Head of Merchandising – Strategic Partnerships

Role Overview

• Lead the commercial planning, trading performance, and operational execution of the Strategic Partnerships business across wholesale, marketplace, licence, and future franchise models.
• Own and deliver the Strategic Partnerships commercial planning framework across sales, margin, stock, intake, and profitability.
• Build annual, seasonal, and in-season plans aligned to partner strategies and business objectives.
• Lead forecasting, budgeting, and commercial scenario planning to maximise opportunities and manage risk.
• Create & track clear KPIs and performance measures across all partnership channels.
• Lead the weekly/monthly trading rhythm, identifying risks, opportunities, and actions to optimise performance.
• Own trading decisions across sales, stock, availability, margin, and partner performance.
• Drive insight-led recommendations using data, customer trends, and commercial analysis.
• Influence cross-functional teams to deliver trading actions at pace.
• Own operational excellence across Strategic Partnerships, ensuring processes are simple, scalable, and efficient.
• Lead the development of tools, reporting, governance, and ways of working to support growth.
• Remove operational barriers and improve speed, accuracy, and delivery.
• Ensure readiness for future growth models including marketplace, licence, and franchise.
• Partner closely with Head of Buying to align assortment, partner plans, and commercial execution.
• Influence wider teams including Supply Chain, Finance, Digital, B&M.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team with clear ownership and accountability.

Requirements

• Extensive merchandising leadership experience within a fast-paced retail or fashion environment, with deep expertise across commercial planning, forecasting, trading, stock management, and performance optimisation.
• Proven experience working across marketplace, wholesale, digital, or strategic partnership models, with the ability to maximise growth through external partner relationships.
• Strong commercial acumen with a proven track record of delivering revenue, margin, and profitability growth at pace across multiple channels or markets.
• Experience building scalable processes, operating frameworks, and ways of working that enable rapid growth and future business expansion.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to use data and insight to drive decisions while engaging teams, stakeholders, and partners through change.

Benefits

• Generous 50% staff discount so you can treat yourself to the latest products, and a bargain staff shop on site!
• Reducing Islanders everyday expenses through discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more through the Retail Trust.
• A free onsite gym, subsidised restaurant & café to fill you needs. Various social events to socialise throughout the year.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption & fertility treatment. We also work closely with the Retail Trust to create dedicated support for all our Islanders!
• Flexible working, on top of payday and summer early finish Fridays.
• Give as you earn scheme, a ‘Giver Island’ day each year and receive matched funding.
• Support with upskilling through on the job training and qualifications. A succession plan if you want to progress.
• A generous bonus scheme & private pension plan.
• The choice to opt in for healthcare through our provider AXA.
• An allowance supporting your commute to work.
• 25 days paid holiday, exclusive of Bank Holidays. With the added option to purchase additional holiday twice a year for whatever the need!