Product Merchandising and Operations Manager

This is a Full Time Job

PRODUCT MERCHANDISING & OPERATIONS MANAGER

REPORTS TO: HEAD OF PRODUCT & ECOMMERCE

MISSION:
• Own the end to end merchandising, supply chain, and operational delivery of The Diary of a CEO / Behind The Diary product ecosystem, ensuring products are built, delivered, and available to support both launches and ongoing growth.
• You will be responsible for sourcing and buying new product ranges, managing suppliers, and ensuring stock is planned, ordered, and delivered efficiently.
• You will act as the operational owner of product development and delivery, ensuring products move from concept to launch on time, on budget, and at the right quality.
• Success in this role comes from balancing commercial performance, operational efficiency, and customer demand, ensuring we maximise revenue while minimising risk.
• Your goal is to build a scalable merchandising and supply chain operation that enables consistent product availability, strong margins, and seamless execution.
• You will partner closely with the Head of Product & Ecommerce to bring products to market, working together from concept through to launch, with ownership of delivery, supply, and operational execution.
• This is a hands on role in a growing product business, where you will build and shape the merchandising and supply chain setup as we scale.

OUTCOMES:
• Stock & inventory management: Ensure optimal stock levels across all products, minimising stockouts and overstock while supporting revenue growth
• Replenishment & stock continuity:
• Manage reordering cycles and stock replenishment to ensure consistent availability of best-selling products while minimising excess inventory
• Demand forecasting & planning: Build accurate, data-led forecasts based on sales trends, marketing plans, and product launches to inform buying and supply decisions
• Sourcing & supplier management: Identify, onboard, and manage suppliers and manufacturers, ensuring quality, reliability, and strong commercial terms
• Buying & range planning: Support the execution of product ranges by ensuring products are sourced, costed, and ordered in line with demand, commercial targets, and product direction
• Product development & delivery: Own timelines from product concept through to launch, coordinating across product, creative, suppliers, and operations to ensure delivery on time, on budget, and at the required quality
• Supply chain optimisation: Manage end-to-end supply chain operations, improving efficiency across production, logistics, and fulfilment to reduce costs and lead times
• Launch readiness: Ensure all product launches are supported with the right stock levels, timelines, and operational planning to meet demand
• Margin & cost management: Monitor and optimise product margins through cost control, supplier negotiation, and supply chain efficiency, providing input into pricing decisions
• Cross-functional collaboration: Work across product, ecommerce, growth, and creative teams to ensure seamless execution.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE:
• You ensure products are consistently available, supporting revenue growth without excess inventory risk
• You accurately forecast demand and plan stock to support both product launches and ongoing sales
• You deliver product launches on time, with no delays or operational issues
• You build strong supplier relationships, ensuring quality, reliability, and cost efficiency
• You bring structure and clarity to product development, ensuring timelines are met and teams are aligned
• You optimise margins through strong buying decisions and cost control
• You identify and solve supply chain challenges quickly, keeping operations running smoothly
• You enable the growth team to scale confidently, knowing supply can meet demand

COMPETENCIES:
• Merchandising & buying: Experience sourcing and buying products, with a strong understanding of range planning, cost negotiation, and supplier management
• Supply chain & operations: Strong understanding of end-to-end supply chain processes, including production, logistics, and fulfilment
• Demand forecasting & planning: Ability to analyse sales data, trends, and inputs to forecast demand and plan stock effectively
• Commercial & financial acumen: Strong understanding of margins, cost structures, and profitability, with the ability to make commercially sound decisions
• Project & stakeholder management: Highly organised, able to manage multiple product timelines, stakeholders, and suppliers, ensuring smooth execution from concept to launch
• Data-driven decision making: Comfortable working with data to inform buying, forecasting, and operational decisions
• Problem solving & adaptability: Able to identify issues quickly and implement solutions in a fast-moving environment
• Collaboration & communication: Strong cross-functional working with product, growth, and operations teams to ensure alignment and execution
• Operational optimisation: You continuously improve processes, suppliers, and ways of working to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and support scaling