Director of Merchandising in Southampton

I am currently representing a beautifully positioned, purpose-led brand in the search for an exceptional Director of Merchandising. This is a rare opportunity to join a highly regarded business with a strong ethical foundation, genuine B Corp credentials and a collaborative, values-driven culture. With an established customer base in the UK and accelerating momentum across the US and Europe, the brand is now entering an important new phase of international growth, with a clear ambition to scale beyond £200 million in revenue.

They are seeking a senior merchandising leader who can bring both strategic vision and operational rigour - someone capable of building the merchandising function required for the next stage of growth, while ensuring the business is set up with the right structure, processes and decision-making frameworks to scale successfully across multiple channels and markets.

The Opportunity: This role will suit an experienced merchandising leader who has operated in a fast-growth environment and has a proven track record of helping brands scale internationally. The successful candidate will be expected to shape the future direction of the merchandising function, define what best-in-class looks like and ensure the business is equipped to trade effectively and profitably across an increasingly complex global landscape. This is a high-impact leadership appointment, with broad visibility across the organisation and significant influence over commercial performance, planning strategy and organisational design.

Key Responsibilities:

• Define and lead the merchandising strategy to support the brand's next phase of global growth, ensuring it is aligned to the wider commercial ambitions of the business.
• Build and refine the merchandising structure to support scale, clarifying roles, responsibilities, ways of working and future capability requirements.
• Establish clear merchandising best practice across planning, trading, forecasting, stock management and cross-functional decision-making.
• Lead the development of robust merchandise planning frameworks to support growth across eCommerce, wholesale, B2B and international channels.
• Drive a highly commercial approach to range planning, stock investment, margin optimisation and performance analysis across multiple markets.
• Oversee forecasting, intake planning, inventory strategy and in-season trading to ensure stock is managed effectively at both a local and global level.
• Partner closely with senior stakeholders across product, finance, operations, digital and international teams to align merchandising strategy with wider business priorities.
• Support the continued evolution of systems, tools and reporting, bringing strong technical understanding across merchandising and planning platforms.
• Assess and introduce improved planning capability, including consideration of how AI-led tools and technology can enhance forecasting accuracy, inventory management, reporting efficiency and commercial decision-making.
• Ensure the merchandising function is equipped with the right processes, data visibility and systems infrastructure to support scale and complexity.
• Lead, coach and develop the merchandising team, creating a high-performing function with the capability to support future growth.

Candidate Profile:

• Significant senior-level merchandising leadership experience within a fashion, lifestyle or consumer brand environment.
• A proven track record of helping a brand scale internationally, particularly across the US and European markets.
• Strong omni-channel expertise, with experience spanning eCommerce, wholesale, B2B and international trading models.
• Deep understanding of merchandise planning, forecasting, stock management and global trading strategy.
• Experience designing or reshaping team structures to support growth and evolving business needs.
• Strong systems and technical capability within merchandising and planning, with the credibility to evaluate tools, improve reporting and enhance operational effectiveness.
• A forward-thinking approach to innovation, including an understanding of where AI and advanced planning technology can add value to merchandising functions.
• Excellent leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to operate effectively at both strategic and hands-on level.
• Strong commercial judgement, coupled with the ability to balance pace, complexity and long-term thinking.

Why this role stands out:

• Opportunity to join a respected B Corp brand with a strong ethical and sustainability-led ethos.
• A genuinely positive working culture, with a clear sense of purpose and strong internal collaboration.
• A business with a loyal UK customer base and exciting international growth potential.
• The chance to shape the future of the merchandising function at a pivotal point in the brand's journey.
• A senior leadership role with real influence as the business scales towards and beyond £200 million.