Merchandiser

Responsible for the procurement of both our clients products; effectively securing those products on competitive terms at the quantities required when they are needed.

To work alongside the General Manager and Sales Manager to identify opportunities to increase margin, improve credit terms and identify opportunities for new ranges.

To develop the inventory management processes in order to improve stock turn, reduce obsolescence, improve packaging standards and reduce our impact on the environment.

Your Key Responsibilities:

• A key member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to strategy and performance monitoring
• Deliver a customer focused plan to maximise the sales and profit for each product category in accordance with our targeted margins.
• Work closely with our General Manager to agree target cost prices and create a cohesive merchandising strategy for all products.
• Collaborate on product range development, ensuring the product reflects our brand positioning to service the professional amenity market.
• Continuously monitor market activity, including regular comp shops to gather market intelligence including pricing analysis from a wide variety of sources taking appropriate commercial action.
• Implement an effective process for the introduction of new products as well as the retirement of others.
• Build close working relationships with key suppliers whilst searching for new supply chain opportunities, maintaining the same high-quality, competitively priced products, on favourable commercial terms.
• Initiate regular supplier performance reviews and introduce appropriate KPIs to measure and monitor supplier performance.
• Develop a good understanding of our customer’s requirements to provide a commercially viable range of products at competitive prices.
• Attend trade fairs and visit supplier sites to fully understand capabilities and identify supply risks.
• Ensure stock holding is kept to a minimum, whilst ensuring stock availability for our customers isn’t compromised.
• Liaise with the Warehouse Manager to obtain information on returns; product specification and quality.
• Work with the General Manager to understand margin objectives and other key objectives in their area of responsibility.
• Work on system improvements to ensure effective process workflows and IT improvements to aid efficiency.

General Responsibilities: 

• Understand the business plan for the site and ensure what you do on a day-to-day basis is in line with this
• Ensure the work you do is of high quality and that any procedures are followed
• Engage in personal development and training to help you do your job better
• Always comply with any HR and H&S policies to reduce the chances of any accidents, incidents or near misses
• Work flexibly and efficiently to meet customer needs
• Bring new ideas and approaches with an open mind and fresh perspective
• Always maintain confidentiality and security 

Role Requirements:

• Experience in a buying environment and a good understanding of the key elements of the buying cycle.
• Aware of current and emerging best practice within buying.
• Technical knowledge of product area and manufacturing processes (preferable).
• First class buying and demand forecasting skills.
• Computer literacy having advanced IT skills including the use of PC, Mac and Microsoft packages.
• Experience of KPI and budget control and management.
• Ability to operate in a dynamic, constantly evolving environment balancing the demands of a Company that has multiple channels within varying seasonal demands and pressures and ensuring that the stock levels are managed vs customer demand on all our core products.
• Commerciality – skilled at finding opportunities to achieve profit in any situation, trading mentality to support and develop product areas.
• Results driven – committed to making things happen, ability to juggle initiatives and able to prioritise those that will have bigger impact on business.
• Trading mentality – ability to work at pace, challenge results and information to drive for results, using logic and creativity to propose solutions.
• Persuasion and influence – ability to present facts, opinions and proposals persuasively that drives confidence, buy-in to ideas and commitment to making things happen.
• The ability to communicate clearly and concisely, and formulate messages in a way that allows others to do likewise.
• High level organisational and project management skills including critical path management.
• Positive, “can do” attitude toward activities which meet Progreen’s goals and deliver the greatest value. A willingness to ‘pitch in’ on any task which helps bring about improvements.
• A team player, working alongside others with integrity, positivity and respect.
• Customer-focused – meeting and exceeding our customer’s needs with focus on solutions, not problems.