Merchandise Manager

Placemakers; Auckland; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

PlaceMakers, based in Auckland, seeks a commercially strong Merchandise Manager to lead three Category Managers and three Assistant Category Managers. You’ll own category performance across a significant portion of our business, balancing customer insights with range, pricing, and inventory to win with customers.

Based at the Penrose Support Office, you’ll translate national strategy into practical execution across our branch network and collaborate with Operations, Sales, Pricing, Supply Chain

Qualifications

• Experience developing and executing category or commercial strategies.
• Proven people leadership and team development.
• Strong negotiation skills with major suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver customer-led category strategies that drive growth.
• Build ranges with availability and inventory investment.
• Manage pricing, costs, supplier terms, rebates and promotions.
• Lead supplier negotiations and partnerships delivering value.
• Translate insights into clear commercial decisions.
• Collaborate with Operations, Sales, Pricing, Supply Chain, Finance and Marketing.

Skills

Commercial acumen

People leadership

Negotiation skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical mindset

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

PlaceMakers is transforming how we approach category, range, pricing and supplier partnerships—and we’re looking for a commercially strong Merchandise Manager to help lead the way.

Based at our Penrose Support Office, you’ll lead three Category Managers and three Assistant Category Managers, with end-to-end ownership of category performance across a significant part of our business.

This is broader than a traditional merchandise role. You’ll combine customer insight, category strategy, range, pricing, supplier performance and inventory to create propositions that help our branches win with customers and grow market share profitably.

What you’ll make happen:

You’ll be responsible for:

• Developing and delivering customer-led category strategies that drive profitable growth.
• Building relevant ranges supported by the right availability and inventory investment
• Improving performance through disciplined management of pricing, costs, supplier terms, rebates and promotions
• Leading significant supplier negotiations and building partnerships that create sustainable value
• Turning customer, competitor and performance insights into clear commercial decisions.
• Balancing customer availability and range breadth with inventory productivity and working capital
• Translating national strategy into practical execution across our branch network.
• Partnering with Operations, Sales, Pricing, Supply Chain, Finance and Marketing to deliver strong customer outcomes
• Challenging established ways of working when there is a better commercial or customer outcome
• Developing the capability and commercial judgement of your team

What you’ll bring:

You’ll be an experienced category, merchandise or commercial leader with a track record of delivering measurable business results.

Comfortable moving between strategy and execution, you’ll be equally confident analysing commercial performance, negotiating with a major supplier, coaching your team or working with operational leaders to solve customer problems.

You’ll bring:

• Strong commercial acumen and an understanding of the drivers of sales, margin and return on investment
• Experience developing and executing category or commercial strategies
• Strong negotiation skills and experience managing significant supplier relationships
• The ability to turn complex information into clear decisions and action
• Proven people leadership and experience developing high-performing teams
• Strong influencing skills and the ability to lead across functions
• Curiosity, pace, ownership and the confidence to challenge established thinking

Experience in building products, trade, distribution, wholesale or B2B environments would be valuable, but it isn’t essential. What matters most is your ability to understand customers, create commercial value and make things happen.

Why PlaceMakers?

PlaceMakers plays a critical role in New Zealand’s building industry, supporting builders and tradespeople across the country.

We’re strengthening our customer proposition by resetting core ranges, simplifying pricing, improving availability and building stronger supplier partnerships.

You’ll join a business with scale, an established national network and genuine opportunity to influence how we work. If you want to make a meaningful impact on customers, commercial performance and team capability, we’d love to hear from you.

Come and help us build what’s next.

We are proud of the incredible diversity of people who make up our business! As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we strive to create an inclusive environment for all our employees across our national network of branches throughout New Zealand.