Senior Merchandiser (Buying & Planning) – Retail

About the role

The Senior Merchandiser will drive sales, gross margin and inventory performance for assigned fashion categories across Al Futtaim’s retail network in the UAE. Reporting to senior leadership, the role combines merchandise planning, open‑to‑buy management and range architecture to deliver commercial KPIs.

Key responsibilities

• Analyse sales, margin, stock and market trends to create annual business plans and monitor key financial targets.
• Develop and manage open‑to‑buy budgets, space allocation and assortment plans for both store and regional levels.
• Lead range and assortment planning, defining size profiles, pricing structures and product stories aligned to customer demand.
• Conduct regular trading reviews, markdown planning and inventory optimisation to maximise full‑price sell‑through.
• Collaborate with buying, supply chain, marketing and visual merchandising teams to ensure a customer‑focused product offering.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Fashion Merchandising, Retail Management or related field.
• 5‑8 years of experience in fashion merchandising, merchandise planning or buying, preferably in a multi‑store, omnichannel environment.
• Proven track record of achieving sales, margin and inventory targets.
• Leadership experience managing and developing merchandising teams.

Required skills

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Experience with ERP/retail planning systems such as SAP, Oracle, JDA, Blue Yonder or similar.
• Strong analytical and numerical capabilities for data‑driven decision making.