Head of Merchandising

SUMWON STUDIOS; Dubai; On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

SUMWON STUDIOS is seeking a dynamic Head of Merchandising to shape the merchandising strategy for their diverse fashion brands. The ideal candidate will excel in a fast-paced environment, leveraging data insights and innovative processes to ensure timely product delivery, while leading a high-performing team. The position offers opportunities for creative freedom and significant impact within the organization.

Benefits

25 working days annual leave (rising to 30 after 1 year)

30% employee discount across all SUMWON STUDIOS brands

Ongoing learning and development opportunities

Company-wide social events and experiences

Creative freedom and space to innovate

Qualifications

• 10+ years of merchandising or planning experience.
• Experience at Head of Merchandising or senior leadership level.
• Understanding of fashion retail dynamics and online consumer behavior.

Responsibilities

• Drive end-to-end merchandising strategy across all brands.
• Analyze sales data to inform buying decisions.
• Lead a high-performing team of Merchandisers.

Skills

Commercial intuition

Data-driven mindset

Leadership

Tools

Excel

Google Sheets

Job description

Job Title: Head of Merchandising

Location: Dubai

Reports To: Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Company Overview

SUMWON STUDIOS is a fast-growing collective of direct-to-consumer fashion brands, including MISSGUIDED, SUMWON, AiiRZ, and KiZN. We are rewriting the rules of fast fashion through creative innovation, deep consumer understanding, and rapid execution.

Our team of trend forecasters, designers, and digital experts is driven by a shared obsession for what’s next delivering product with purpose to a global customer base.

In partnership with one of the world’s largest fashion retailers, we have the infrastructure and reach to distribute to over 150 million customers worldwide. We thrive on bold thinking, disruptive energy, and building globally inclusive brands that celebrate individuality.

We’re scaling fast and we’re looking for the right people to help shape the future of fashion.

About the Role:

As the Head of Merchandising at SUMWON STUDIOS, you will drive the end-to-end merchandising strategy across all brands. You will be responsible for planning, buying, trading, pricing, and critical path execution, ensuring we deliver the right product at the right time, with speed, accuracy, and commercial impact.

This is a highly strategic and commercially focused role, ideal for a forward-thinking, data-driven leader who understands the urgency of fast fashion, embraces AI-driven processes, and thrives in a high-growth, high-speed environment.

What you’ll do

Planning & Strategy

• Develop and lead the seasonal and in-season merchandising strategy across all brands and categories.
• Analyze historical and real-time sales data to identify opportunities, inform buying decisions, and influence future option planning.
• Build and present robust forecasts, range plans, and trading recommendations to leadership.

Trading & Commercial Execution

• React fast to trade performance, owning weekly trade reviews and driving stock and pricing actions accordingly.
• Champion a "buy now, wear now" mentality across categories, informed by consumer behavior and global trends.
• Manage markdowns, promotions, and trading levers to drive sell-through and margin performance.

Data-Led Process Innovation

• Lead the evolution of our merchandising tools and reporting systems, introducing automation and scalable analytics.
• Implement AI-driven insights to optimize decision-making in planning, pricing, and trading.
• Build efficient, repeatable workflows and logic-driven frameworks for high-volume SKU management.

Critical Path & Speed to Market

• Own the product critical path from order placement through to launch, ensuring timelines are hit and delays are mitigated.
• Collaborate closely with Design, Buying, and Studio teams to prioritize sampling and streamline go-live processes.

Pricing & Promotions

• Define pricing architecture and promotional strategy across all brands in collaboration with the Onsite and Pricing team.
• Test and evaluate pricing strategies, optimizing for both sales velocity and profit margin.

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Influence

• Lead and develop a high-performing team of Merchandisers, building their commercial acumen and decision-making capability.
• Set clear goals and KPIs for team members, ensuring continuous performance development and feedback.
• Work cross-functionally with Buying, Design, Marketing, Studio, Tech, and external partners to deliver cohesive brand and commercial strategies.

What you’ll bring

• 10+ years of merchandising or planning experience, with at least 3+ years at Head of Merchandising or senior leadership level within a fast-paced fashion retailer.
• Strong commercial intuition combined with a data and performance driven mindset.
• Deep understanding of fashion retail dynamics, online consumer behavior, and global market trends.
• Proven track record of driving growth through smart planning, agile trading, and margin optimization.
• Advanced Excel and Google Sheets skills; comfort with data modeling and performance dashboards.
• Experience with or interest in AI-powered tools and merchandising automation.
• Strong leadership and communication skills with the ability to motivate, influence, and inspire teams.

What we’ll bring

• 25 working days annual leave (rising to 30 after 1 year)
• 30% employee discount across all SUMWON STUDIOS brands (SUMWON, Missguided, AiiRZ)
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities
• Company-wide social events and experiences
• Creative freedom and space to innovate
• Work with the best minds in fashion, design, and tech

Why Join Us?

• Work in one of the fastest-growing DTC fashion groups globally
• Be part of building trend-led brands that challenge the status quo
• Real ownership, real responsibility, real impact
• A culture that celebrates individuality and rewards creativity