At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead commercial planning and trading performance for Strategic Partnerships in a dynamic retail environment.
- Company: Join a leading fashion retailer with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Enjoy a 50% staff discount, flexible working, and generous holiday allowance.
- Other info: Be part of a supportive team with excellent career development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by driving growth and optimising performance across multiple channels.
- Qualifications: Extensive merchandising leadership experience and strong commercial acumen required.
The predicted salary is between 59576 - 70089 £ per year.
Department: Merchandising
Location: Head Office, Chelsea House
Description
Lead the commercial planning, trading performance, and operational execution of the Strategic Partnerships business across wholesale, marketplace, licence, and future franchise models. Responsible for building and delivering the financial strategy, optimising business performance, and creating scalable operational frameworks that enable profitable growth. This role connects strategy with execution — ensuring the right plans, processes, and trading actions are in place to deliver partner growth, commercial targets, and long‑term business ambitions.
Key Responsibilities
- Commercial Planning & Strategy
- Own and deliver the Strategic Partnerships commercial planning framework across sales, margin, stock, intake, and profitability.
- Build annual, seasonal, and in‑season plans aligned to partner strategies and business objectives.
- Lead forecasting, budgeting, and commercial scenario planning to maximise opportunities and manage risk.
- Create & track clear KPIs and performance measures across all partnership channels.
- Trading & Business Performance
- Lead the weekly/monthly trading rhythm, identifying risks, opportunities, and actions to optimise performance.
- Own trading decisions across sales, stock, availability, margin, and partner performance.
- Drive insight‑led recommendations using data, customer trends, and commercial analysis.
- Influence cross‑functional teams to deliver trading actions at pace.
- Operations & Business Enablement
- Own operational excellence across Strategic Partnerships, ensuring processes are simple, scalable, and efficient.
- Lead the development of tools, reporting, governance, and ways of working to support growth.
- Remove operational barriers and improve speed, accuracy, and delivery.
- Ensure readiness for future growth models including marketplace, licence, and franchise.
- Leadership & Collaboration
- Partner closely with Head of Buying to align assortment, partner plans, and commercial execution.
- Influence wider teams including Supply Chain, Finance, Digital, B&M.
- Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing team with clear ownership and accountability.
Success Measures
- Delivery of revenue, margin, and profit targets.
- Forecast accuracy and trading performance.
- Stock efficiency and availability.
- Operational improvements and scalability.
- Successful execution of strategic partner plans.
Experience Required
- Extensive merchandising leadership experience within a fast‑paced retail or fashion environment, with deep expertise across commercial planning, forecasting, trading, stock management, and performance optimisation.
- Proven experience working across marketplace, wholesale, digital, or strategic partnership models, with the ability to maximise growth through external partner relationships.
- Strong commercial acumen with a proven track record of delivering revenue, margin, and profitability growth at pace across multiple channels or markets.
- Experience building scalable processes, operating frameworks, and ways of working that enable rapid growth and future business expansion.
- Strong leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to use data and insight to drive decisions while engaging teams, stakeholders, and partners through change.
Benefits
- Generous 50% staff discount and on‑site staff shop.
- Discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more through the Retail Trust.
- Free onsite gym and subsidised restaurant & cafe.
- Support for various family setups, maternity, paternity, adoption & fertility treatment; dedicated support via the Retail Trust.
- Flexible working, paid holidays and early finish Fridays.
- Give‑as‑you‑earn scheme and matching funding.
- Upskilling support through training and qualifications.
- Generous bonus scheme, private pension plan, and optional healthcare with AXA.
- Allowances for commuting.
- 25 days paid holiday, with option to purchase additional days.
We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio‑economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles unless operational requirements prevent otherwise.
Head of Merchandising - Strategic Partnerships employer: River Island
RIVER ISLAND is an excellent employer, offering a vibrant work culture that prioritises inclusivity and teamwork in the heart of Belfast. With opportunities for personal growth and a generous 50% staff discount, employees are encouraged to thrive in a dynamic retail environment while making a meaningful impact on customer service and store operations.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Merchandising - Strategic Partnerships
✨Get Your Retail Game On
Start by getting to know the local retail scene. Make a list of stores that align with your vibe and visit them. You'll be surprised at how many job openings come from chatting with staff or managers in-store. Plus, showing that you have a genuine interest in their brand can make you stand out when applying for that full-time role!
✨Join Retail Networks and Forums
Tap into retail-specific communities and forums, whether online or in-person. Platforms like Retail Week or local retail meetups can provide invaluable insights and connections. You never know who might drop a tip about an upcoming job at companies like River Island, so don’t miss out on building those relationships!
✨Be Ready for Busy Season Opportunities
Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal hiring windows, especially in the run-up to major shopping periods. Retailers often look for full-time staff to carry through busy times and may even keep you on after the season. Stay proactive by regularly checking in with your favourite retailers about their hiring plans.
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail’s all about customer interactions, so make sure you showcase any relevant experience in your conversations and interviews. Share specific examples of your customer service skills and how they’ve led to positive outcomes. This is your moment to shine when applying to roles at places like River Island!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Merchandising - Strategic Partnerships
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Customer Service Skills:In retail, customer service is key! Make sure your CV highlights any experience where you've dealt with customers, whether it’s resolving issues or enhancing the shopping experience. Use concrete examples to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to handle difficult situations with ease.
Tailor Your CV for Retail:When applying for a full-time role like this one at River Island, customise your CV to reflect retail-specific buzzwords. Include any relevant skills such as inventory management or visual merchandising, and if you have experience with POS systems, shout about it! This will show you’re serious about joining the retail team.
Craft a Genuine Cover Letter:Don’t just repeat your CV in your cover letter! Use it as a chance to explain why you're excited about the opportunity at River Island and how your values align with their brand. Mention specific aspects of the company that resonate with you and let your enthusiasm shine through!
Highlight Your Adaptability:In retail, things can get busy and unpredictable, so demonstrate how adaptable and flexible you are. Share examples of times you've had to adjust your approach on the fly or take on new responsibilities. This will show River Island that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at River Island
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail is all about providing an exceptional customer experience, so be ready to discuss your past customer service stories. We should have examples on hand of how we've handled difficult situations or gone above and beyond to meet a customer's needs. These anecdotes will bring your application to life!
✨Familiarity with Point of Sale Systems
Many retail roles require us to work with Point of Sale (POS) systems, so it's a good idea to brush up on any relevant software you’ve used before. If you’re familiar with systems like Shopify or Square, don’t forget to mention this during the interview. Highlighting technical proficiency can set us apart from other candidates!
✨Understand Product Knowledge
Be prepared to discuss the products that the store sells and how we can contribute to their sales. Showing enthusiasm for the products and a willingness to learn can impress interviewers. We should research popular items or trends in the industry before the interview, so we can speak confidently about them.
✨Be Ready for Role-Playing Scenarios
Many retail interviews include role-playing scenarios where we might have to deal with a difficult customer or upsell a product. Practising these scenarios with a friend or family member can help us feel more comfortable. The key here is to showcase our problem-solving skills and ability to remain calm under pressure!
