Senior Commercial Merchandise Manager

Attuned Talent; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Bungalow is seeking a Senior Commercial Merchandise Manager to lead the buying team and own the commercial performance of the merchandise function. You will determine investment levels, plan open-to-buy, manage budgets and inventory health to deliver growth.

Reporting to the Founder and collaborating with the Creative Merchandise Manager and Financial Controller, you will develop a high-performing team, analyze sales data, forecast demand and balance margin with stock while maintaining the

Qualifications

• Background in merchandise planning or commercial buying within fashion, retail or apparel.
• Strong capability across open-to-buy, inventory investment, forecasting, margin, stock turn and cash.
• Confident leader capable of setting direction, challenging thinking and guiding a team.

Responsibilities

• Lead the buying team and set direction around investment, inventory and performance.
• Own open-to-buy, merchandise budgets, cash flow and inventory health.
• Analyse sales and stock performance to identify when to invest or pull back.
• Balance margin opportunities with inventory and cash considerations.
• Develop and mentor the buying team and connect with Finance for performance insights.

Skills

Merchandise planning

Merchandise management

Commercial buying

Forecasting

Job description

Blue Bungalow has built a successful business by knowing their customer, choosing product she loves and being prepared to move quickly when they see an opportunity.

They’re an established Australian fashion and lifestyle brand with a loyal customer following and ambitious plans for continued growth. While the business has grown, they’ve remained entrepreneurial, hands-on and close to their customer. They also want to keep it that way.

We’re looking for a Senior Commercial Merchandise Manager to lead their buying team and take ownership of the commercial performance of the merchandise function. Working closely with the Founder, Creative Merchandise Manager and Financial Controller, you’ll bring a strong commercial view to the way they buy. You’ll help determine where they invest, how much they invest and when they need to change course, while leading a team that knows their product and customer incredibly well.

The role

Leading the buying team, the Senior Commercial Merchandise Manager will set clear direction around investment, inventory and performance, with ownership of open-to-buy, merchandise budgets, cash flow and inventory health.

This means staying close to sales and stock performance, understanding where there is an opportunity to invest more and recognising when it’s time to pull back. With product sourced through wholesale, production orders and our own direct development, there is also an important balance to strike between margin opportunity, inventory and cash.

The role works closely with the Creative Merchandise Manager, bringing commercial insight to product decisions while recognising the importance of customer knowledge and creative instinct. It is also an important link into Finance, providing a clear and trusted view of merchandise performance and investment.

Just as importantly, this person will lead and develop the buying team, creating clear accountability and building strong commercial capability across the function.

About you

Your background is likely to be in merchandise planning, merchandise management or commercial buying within fashion, retail or apparel.

Strong capability across open-to-buy, inventory investment, forecasting, margin, stock turn and cash is important, alongside the judgement to know what the numbers mean and what action to take.

You’ll be a confident leader, comfortable setting direction, challenging thinking and making decisions, while giving experienced people the space to do their jobs well.

Blue Bungalow is founder-led, fast-moving and collaborative. We’re looking for someone who enjoys that environment, can operate comfortably at both a strategic and hands-on level, and understands the balance between commercial discipline and great retail instinct.

Why Blue Bungalow?

This is an opportunity to have genuine influence in a successful Australian business as it enters its next stage of growth.

They want to strengthen the commercial capability behind their merchandise decisions while retaining the pace, creativity and understanding of their customer that have made Blue Bungalow what it is today.