Location

Hybrid: 1-2 days at our Support Centre in Coleshill, Birmingham. 

Why The Works?

🏆 10th Best Big Company to Work For 2024 - 'Best Companies'

We don’t just sell products.
We inspire reading, learning, creativity and play.

The Works. It literally means everything. And whatever your story or background, we’re all about unlocking imagination and making creativity accessible to everyone. Whether you’re engaging with customers on the frontline or supporting our colleagues behind the scenes, your impact can be profound and far-reaching.

This is more than toys and books and art supplies. This is about inspiring people to read, learn, create and play. So, with the right passion, it all starts with you.

Become a Merchandising Manager

As a Merchandising Manager, you are a key driver of commercial success and customer satisfaction - ensuring the right products are available in the right place, at the right time, and in the right quantities. You lead with purpose, using insight, strategy, and creativity to turn trends into opportunities and data into action, delivering results that align with both customer needs and business goals.

At the heart of your role is people leadership. You inspire, support, and empower your team to reach their full potential, fostering a culture of collaboration, ownership, and continuous learning. By setting high standards and leading by example, you create an environment where individuals feel valued, motivated, and driven to succeed and grow in their careers.

Alongside your team, you work cross-functionally with buying, supply chain, planning, and marketing to build product ranges that excite customers and deliver meaningful results. Through expert stock management, accurate forecasting, and agile trading, you ensure every decision adds value - driving availability, profitability, and ultimately, customer satisfaction.

Your Mission

• Create and implement a customer-driven department strategy: Develop and execute a strategy aligned with the commercial vision, in collaboration with senior stakeholders, ensuring clearly defined and measurable initiatives.
• Work within stock budgets: Maintain stock levels throughout the year, ensuring the critical path enables outstanding availability during peak periods such as new product launches, Christmas, and promotions.
• Be accountable for order management: Ensure all orders are managed in line with agreed parameters and critical paths, proactively working with suppliers to gain maximum flexibility.
• Proactively manage inbound and outbound stock flow: Understand the impact on supply, logistics, and retail teams, and communicate potential issues when necessary.
• Drive departmental performance: Optimise sales, stock holding, margin, and availability to drive growth and efficiency across the department.
• Manage and review WSSI at product group level: Provide clear exception reporting on sales, stock, availability, and profit to ensure performance is on track.
• Plan category and range frameworks: Work as a cross-functional team to present product ranges for sign-off, highlighting key metrics that align with and support the department strategy.
• Review attribute analysis: Conduct range reviews and promotional analysis, providing actionable recommendations to drive improvements.
• Lead weekly trading performance meetings: Identify issues and opportunities, providing clear actions to maximise profitability and engaging cross-functionally for support as required.
• Deliver sales in line with budget and strategy: Actively manage opportunities and risks to ensure sales goals are met while adhering to the agreed strategy.
• Coach and develop the team: Support your team’s growth and performance, empowering them to reach their full potential.
• Provide key support to senior leadership: Assist the Head of Merchandising and Head of Supply in driving key business projects across functions, ensuring alignment and effective execution.

Skills/Behaviours That Will Set You Apart

• Strong Analytical Skills: Skilled in analysing data and using insights to optimise stock levels and sales performance. Managing stock levels efficiently, ensuring availability and avoiding overstocking.
• Fast-Paced Environment Experience: Thrives in dynamic settings, making quick, strategic decisions for success.
• Results-Driven: Consistently delivers exceptional results, both individually and in teams.
• Strategic Thinking: Develops and executes merchandising strategies aligned with company goals.
• Commercial Acumen: Deep understanding of market trends, customer needs, and competitor activity to create compelling assortments.
• Leadership and Team Management: Leads, motivates, and develops high-performing teams in a collaborative environment.
• Financial and Budget Management: Manages budgets and maximises margins while ensuring profitability.
• Problem-Solving: Quickly identifies issues and implements solutions to optimise performance.
• Excellent Communication Skills: Communicates effectively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
• Adaptability: Adapts to market changes, business needs, and new technologies with ease.
• IT Proficiency: Strong knowledge of Microsoft Excel (or other data analysis tools) and merchandising systems to track performance and make informed decisions.

Being a great leader 

As a great leader with wonderful people skills, you'll create an environment that's more than just co-workers — it's a team.

• Align Goals with Values: Ensure that your team’s goals are clearly connected to the company’s values and purpose. This helps colleagues see the bigger picture and understand how their work contributes to the overall mission.
• Clear Communication: Ensure that your team understands the goals, expectations, and their roles. Regularly share updates, encourage open dialogue and have regular check-ins.
• Role Model: Lead by example. Demonstrate the behaviours and attitudes you expect from your team, such as punctuality, responsibility, and being a brand ambassador.
• Provide Feedback: Offer constructive feedback regularly. Recognise achievements and address areas for improvement in a supportive and continuous growth manner.
• Empower Your Team: Delegate tasks and trust your team to handle them. This builds confidence and promotes professional growth.
• Conflict Resolution: Address conflicts promptly and fairly. Foster an environment where issues can be discussed openly and resolved amicably.
• Empathy: Understand and consider the feelings and perspectives of your team members. This helps in building strong, supportive relationships

And let's not forget about the most important part… your team's well-being and aspirations. You'll be their biggest supporter, cheering them on. You'll have amazing everyday conversations with your team, discussing everything from their performance to their wildest career aspirations.

Our PERKS really are ‘The Works’

• 💪 25% Colleague Discount! - Plus, exclusive Double Discount days!
• 😎 MyWorks - Access exclusive online discounts across hundreds of retailers, holidays, utilities deals, tech and more
  
• 🏡 Family Friendly Leave - Enjoy some time well spent with enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
• 🚀 Holiday – 33 days including bank holidays.
• 💃 Holiday Purchase - Purchase an additional 5 days
• 🎓 Can-Do Academy - Grow your skills and career with instant access to further training and development in areas that interest you.
• 💸 Wagestream - Claim early access to 50% of your wages as you earn them – for when ‘life’ happens!
• 🏬 Share Scheme - Unleash your inner Monopoly mogul and own a piece of The Works!
• 💛 24/7 support for you and your family - Through our partnership with the Retail Trust who provide an Employee Assistance Programme and so much more!
• 🩺 Healthcare Cash Plan – To support your everyday healthcare costs
• 🥳 And loads more! – Long Service Awards, pension, life assurance, Cycle to Work and optional charity giving.

Our Purpose

To inspire reading. learning, creativity and play - making lives more fulfilled.

Our Values

We are Crafty | We are Caring | We are Can-do

We Listen. We Care

Each year, we run an anonymous colleague engagement survey. This is so important for us to hear your feedback and suggestions. We want to know what’s going great, and what needs a couple of tweaks to help make The Works the best place you’ve ever worked! You’ll have opportunity to help give us that direction.

Promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Applying Reasonable Adjustments

At The Works, we are proud to have an inclusive culture where everyone truly feels able to be themselves. Our roles are open to all, including under-represented groups such as ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, carers & members of the LGBTQ+ community (including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, non-binary, or use another term).

We are open to discussions around working hours and flexible working. And, where possible, we'll try to support this. If you need reasonable adjustments for an interview you might attend with us, let us know in your application and we’ll be happy to help!