Merchandiser, Retail

We are looking for a Merchandiser to join our Jewellery Team on a 12 month maternity cover contract.

As a Merchandiser - Jewellery at OB you will reporting to the Senior Merchandiser. Your role will be to lead the planning, trading & analysis of the range, maximising sales and profitability while minimising markdown. You will develop strong working relationships with both the Buying and Design team and work in collaboration to deliver department strategy, understanding the vision and direction of the product category.

Managing an MAA you will be a confident and dynamic leader, with a real enthusiasm for Oliver Bonas, product, and people, with a strong commercial awareness. You will have experience in leading a team, be self-motivated to drive results, with a flexible approach.

Our Support Office is based in Tolworth, near Chessington, only a 30-minute journey from London Waterloo. We offer hybrid working with a split of 3 days in the office and 2 days home working per week, and are open to having conversations about working flexibly.

At Oliver Bonas (OB), our values of Work Hard, Play Hard & Be Kind are integral to everything we do. Collaboration, imagination, curiosity, and teamwork are key to our success, and everyone has their part to play in making OB a special place to work.

Having fun is key, and a playful and positive approach creates an optimistic environment. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we are serious about what we do.

Our team knows their stuff. They’re confident and creative and unafraid to challenge convention to find solutions, taking accountability for their actions, but always with kindness and humility.

• Work collaboratively alongside other departments to build a cohesive range and deliver the overall company strategy
• React to new and emerging trends that are on brand brief to potentialise sales
• Managing flow vs new options and stock
• Identify opportunities for new areas & opportunities based on market demand
• Managing margin and profit levels while aiming to increase sustainable credentials
• Communicate professionally, clearly and effectively, in all company meetings
• Present and liaise with other departments including Web, VM & Warehouse to deliver the department strategies
• Have a flair for spotting opportunities whilst managing risk to stock, sales and profit
• Ensure consistent communication and reporting standards across the merchandising team to support cohesive decision-making
• Leading & overseeing projects both outside of department categories, e.g. Channel Ambassadors, returns, etc
• Conduct regular visits to stores, identifying opportunities and threats, and making recommendations for process improvements in support of business objectives
• Gain a detailed understanding of the brand's strategy, including trends and customer profile, ensuring this is delivered within department strategy
• Formulate department plans including sales, optimum stock levels, OTB & terminal stocks - setting targets for the team to trade against. Manage newness vs flow, as the dept is a mix of flow & newness need to ensure options are managed effectively
• Deliver profit and margin targets, using supplier base to constantly challenge routes to achieve margin
• Supporting team to create the optimum range by balancing product and price whilst considering external factors e.g. product trend, competition, store feedback
• Formulate and sign off departmental strategies, product ranges, considering lessons learnt
• Lead department option planning, tailoring the options to achieve sales plan, guiding design and buying. Presenting option growth or risk to HODs, directors and CEO
• Manage department WSSI and oversee category WSSIs, ensuring intake…