Merchandiser - 9 months FTC

Dunelm; Leicester; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Dunelm is seeking a hands-on Merchandiser to join our Commercial Team in the UK. You will be responsible for driving availability, stock and trading strategies within your product department, using strong commercial acumen and communication to influence teams and suppliers.

You'll shape category plans with a focus on growth, profitability and customer value, mentor colleagues, and collaborate across categories to deliver timely launches and robust markdown plans with data-driven decisions.

Qualifications

• Experience in merchandising, stock planning, or a similar commercial function.
• Passion for homewares with energy to innovate and drive the range forward.
• Strategic thinking to identify opportunities and risks and create plans.
• Strong understanding of critical path and supply chain management.
• Advanced planning and analytical skills, including Excel.
• Excellent time management and prioritisation with awareness of business impact.
• Effective networking to build relationships within the team and wider department.
• Resilience to drive results and willingness to challenge the status quo.
• Attention to detail and a constant drive to improve the category.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and manage the product critical path to ensure timely product launches.
• Lead and challenge your team to meet deadlines and deliver impressive results.
• Develop a deep understanding of customers, competitors, and market insights to inform decisions.
• Mentor and role model a positive, safe, and motivating team environment.
• Shape supplier strategy by building relationships and leading supplier meetings.
• Collaborate with team and suppliers to enhance production knowledge and experience.
• Manage markdown plans for your department, evaluating impact on trading margin.
• Take on additional projects outside your category to contribute to the broader merchandising function.

Skills

Merchandising

Stock planning

Analytical skills

Leadership

Communication

Time management

Strategic thinking

Negotiation

Team collaboration

Tools

Excel

Job description

Overview

Home. There’s no place like it. And there’s no feeling like helping people create the joy of feeling truly at home. At Dunelm, that’s what we do. We’re the UK's number one choice for homewares because we make home life lovelier for our customers. And the caring and encouraging culture we've created makes this a place you'll feel right at home too.

We are the UK’s Number One homewares retailer offering over 100,000 products building a consumer-focused total retail business that delights customers through our multichannel operation.

We are determined in our plans to increase further expansion of the business to more customers, shopping more frequently, with more choice, enhanced digital and physical services, and new capabilities to innovate and operate at pace in a fast-changing landscape. In developing the business for the long-term benefit of our customers, we are investing in our supply chain, stores and technology to improve the customer proposition as we progress.

The Commercial team are responsible for sourcing, developing and selling products that represent fantastic value for money, offer great quality, are innovative and sustainable. The commercial team are also responsible for trading ranges to optimise sales and profit and for developing strong relationships with our suppliers. You will be joining a talented team of Buyers, Merchandisers and Designers.

The team environment is fast-paced and energetic. We are positive, ambitious, forward-looking and data driven. We have to take calculated risks, to keep growing market share.

Our focus is to drive sales and profit for Dunelm through sourcing the best quality products, at the best prices, from sustainable and ethical sources. You will be a key member of the Commercial Team, accountable for executing the trading strategy for your product department.

What you'll be doing

As a Merchandiser, you will be accountable for ensuring great availability to maximise sales whilst delivering the stock and trading strategy within the department. You will have sound commercial acumen, and excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills. You will know what and how to pull the levers to maximise sales and profit and I’m quick to react to issues and opportunities. You will work collaboratively with colleagues in the category and together will constantly evolve the plans to achieve the biggest impact and growth in the short/medium term.

• Oversee and manage the product critical path to ensure timely product launches.
• Lead and challenge your team to meet deadlines and deliver impressive results.
• Develop a deep understanding of our customers, competitors, and market insights to inform decisions.
• Act as a mentor and role model, fostering a positive, safe, and motivating team environment that encourages growth and celebrates success.
• Help shape supplier strategy by building effective relationships and leading supplier meetings.
• Collaborate with your team and suppliers to enhance production knowledge and experience.
• Manage markdown plans for your department, evaluating the impact on overall trading margin.
• Take on additional projects outside your category to contribute to the broader merchandising function.

What we'll look for in you

• Demonstrated experience within a merchandising, stock planning, or similar commercial function
• A real passion for homewares and the energy to constantly innovate and drive the range forwar
• Strategic thinking. Ability to identify opportunities and risks, and create effective plans to achieve your department goal
• A thorough understanding of critical path and supply chain management
• Advanced planning and analytical skills, including Excel
• First-rate time management and prioritisation skills, and understand business impact on my prioritisation
• Use your network effectively to build strong relationships with the colleagues in the category and the wider team
• Take ownership and have resilience to continue to drive for results. Confident to challenge
• Strong attention to detail
• Constantly looking for ways to improve my category and myself
• Proactively problem solve to anticipate potential issues and implement solutions before they escalade
• A self starter who sets ambitious goals for themselves and their team
• Confidence in working with data and insights to enable data-driven decision making
• Able to spot opportunities and provide solutions at pace
• Role model key leadership and Dunelm values and encourage others to do so.