Merchandise & Buying Operations Supervisor
Department: Retail Operations
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Sunderland - Customer Support Centre
Reporting To: Merchandise & Buying Operations Manager
Compensation: £30,000 / year
Description
We're looking for a highly organised, detail-focused Merchandising & Buying Operations Supervisor to join our Commercial team.
We are looking for a confident, detail-focused Merchandise Supervisor to ensure our products are accurately set up, maintained, launched and managed throughout their lifecycle. You will be the team’s go-to product expert, combining strong operational control with a practical approach to improving processes, reducing errors and delivering a consistent experience for stores, colleagues and customers.
What does the role involve?
Product ownership and expertise
- Act as the primary product expert, building a thorough understanding of specifications, features, fabrics, finishes, dimensions, pricing and supplier capabilities.
- Provide accurate product guidance to stores, Digital, Marketing, Supply Chain and Customer Service.
- Ensure product information is complete, accurate and consistent across systems and customer-facing channels.
Merchandising operations
- Supervise daily merchandising administration, allocate priorities and ensure work is completed accurately and on time.
- Oversee product setup, range maintenance, pricing updates, promotional activity and new product launches.
- Coordinate launch tasks against agreed critical paths and proactively escal…
Process management and continuous improvement
- Apply merchandising processes consistently and ensure the team follows agreed standards and controls.
- Identify inefficiencies, recurring issues and control gaps, then develop practical improvements that reduce manual work, errors and rework.
- Maintain clear process documentation, checklists, training guides and audit controls.
Quality control and team leadership
- Complete regular audits of product data, pricing, attributes, specifications and launch readiness.
- Investigate discrepancies, implement corrective actions and prevent recurring failures.
- Coach and support Merchandise Administrators and Coordinators, building product knowledge, confidence and accountability.
Cross-functional collaboration
- Work with Digital, Marketing, Retail, Supply Chain and suppliers to deliver accurate product information and successful launches.
- Support range reviews, pricing activity, promotional planning and commercial projects.
- Communicate clearly, respond promptly to queries and build trusted working relationships.
Who are we looking for?
- Experience in merchandising, buying administration, commercial operations or retail operations.
- Excellent product knowledge, or the curiosity and discipline to become a recognised product expert.
- An exceptional eye for detail and pride in maintaining accurate product, pricing and promotional information.
- A process-led mindset with the confidence to challenge existing ways of working and recommend better solutions.
- Strong organisation, prioritisation, communication and stakeholder-management skills.
- Experience working with multiple systems and high volumes of product data.
- Strong Microsoft Excel skills and confidence analysing information to identify gaps, risks and trends.
What’s in it for you?
- 33 days holidays including bank holidays
- Employee benefits platform – access to 100s of high street discounts and more – holiday discounts, gym discounts, cinema discounts, e-vouchers, cashback and more!
- Colleague Discount
- Career progression
- Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave
- Access to our dedicated Employee Assistance Programme – to give you free access to advice and information on a range of topics
- Virtual GP – Access to a GP service 24/7
- Salary finance scheme
- Pension Scheme
- Death in Service
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Merchandise & Buying Operations Supervisor in Sunderland employer: Poltronesofà
Poltronesofà is an exceptional employer located in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters collaboration and innovation. Employees benefit from comprehensive growth opportunities, competitive remuneration, and the chance to work closely with international teams, particularly in Italy, enhancing their professional development in a vibrant retail environment. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking company that values creativity and teamwork while driving sales growth and customer satisfaction.