Brand Merchandising Manager

Job Summary: The Merchandise Manager is responsible for overseeing and handing the country's product range to ensure end-to-end merchandising and inventory control system.

Job Description:

MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. Product Range Development
2. Inventory Management
3. Marketing Communication
4. Market Research
5. Budget Management/Profitability Controls
6. Management Record

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Planning

• Prepares annual business plans for the brand, covering historical statistics, marketing/sales initiatives.

2. Product Planning & Ordering

• Develops overall product range plan each season based on international season, season introductions, market research or international and local trends and tastes, sales statistics, sales force/customer feedback, current inventory levels, price sensitivity and the like. The product range plan should also incorporate segmentation of various channels and target markets.
• Works closely with the Product Merchandising Group in developing line plans, leading the open merchandising sessions, planning quantity orders and delivery timelines, and ensuring timely deliveries to the stores.
• Places orders, monitors deliveries and funding requirements and ensure proper allocation of products to the stores.
• Prepares product bulletins, announcing the new product introductions for a particular season.

3. Pricing

• Develops profit objectives, competitiveness, and relationships to current selling prices of inventories on hand.
• Reviews selling prices vis--vis inventory aging and sell-thru and recommend markdowns or markups or promotional campaign to revise current prices.

4. Promotion

• Develops sales and marketing promotional campaigns during the year to suit short and long-term brand objectives.

5. Inventory Management

• Maintains healthy inventory levels, by monitoring the movement of products per Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), developing depletion/liquidation programs for slow-moving items, and pipelining appropriate new or re-ordered products at the right time.

6. Marketing Communications

• Initiates and engages in various above and below-the-line communication programs (e.g., ads, tie-ups, events, promotions, publicity, etc.) that will meet the desired brand objectives for the target markets.
• Develops and implements various point-of-purchase materials for various distribution channels on a periodic basis, including show window displays for brand concept stores.
• Liaises and establishes close ties with various external parties and organizations that assist in achieving the marketing communication objectives, strategies, and messages of the brand.

7. Marketing Research

• Continually analyzes the market environment, competitors, consumer behaviors, supply and demand.
• Studies current market profiles vis-a-vis target markets and their needs and wants.
• Continuously gathers intelligence on the product's performance, customer attitudes/feedback, and new opportunities.

8. Budget Management / Profitability Controls

• To monitor and control brand budgets and ensure attainments of sales and profitability targets.

9. Management Reports

• Prepares various internal and external reports such as:
• Monthly Manager's Report.
• Quarterly / Seasonal performance reports (to Athletic Brand partners);
• Monthly Brand Report (to shareholders); etc.

The ideal Retail Brand Manager candidate:

• College graduate, preferably in Marketing Management or equivalent
• Must have 3-5 years of experience in Brand Management, possessing skills in forecasting, creativity, financial resources management, events management, Public Relations (PR) liaisons, and hands-on experience with in-store promotions and activations.
• Must be computer literate, specifically in Word, Excel and PowerPoint software.
• Must have excellent communication, interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Must be willing to travel locally and internationally.

We expect the ideal candidate to have/to be:

• Ability to mentor staff in an objective and boundaryless manner.
• Ability to work alongside any level in the organization.
• Ability to conduct market research and consumer analysis.
• Flexibility
• Initiative
• Dynamic
• Problem-solving ability