Executive recruitment company Monroe Consulting Group is recruiting on behalf of a leading retail company. Our respected client is seeking a highly motivated Merchandising & Planning Manager to oversee merchandising strategy, assortment planning, inventory management, and commercial performance across its retail business. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in merchandising, merchandise planning, retail analytics, and driving sales and profitability through effective product and inventory strategies. This position will be based in Medan, North Sumatra.
Key Responsibilities
- Merchandising & Category Strategy: Develop and execute category strategies and commercial plans based on customer needs, store formats, market trends, competition, and company growth priorities, while driving category sales, gross margin, assortment productivity, pricing, promotional effectiveness, and supplier income.
- Assortment, Space & Store Clustering: Manage customer-led assortment planning across categories, store clusters, and formats, including range reviews, SKU rationalisation, new product evaluation, planogram development, store compliance, and opening asso rtment planning for new stores.
- Demand Planning, Replenishment & Inventory: Lead demand forecasting, replenishment planning, and inventory optimisation at category and SKU level, managing stock availability, inventory health, service levels, stock turns, ageing, and corrective actions while coordinating with Supply Chain and Distribution Centre teams.
- Pricing, Promotions & Supplier Management: Develop pricing and margin strategies, manage promotional planning and performance evaluation, and lead supplier negotiations covering costs, commercial terms, rebates, promotional support, service levels, returns, and new product introductions.
- Data, Systems & Process Improvement: Develop and maintain merchandising and planning dashboards, conduct SKU, category, store, and promotional analysis, and improve product master data, planning systems, reporting processes, and operational controls to drive data-led commercial decisions.
Leadership & Cross-Functional Execution: Lead and develop a team of three, while partnering closely with Store Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing, and IT to drive execution, resolve operational gaps, monitor performance, and support strategic business and expansion initiatives.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Retail Management, Supply Chain, Finance, Statistics, or a related field.
- Minimum 6 years of experience in merchandising, category management, buying, demand planning, or replenishment within multi-site retail, convenience, grocery, or FMCG, with proven team leadership experience.
- Strong commercial and analytical expertise in assortment planning, pricing, promotions, supplier negotiation, demand forecasting, replenishment, and inventory management.
- Advanced Excel skills with strong knowledge of ERP, POS, inventory, and business intelligence/planning systems, supported by strong numerical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills; fluent in Bahasa Indonesia and professionally proficient in English, based in Medan and willing to travel across the store network.
