Head of Merchandising

Elite Associates; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Elite Associates in London is recruiting an experienced Head of Merchandising to lead the function and drive profitable growth. This hands-on role balances strategic planning with detailed day-to-day trading to deliver commercial direction as the business scales.

You will own budgets, forecasts, range planning and open-to-buy, partner with Buying to create commercially focused ranges, and lead a team to improve processes and reporting in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Head of Merchandising or Senior Merchandising Manager ready to step up.
• Strong fashion experience in fast-growth environment.
• Proven track record of delivering sales, margin and stock targets.
• Highly analytical and hands-on leader, comfortable with detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead the merchandising strategy to hit sales, margin and stock targets.
• Own budgets, forecasting, range planning and open-to-buy.
• Partner with Buying to build ranges aligned with demand.
• Lead weekly trading and analyze product performance.
• Oversee stock intake, allocation and replenishment.
• Collaborate with Finance, Production and Supply Chain on forecasts.
• Lead and develop the merchandising team.

Skills

Merchandising strategy

Forecasting

Range planning

Open-to-buy

Trading performance

Leadership

Excel

Stakeholder management

Tools

Merchandising software

Job description

We are partnering with a high-growth British fashion brand seeking an experienced Head of Merchandising to lead the function and drive profitable growth.

This is a hands-on role within a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. You will balance strategic planning with detailed day-to-day trading, bringing clear commercial direction and structure as the business scales.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the merchandising strategy, delivering sales, margin and stock targets against ambitious growth plans.
• Own budgets, forecasting, range planning and open-to-buy, adapting quickly to trading performance.
• Partner with Buying to build commercially focused ranges aligned with customer demand and brand direction.
• Lead weekly trading, analysing category and product performance to identify opportunities and drive action.
• Oversee stock intake, allocation and replenishment, maximising full-price sales and managing markdown.
• Collaborate with Finance, Production and Supply Chain on forecasts, deliveries and trading priorities.
• Lead and develop the team, providing clear direction and hands-on support.
• Improve processes, reporting and systems to support continued growth.

About You

• An experienced Head of Merchandising or Senior Merchandising Manager ready to step up.
• Strong fashion experience, ideally within a fast-paced, high-growth business.
• A proven track record of delivering sales, margin and stock targets.
• Highly analytical and comfortable working in the detail, interrogating forecasts and individual product performance.
• A hands-on leader, happy to build reports, investigate stock issues and support the team directly.
• Adaptable and decisive, with the ability to manage shifting priorities and make commercial decisions at pace.
• Strong leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with merchandising and planning systems.