Head of Merchandising - Rhondda

Head of Merchandising jobs

Overseeing the merchandising department, this role often involves working with the UK and international function, where appropriate, to identify new market opportunities and partner relationships.

Head of Merchandising often works closely with Head of Buying in a business to deliver appropriate ranges that are seasonally focused, ensuring key international events and counter-seasonal markets are catered for.

Central to partner communications, Head of Merchandising roles are brand ambassadors in all meetings and negotiations and there is an emphasis on working with the senior leadership team to define and deliver a clear strategy for the future.

This role involves leading and motivating the team to ensure consistently high standards and best practice are maintained across all processes.

The role offers the opportunity to build and consolidate relationships with existing stores, wholesale and franchise partners through on-going communication and delivery of mutual objectives.

The skills required

As Head of Merchandising you will have experience of working within international wholesale and franchise models, with extensive knowledge of buying and merchandising principles and processes. An understanding of global markets is essential as well as the ability to translate customer insight into working practice.

As a skilled communicator you will be a confident negotiator and well versed in relationship building.

Commercial acumen is mandatory as Head of Merchandising as well as the ability to think strategically. In a fast-moving market, resilience is a valued quality as well as being an agile thinker and problem solver.

Head of Merchandising Jobs in Rhondda

Rhondda is often known as the Rhondda Valley, and is a collection of mining villages that played a major part in South Wales’s economic prosperity in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The coal in the valley was plentiful but difficult to reach, so it required massive investment if it was to become economically viable, and remained largely untapped until the mid-1800s, when just such an effort was undertaken.

Rhondda is located 15 miles (25 km) north west of Cardiff and 20 miles (32 km) east of Swansea, from which ports the coal could readily be shipped around the nation and the world to fuel the Industrial Revolution. This led to a huge growth in population in the area, which went from less than a thousand in the 1851 census to 17,000 twenty years later and 160,000 by 1921. However the decline in coal mining thereafter also led to a decline in population, which now stands at around 60,000.

Commercially, the modern Rhondda Valley is dominated by smaller businesses and local retail areas, with moderate amounts of manufacturing going on. The picturesque appearance of the mountains and hills makes it a desirable place to live for workers from Swansea, Newport and Cardiff who prefer to retreat away from the frenetic pace of the city. The topography of the area means it’s less than ideal for locating logistics or supply chain operations. The valley is served by A road and B roads, with the M4 passing the Welsh coast’s cities the only motorway for miles around. If you’re looking for Head of Merchandising jobs in Rhondda, it might be worth searching in these cities, although it’s not unknown for such positions to become available.

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Search for Head of Merchandising opportunities with Cast UK

As market leading recruitment specialists for professional level merchandising roles, Cast UK is committed to building long-term relationships with our clients, enabling us to understand their business models and the positions they are recruiting.

We get to know the personalities and objectives of each candidate; understanding what motivates them, and the appropriate cultural fit for them. This attention to detail means that we are able to make excellent matches between applicants and employers, making placements that are lasting and mutually rewarding.

To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Head of Merchandising role for your business or find you a job as Head of Merchandising, contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345

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