Merchandise Managers for assigned product category, in support of the Company’s strategic, tactical and short-term objectives. This includes analysis of cost, monitoring and the pricing of products within the range, in consultation with the Regional Merchandise Managers.
• Manage the range profiles by store ensuring that each store has a balanced portfolio of brands, new and established models to appeal to a cross section of customer lifestyles
• Executes action plans agreed with Regional Buyers/ Merchandise Managers, including implementation of pricing strategy and maintaining the local range plan and store profiles at least quarterly; conducting visiting all branches to ensure effective displays, space allocation and range compliance at all points of sale.
• Works closely with Regional Buyers/ Merchandise Managers to develop annual monthly sales plan by SKU to achieve the budgeted sales and gross margin objectives and conduct at least monthly reviews to ensure plans reflect current trends.
• Conduct ongoing SKU management and make recommendations to achieve sales plans including submission of accurate monthly product forecasts and OF in accordance with supplier lead times and OTB parameters for approval by Regional Buyers/ Merchandise Managers. This will include the monitoring of pending POs and recommending proactive measures to ensure that all sales and stock budgets are achieved.
• Work closely with Regional Buyers/ Merchandise Managers to bring traffic to our stores from both existing and new customers through product innovation in existing product categories, and new categories.
• Provides the relevant information for the management of pricing tickets, coordinating with local sales team to executive price changes and promotions at stores level
• Visits warehouses/storage areas to visually assess stockholding, stock rotation and feedback relevant information to Regional Buyers/ Merchandise Managers to inform appropriate decisions
• Liaises with warehouse on stocking issues including prioritization of container lists; manages No Stock Lists from warehouse and advises arrival dates or alternatives
• Monitors, manages and minimizes Aged Stock, slow moving and discontinued lines (in line with set targets) throughout the business
• Partners with the Marketing and Operations functions to ensure that SML agreements are executed including supplying product nominations for primary and secondary marketing campaigns and evaluating results to ensure Sales, penetration and GMROI objectives are met
• Manage a portfolio of preferred local suppliers to ensure that designs reflect market trends, establish ongoing processes to ascertain and monitor supplier capability to meet Unicomer’s volume, quality and service requirements, taking into account the need to build and maintain ‘first class’ supplier relationships.
• Monitors product failures and works closely with Regional Merchandising and Technical Service to resolve any technical service issues including product recalls to ensure all products are within the company targets.
• Reviewing and interpreting competitor marketing activity and the overall trading environment, including online activity, ensuring coherent and timely feedback to the Regional Buyers/ Merchandise Managers to ensure appropriate responses and maintain competitive position in the market.
• Assists with all new store openings and refits, including store design fixtures and fittings, merchandising, and marketing activity and monitors the market and develops strategies to target newly emerging opportunities or to target possible profitable markets being developed by competitors.
• Assists branches where necessary with price pledge policies including potential claims, and ensures all new product prices and bullet points are entered promptly in the POS software.
• Assist with the development of partnerships with regards to increasing sales of assigned categories; identify prospective customers and new business opportunities through market research, data analysis and by following market leads/feedback from existing customers and stakeholders.
• Perform any other related duties that may be assigned to you by management in an efficient and effective manner

JOB SPECIFICATION

QUALIFICATION / EDUCATION:

• Degree in Business Administration/Marketing or related discipline.

SKILLS / EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum 4 -5 years’ experience in a similar role in multinational import and logistics management
• excellent interpersonal, report writing and presentation skills
• computer literacy with a comprehensive working knowledge of microsoft office applications
• working knowledge of supply chain management and sourcing strategies
• Ability to plan and replenish a range plan and forecast sales; amending plans and generating orders in response to observed trends and demand shifts, as necessary
• Ability to develop a balanced range plan and structure and modify range plans in accordance to customer demand, competitor analysis and market trends
• Ability to develop a balanced portfolio of local vendors with innovative designs and solutions
• Commercial awareness; able to assess industry and market trends, market dynamics and data including analysis of key metrics, market and industry and emerging opportunities;
• Analytical Mindset – Proactively interpret company data and reporting, for value decision making intended to positively impact business performance.
• Commercial Acumen – ability to determine appropriate commercial strategies, including proactive price changes to drive sales in response to market analytics
• Ability to prioritize and influence integrated solutions in response to market data

• Strong numerical skills – ability to manage product category by determining price points and margins to maximise market share, gross margin and stock productivity.
• Passion for retail and products - understanding of the product life cycle and key touch points to make appropriate competitive decisions
• Ability to drive local execution and manage performance in line with business objectives

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:

• Strong personal drive and action orientation with a focus on results
• Strong negotiation skills – ability to negotiate with local suppliers
• Demonstrate ability to lead the efforts of direct reports toward functional excellence in country
• Analytical with problem solving and decision making skills
• The ability to think strategically/ big picture mindset.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and collaboration skills, is able to develop strong working relationships and influence cross-functional teams toward execution on agreed objectives
• Ability to develop sound marking briefs and sign off to deliver effective advertising and achieve the agreed objectives from sales to new customers
• Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines
• Attention to detail – paying attention to trends in the data and key metrics
• Ability to work within a team and support other team members 

This represents a broad outline of the duties and responsibilities and cannot list in detail all tasks that the job holder will be expected to undertake.