Chief Merchandising Officer

ghim li global pte ltd; Singapore; On-site; SGD 350,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

ghim li global pte ltd seeks a Chief Merchandising Officer to drive sustainable year-on-year topline growth, strengthen customer relationships, expand market share, and build a high-performing Sales, Merchandising, Business Development and Design organization across locations.

The role focuses on commercial strategy, leadership of sales and merchandising, business development, design and product development, customer relationship management, cross-functional collaboration, quality/compliance,

Responsibilities

• Develop a 3–5 year growth strategy to deliver 15% annual revenue growth from US$100M base.
• Identify new markets, product categories, customer segments and opportunities supporting growth and margin.
• Build and manage a robust sales pipeline with clear conversion strategies.
• Establish annual sales targets, budgets, revenue forecasts and commercial priorities.
• Drive initiatives to improve customer retention, wallet share and profitability.
• Lead contract negotiations and strategic customer partnerships.
• Lead, mentor and develop the Sales and Merchandising organization across all locations.
• Set KPIs for customer acquisition, sales growth, order conversion, delivery and profitability.
• Strengthen customer relationship management and key account growth strategies.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, customer satisfaction and business results.
• Develop succession plans and talent pipelines within the commercial organization.
• Oversee capacity planning to ensure factories are evenly loaded and minimize production peaks and valleys.
• Lead the Business Development team in identifying and securing new customers and strategic opportunities.
• Expand the Group’s presence with global brands, retailers, sourcing offices and emerging customers.
• Monitor industry trends, market shifts and competitor activities to identify growth opportunities.
• Represent the Group at customer meetings, trade fairs, industry forums and international business events.
• Develop strategic partnerships that enhance market competitiveness and commercial capability.
• Guide the Design and Product Development teams in developing commercially relevant products and collections, supported by AI and digitalization tools where appropriate.
• Ensure product innovation is aligned with customer requirements, market trends and manufacturing capabilities.
• Collaborate with customers to convert concepts into commercially viable products.
• Promote speed-to-market initiatives and solution-based selling approaches.
• Drive innovation in materials, sustainability and manufacturing processes.
• Maintain executive-level relationships with key customers and strategic accounts.
• Act as the primary commercial representative for major customer negotiations and business reviews.
• Lead customer engagement strategies to improve satisfaction, retention and long-term partnership outcomes.
• Resolve critical customer issues in a timely and commercially balanced manner.
• Partner with Operations, Manufacturing, Technical, Supply Chain and Finance teams to align commercial commitments with operational capabilities.
• Ensure profitable order acceptance and optimal capacity utilization.
• Support cost management initiatives and margin improvement programmes.
• Participate in strategic planning, budgeting and business transformation initiatives.
• Work with relevant teams to ensure customer requirements, quality standards and compliance expectations are clearly understood and properly executed.
• Support commercial decisions that are aligned with quality, compliance, ethical sourcing and customer audit requirements.
• Monitor global apparel and textile market trends, sourcing dynamics and emerging opportunities.
• Identify strategic investments or acquisitions that support business growth objectives.
• Provide market intelligence and commercial insights to the Executive Leadership Team and Board.

Job description

As Chief Merchandising Officer of a US$100M apparel and textile manufacturing group, the primary mandate is responsible for driving sustainable year-on-year to drive topline growth of 15%, while maintaining or improving margins. The position will strengthen strategic, strengthening customer relationships, expand market share, develop new business opportunities, and build a high-performing Sales, Merchandising, Business Development and Design organization.

Commercial Strategy and Revenue Growth

• Develop and execute a 3 to 5-year commercial growth strategy to deliver 15% annual year-on-year revenue growth from the current US$100 million base.
• Identify new markets, product categories, customer segments and business opportunities that support sustainable growth and margin improvement.
• Build and manage a robust sales pipeline with clear conversion strategies.
• Establish annual sales targets, budgets, revenue forecasts and commercial priorities.
• Drive initiatives to improve customer retention, wallet share and profitability.
• Lead contract negotiations and strategic customer partnerships.

Leadership of Sales and Merchandising Function

• Lead, mentor and develop the Sales and Merchandising organization across all operating locations.
• Set clear KPIs and performance standards for customer acquisition, sales growth, order conversion, on-time delivery and profitability.
• Strengthen customer relationship management and key account growth strategies.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, customer satisfaction and business results.
• Develop succession plans and talent pipelines within the commercial organization.
• Oversee capacity planning to ensure factories are evenly loaded and minimize production peaks and valleys.

Business Development Leadership

• Lead the Business Development team in identifying and securing new customers and strategic opportunities.
• Expand the Group’s presence with global brands, retailers, sourcing offices and emerging customers.
• Monitor industry trends, market shifts and competitor activities to identify growth opportunities.
• Represent the Group at customer meetings, trade fairs, industry forums and international business events.
• Develop strategic partnerships that enhance market competitiveness and commercial capability.

Design and Product Development Leadership

• Guide the Design and Product Development teams in developing commercially relevant products and collections, supported by AI and digitalization tools where appropriate.
• Ensure product innovation is aligned with customer requirements, market trends and manufacturing capabilities.
• Collaborate with customers to convert concepts into commercially viable products.
• Promote speed-to-market initiatives and solution-based selling approaches.
• Drive innovation in materials, sustainability and manufacturing processes.

Customer Relationship Management

• Maintain executive-level relationships with key customers and strategic accounts.
• Act as the primary commercial representative for major customer negotiations and business reviews.
• Lead customer engagement strategies to improve satisfaction, retention and long-term partnership outcomes.
• Resolve critical customer issues in a timely and commercially balanced manner.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Operations, Manufacturing, Technical, Supply Chain and Finance teams to align commercial commitments with operational capabilities.
• Ensure profitable order acceptance and optimal capacity utilization.
• Support cost management initiatives and margin improvement programmes.
• Participate in strategic planning, budgeting and business transformation initiatives.

Quality and Compliance

• Work with relevant teams to ensure customer requirements, quality standards and compliance expectations are clearly understood and properly executed.
• Support commercial decisions that are aligned with quality, compliance, ethical sourcing and customer audit requirements.

Industry and Market Intelligence

• Monitor global apparel and textile market trends, sourcing dynamics and emerging opportunities.
• Identify strategic investments or acquisitions that support business growth objectives.
• Provide market intelligence and commercial insights to the Executive Leadership Team and Board.