XPAT Merchandising Director

Job Description : XPAT Merchandising Director – Fashion and Lifestyle Salary: Competitive and based on experience Location: Bangkok THAIALND A leading fashion and lifestyle retailer in Bangkok is seeking a Merchandising Director to define, develop, and lead the comprehensive merchandising and buying strategy across all categories and channels. This is an exceptional opportunity for you to shape the future of a trend-setting brand, driving commercial success while nurturing a high-performing team. The role offers the chance to work with passionate professionals in a supportive environment that values collaboration, knowledge sharing, and personal growth. You will be empowered to make a significant impact on product assortment, financial planning, and vendor relationships, all while enjoying flexible working opportunities and ongoing training to further your career. • Lead the end-to-end merchandising strategy for a renowned fashion and lifestyle retailer, ensuring alignment with brand positioning and business goals across multiple categories and channels. • Oversee seasonal merchandise financial plans, Open-to-Buy frameworks, range architecture, and pricing models designed to maximise profitability and inventory productivity. • Inspire and mentor a talented team of merchandisers and buyers, fostering skills enhancement, succession planning, and a culture of collaboration within the organisation. What you'll do: As Merchandising Director – Fashion and Lifestyle based in Bangkok, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the overall merchandising direction for one of the region’s most respected retailers. Your day-to-day responsibilities will involve developing forward-thinking strategies that keep the brand at the forefront of industry trends while maximising commercial outcomes. You will guide your team through every stage of the merchandising process—from financial planning to product selection—ensuring that each decision reflects both market insights and company values. Success in this role means not only delivering outstanding results but also fostering an inclusive environment where your colleagues feel supported in their professional growth. By collaborating with cross-functional teams on everything from campaign launches to supply chain management, you’ll help create memorable customer experiences that set new standards for excellence. • Define and implement a comprehensive merchandising and buying strategy that aligns with brand positioning and supports business objectives across all product categories and sales channels. • Build robust seasonal merchandise financial plans, including Open-to-Buy frameworks, range architecture, and pricing models that drive profitability while optimising inventory productivity. • Manage, coach, and inspire a high-performing team comprising Merchandiser - Planning, Merchandiser - Allocator, and Buyers to deliver commercially successful product assortments. • Mentor team members by providing guidance on professional development, skills enhancement, and succession planning to ensure long-term organisational growth. • Analyse sales data, margin performance, and inventory KPIs to identify opportunities for optimisation and enhance stock turnover throughout the year. • Identify emerging consumer trends as well as market opportunities to expand the product offering into new areas of whitespace. • Develop strategic vendor relationships with key local and global partners to ensure supply chain excellence while fostering innovation in sourcing practices. • Work closely with the Wholesale Manager to align merchandise strategies across channels for optimal results. • Champion company values such as sustainability in all facets of merchandising operations. What you bring: To excel as Merchandising Director – Fashion and Lifestyle you will bring extensive experience gained from senior roles within leading lifestyle or luxury brands. Your background should demonstrate a strong understanding of both commercial drivers and operational best practices within merchandising environments. You are adept at building collaborative networks across departments—using your interpersonal skills to foster trust among colleagues while driving shared success. Your technical expertise spans advanced ERP platforms as well as sophisticated data analysis tools; you use these capabilities not just for reporting but also for uncovering actionable insights that inform strategic decisions. Above all else you are committed to nurturing talent within your team—helping others grow through mentorship while championing sustainable business practices that reflect company values. • Minimum 10 years’ experience in merchandising and buying within lifestyle, luxury or premium sportswear industries; at least 3-5 years must be spent in senior leadership roles overseeing large teams. • Demonstrated expertise in driving commercial success through strategic thinking, analytical abilities, merchandise financial planning, category management, and data-driven decision making. • Advanced proficiency in ERP systems (such as Odoo or Looker) as well as Microsoft Office 365 applications including Excel for complex data analysis and PowerPoint for impactful presentations. • Exceptional communication skills enabling you to influence stakeholders at all levels while aligning diverse teams towards shared goals. • Proven ability to collaborate effectively across functions such as Planning, Marketing, Retail Operations, Finance, Wholesale Management —and build consensus among varied groups. • Deep familiarity with global sourcing practices, product lifecycle management processes, retail business models (including omnichannel approaches), and supply chain optimisation techniques. • Passion for innovation coupled with a commitment to sustainability principles; consistently upholding company values throughout all aspects of your work. • Track record of mentoring junior staff members by providing constructive feedback focused on skill development and career progression within merchandising functions. • Experience identifying emerging consumer trends using market research tools; leveraging these insights to diversify product offerings into new categories or segments. • Ability to nurture strategic vendor relationships locally and globally—ensuring reliable supply chains while encouraging creative solutions from partners.

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