Head of Buying & Merchandising KUWAIT
5 hours ago
Santander
Our client is an established fashion retailer with an ambitious growth agenda across the Middle East. With a portfolio of well-recognised fashion brands and a reputation for delivering trend-led collections at scale, the business continues to invest heavily in its commercial and product teams. THIS ROLE REQUIRES RELOCATION TO KUWAIT. To support this growth, we are seeking an experienced Head of Buying & Merchandising to lead the end-to-end product planning and buying function, ensuring the right products reach the right customer at the right time. The Role This is a pivotal leadership position responsible for shaping the commercial product strategy across multiple fashion categories. You will combine customer insight, financial planning and market awareness to build commercially successful assortments while driving sales, margin and inventory performance. Leading a team of buyers and merchandisers, you will work cross-functionally with Design, Sourcing, Supply Chain and Retail Operations to ensure the business remains agile, customer-focused and commercially competitive. Key Responsibilities • Define and execute the seasonal buying and merchandising strategy across multiple product categories., • Build balanced assortments that align with customer demand, market trends and financial objectives., • Own the merchandise planning process, including forecasting, OTB management, stock optimisation and margin delivery., • Analyse trading performance and identify opportunities to maximise sales, improve sell-through and reduce inventory risk., • Partner with Design and Product Development to shape commercially relevant collections., • Collaborate with Supply Chain and Operations to ensure strong product availability and effective stock flow., • Develop strategic relationships with suppliers and brand partners, supporting negotiations and product selection., • Lead, coach and inspire a high-performing Buying & Merchandising team while promoting a collaborative and accountable culture., • Drive continuous improvement across reporting, planning tools and commercial processes. About You • Extensive experience leading Buying and Merchandising teams within international fashion retail., • Strong commercial judgement with a proven ability to balance customer trends, financial performance and inventory management., • Demonstrated success delivering profitable seasonal collections and managing significant buying budgets., • Excellent knowledge of merchandise planning, forecasting, allocation and trading., • A confident people leader with the ability to influence senior stakeholders across multiple functions., • Comfortable working within a fast-paced, entrepreneurial retail environment., • Previous international or Middle East experience is beneficial but not essential.
