Merchandise Manager
House of Bath is part of N Brown Group plc, a leading home shopping company with brands including Jacamo, Simply Be and JD Williams.
Based in the city of Bath, House of Bath is a specialist brand and is a consumer catalogue led business selling predominantly homewares to a more mature female customer. Our main product categories are Bedroom, Bathroom, Living, Home Solutions, Health and a growing clothing category. With our multi-channel service approach, our customers are able to shop whenever and however they want via phone, website or post.
Our House of Bath operation is a team of 28 which is comprised of Buying, Marketing, Merchandising and Creative Services functions. We link into the main business to take advantage of the infrastructure in terms of IT, warehousing and the contact centre as well as other support functions.
We are a passionate, committed team that have driven stellar growth in the last 5 years. In an ever competitive retail environment, service is of paramount importance balanced against commercial objectives. We are looking for an experienced Merchandise Manager, preferably with a direct commerce background (but not essential,) who is looking to join a fast paced organisation with a real opportunity to lead the function and a small experienced team contributing to ongoing growth plans.
So, if you are looking for an exciting and challenging role, representing a real career development opportunity, in a fast growing and transformational market, then this could be the platform to allow your merchandising and leadership skills to shine.
The Role of Merchandise Manager
Reporting to the Managing Director, the Merchandise Manager is responsible for leading a team of merchandisers to deliver sales, profit and stock KPI's. This is both a strategic and tactical role with specific focus on forecasting, analysing trends, reacting to market conditions and anticipating possible opportunities and challenges to the business before they impact the financials. Fundamentally, the Merchandise Manager ensures the right stock is in the right place at the right time, so our customers can buy what they want, when they want it.
This is a great opportunity for a current Merchandise Manager or Merchandiser seeking a significant new career challenge in a very fast paced, commercial environment. The ideal candidate will be an enthusiastic, adaptable leader with the passion to make an impact not just within House of Bath but the entire N Brown business.
Key areas of responsibility are:
- Working in close collaboration with Marketing and the Head of Buying to create a challenging but realistic stock plan in line with the company's goals.
- Effectively communicating the current and future trading and service challenges to the MD to help maximise sales and profitability.
- Optimising availability, service and stock levels.
- Forecasting and interpreting commercial data to react to trading opportunities.
- Performance-managing, training, developing and motivating a team to ensure that the business and brand objectives are met and robust succession plans are in place.
- To be accountable for delivering the merchandising elements of the critical path in an accurate and timely manner.
- Managing product performance and operational budgets.
What you will need to succeed:
- A degree level or equivalent in a relevant subject such as Business Management & Statistics
- Substantial experience working within a merchandise management role
- Be proficient and demonstrate a strong understanding in the imports process. A large proportion of our product is directly imported from the Far East/India
- Commercial awareness and the ability to relate business needs and requirements in a compelling and understandable way to the team and the wider business stakeholders.
- The leadership skills to lead a team and engage/influence multiple stakeholders at all levels of the organisation
- Demonstrated ability to quickly appraise complex situations, identify key issues and make tough, timely decisions
- The ability to work under pressure and be resilient and tenacious to get results.
- Excellent communication skills to instigate and maintain excellent working relationships with customers, global suppliers, third parties and cross business stakeholders
- Proven track record as a Manager and Leader of People within a Merchandising environment
Employees in our business may have access to our customers' personal data therefore for a number of our roles, offers of employment are subject to a satisfactory criminal record check.
Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an individual from obtaining a position with JD Williams
Based in the city of Bath, House of Bath is a specialist brand and is a consumer catalogue led business selling predominantly homewares to a more mature female customer. Our main product categories are Bedroom, Bathroom, Living, Home Solutions, Health and a growing clothing category. With our multi-channel service approach, our customers are able to shop whenever and however they want via phone, website or post.
Our House of Bath operation is a team of 28 which is comprised of Buying, Marketing, Merchandising and Creative Services functions. We link into the main business to take advantage of the infrastructure in terms of IT, warehousing and the contact centre as well as other support functions.
We are a passionate, committed team that have driven stellar growth in the last 5 years. In an ever competitive retail environment, service is of paramount importance balanced against commercial objectives. We are looking for an experienced Merchandise Manager, preferably with a direct commerce background (but not essential,) who is looking to join a fast paced organisation with a real opportunity to lead the function and a small experienced team contributing to ongoing growth plans.
So, if you are looking for an exciting and challenging role, representing a real career development opportunity, in a fast growing and transformational market, then this could be the platform to allow your merchandising and leadership skills to shine.
The Role of Merchandise Manager
Reporting to the Managing Director, the Merchandise Manager is responsible for leading a team of merchandisers to deliver sales, profit and stock KPI's. This is both a strategic and tactical role with specific focus on forecasting, analysing trends, reacting to market conditions and anticipating possible opportunities and challenges to the business before they impact the financials. Fundamentally, the Merchandise Manager ensures the right stock is in the right place at the right time, so our customers can buy what they want, when they want it.
This is a great opportunity for a current Merchandise Manager or Merchandiser seeking a significant new career challenge in a very fast paced, commercial environment. The ideal candidate will be an enthusiastic, adaptable leader with the passion to make an impact not just within House of Bath but the entire N Brown business.
Key areas of responsibility are:
- Working in close collaboration with Marketing and the Head of Buying to create a challenging but realistic stock plan in line with the company's goals.
- Effectively communicating the current and future trading and service challenges to the MD to help maximise sales and profitability.
- Optimising availability, service and stock levels.
- Forecasting and interpreting commercial data to react to trading opportunities.
- Performance-managing, training, developing and motivating a team to ensure that the business and brand objectives are met and robust succession plans are in place.
- To be accountable for delivering the merchandising elements of the critical path in an accurate and timely manner.
- Managing product performance and operational budgets.
What you will need to succeed:
- A degree level or equivalent in a relevant subject such as Business Management & Statistics
- Substantial experience working within a merchandise management role
- Be proficient and demonstrate a strong understanding in the imports process. A large proportion of our product is directly imported from the Far East/India
- Commercial awareness and the ability to relate business needs and requirements in a compelling and understandable way to the team and the wider business stakeholders.
- The leadership skills to lead a team and engage/influence multiple stakeholders at all levels of the organisation
- Demonstrated ability to quickly appraise complex situations, identify key issues and make tough, timely decisions
- The ability to work under pressure and be resilient and tenacious to get results.
- Excellent communication skills to instigate and maintain excellent working relationships with customers, global suppliers, third parties and cross business stakeholders
- Proven track record as a Manager and Leader of People within a Merchandising environment
Employees in our business may have access to our customers' personal data therefore for a number of our roles, offers of employment are subject to a satisfactory criminal record check.
Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an individual from obtaining a position with JD Williams