At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead commercial planning and trading performance for Strategic Partnerships across various models.
- Company: Dynamic retail brand with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: 50% staff discount, flexible working, generous holiday, and wellness support.
- Other info: Join a company committed to equality and flexible working opportunities.
- Why this job: Drive growth and strategy in a fast-paced environment while leading a high-performing team.
- 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 in London employer: River Island
As the Head of Merchandising for Strategic Partnerships, you will thrive in a dynamic and supportive work environment located in Chelsea House, where innovation meets collaboration. Our company offers a generous benefits package, including a 50% staff discount, flexible working arrangements, and extensive professional development opportunities, ensuring that you can grow your career while enjoying a healthy work-life balance. Join us to lead impactful strategies that drive commercial success and foster meaningful partnerships in the retail sector.
