Manager Merchandising Franchise

 

 

Department:                                     DTC

Direct Reporting Line:                    Sr. Manager Merchandising

Indirect/Second Reporting Line   -

Subsidiary/Country:                       Israel

Location:                                          

GSMS Grade:                                    M4

Personnel managed:                      No

Budget managed:                            No

 

 

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

 

This role is pivotal in maximizing the profitability of franchise partners by driving performance, aligning product offerings with market trends, and meeting customer demands. As a Merchandising Manager, you will play a key role in sales planning, buying, in-season trading activities, and post-season analysis, ensuring merchandising excellence and operational efficiency. This position demands a strategic approach to driving sales and enhancing brand equity while collaborating cross-functionally with key stakeholders.

 

 Key Responsibilities:

Pre-Season Buying:

Develop and implement comprehensive buying plans that align with sales targets and optimize OTB budgets. Provide franchise partners with expert guidance on sell-in strategies, ensuring assortments reflect seasonal direction and store specific needs. Share structured guidance on expected SOB by category, consumer group, age, gender and more. Provide partners with excess to product highlight summaries to support informed buying decisions. Build an optimal product mix tailored to store formats, product categories, store types, and key consumer segments. Ensure accurate size ratios are applied to improve inventory efficiency and minimize missed sales. Conduct in-depth analysis of market trends, consumer preferences, and competitor landscapes to inform range building. Manage the full sell-in calendar, including preline timeline and showrooms.  Manage partners seasonal buying consolidation. Lead planning for store assortment, capacity, and number of options to support business and space efficiency. Provide structured feedback to the product team and Hub on the range, including exclusives, common assortment gaps, and business-driven requests. Share buy reviews with partners ahead of final submission to ensure alignment and accuracy. Deliver local sell-in summaries to all partners, capturing key metrics and highlights from the final buy.

 

In-Season Management:

Continuously monitor sales performance to identify growth opportunities and proactively address underperforming areas, unlocking untapped potential. Collaborate closely with retail, marketing, and operations teams to ensure product presentation in stores aligns with overall brand strategies. Analyze and act on key performance reports, including sales forecasts, seasonal buy performance, campaign results, slow movers, best sellers, and monthly business recaps. Lead merchandising execution for store openings, remodels, and closures to ensure smooth and brand-consistent implementation. Maintain a structured schedule of regular store visits to stay connected to in-store operations and gather actionable insights from the field.

 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

 

Strategic and Analytical Acumen: Demonstrated ability to analyze data, identify trends, and drive data-informed decisions. Organized and Process-Oriented: Structured approach to managing complex workflows and multitasking in a fast-paced environment. Team Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively across teams and under pressure while fostering a positive, results-driven environment. Technical Expertise: Advanced proficiency in MS Office (particularly Excel and PowerPoint) and familiarity with Retail Management Systems. Customer-Centric Mindset: Deep understanding of consumer behaviors and preferences to guide product and merchandising strategies.

 

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

 

Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, or a related field. Equivalent professional experience will also be considered. Professional Experience: A minimum of 3-5 years of experience in merchandising or closely related functions within retail or franchise operations. Language Proficiency: Fluency in English is essential for effective communication across global and regional stakeholders.