Merchandising Manager, Soft Accessories

Job Purpose - Overview The Merchandising Manager will create and deliver the product strategy and successfully build the collection for Soft accessories. Key Responsibilities Own and drive product range development, managing full lifecycle of product from brief to delist Collaborate with the wider accessories merchandising team in developing the strategic plan for Soft accessories and influence cross-functional team to deliver strategic direction for the category Develop and present the range plan for approval including pricing strategy and competition strategy Build and maintain close working relationships with cross functional partners across Design, Product Development, Planning and Supply Chain Create effective working relationships with Regional Merchandising team to gain product feedback and market research Define strategic growth ambition Organise and coordinate collection presentations and buying guidelines Analyse and feedback on seasonal buys in a strategic and coherent recap Develop and deliver product training to regional merchandising Own the commercial samples ordering process and budget Lead, coach and develop the team Analyse daily/weekly sales reports and take appropriate action Own the retail pricing positioning in line with margin targets and competition strategy Qualifications, Skills, Experience Required Strong experience in Merchandising, luxury experience is a plus. A love for product and fashion trends in a global market, knowledge of the luxury consumer and competitors Strong product knowledge with a good taste level and ability to confidently influence the Design team Able to manage a budget with commercial awareness, retail math skills and understanding of product cost, achieving a balance between creativity and commercial implications Excellent communication skills, with the ability to negotiate with credibility, share information effectively, and work confidently with cross functional teams at all levels Strong leadership and people management skills.