Merchandising Manager

Zachary Daniels Recruitment; Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Manchester-based challenger sportswear and lifestyle brand is recruiting a Merchandising Manager to lead end-to-end strategy across online and wholesale channels. You will manage a small merchandising team, partner with Buying and Production, and drive stock planning to support ambitious growth.

As a commercially focused leader, you will elevate the function, own margins, and shape how merchandising evolves as the brand scales in a dynamic market.

Qualifications

• Experience in merchandising leadership within fashion or sportswear.
• Strong know-how of own-brand product development and critical path.
• Experience across online and wholesale channels.
• Proven ability to lead a small team and develop talent.
• Comfortable presenting to senior stakeholders.
• Adaptable to a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end merchandising strategy across online and wholesale channels.
• Lead, develop and grow a small merchandising team.
• Drive sales, stock and intake planning with production timelines in view.
• Collaborate with Buying and Production teams on range and stock decisions.
• Analyse trade, identify risks and opportunities for senior leadership.
• Manage markdown and promotional strategy to protect margins.
• Build strong relationships with wholesale partners and align plans.
• Shape the future evolution of the merchandising function.

Skills

Merchandising leadership

People management

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder presentation

Job description

Merchandising Manager | Challenger Sportswear & Lifestyle Brand

Manchester | 4/1 Hybrid Working | £65,000 - £75,000

Location: Manchester

Salary: Competitive + benefits

Reporting to: Senior Leadership Team

Team: Managing a small merchandising team

About the Role

We're partnering with a fast-growing, challenger sportswear and lifestyle brand based in Manchester to find a Merchandising Manager - a brand new role, created to give the business the merchandising leadership it needs for its next stage of growth.

This brand is scaling exponentially across both online and wholesale channels, and momentum shows no sign of slowing. The fundamentals are already in place and the existing team is strong - what's missing is a merchandising leader to bring it all together, sharpen strategy, and drive the function forward with real commercial rigour.

This is a genuine opportunity to shape a function from a position of strength, not build from scratch. You'll inherit a good foundation and a good team - your job is to elevate both.

The Role

• Owning the end-to-end merchandising strategy across online and wholesale channels, ensuring plans are commercially robust and aligned to ambitious growth targets
• Leading, developing and growing a small merchandising team, raising capability and building a strong bench for the future
• Driving sales, stock and intake planning, with a close eye on own-brand production timelines and critical path
• Partnering closely with Buying and Production/Sourcing teams, using a strong understanding of own-brand product development to inform range and stock decisions
• Analysing trade across channels, identifying risk and opportunity, and translating insight into clear, confident recommendations for senior leadership
• Managing markdown, promotional and clearance strategy to protect margin while maximising sell-through
• Building strong relationships with wholesale partners, ensuring stock commitments and order books are aligned with the wider business plan
• Acting as a key voice in shaping how the merchandising function evolves as the business continues to scale

About You

• Proven experience in a Merchandising Manager, Senior Merchandiser, or similar leadership-level role, ideally within fashion, sportswear or lifestyle apparel
• Strong understanding of own-brand product and production - you'll know your way around critical path, lead times and the realities of working with manufacturers
• Experience across both online/D2C and wholesale channels is a strong advantage
• A natural leader with genuine people management experience, able to develop and get the best from a small team
• Commercially sharp, analytical, and comfortable presenting recommendations to senior stakeholders
• Ambitious and progression-minded - this role has real scope to grow as the business grows, and we're looking for someone who wants to grow with it
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, high-growth environment where priorities can shift quickly

What's On Offer

• A brand new role with genuine ownership and influence, reporting directly into senior leadership
• The chance to lead and shape a small, capable team with plans in place for future headcount
• Real responsibility from day one, with a clear path for progression as the brand continues its exponential growth
• The opportunity to join a challenger brand at a genuinely exciting point in its journey