Global Merchandising Leader - Fashion & Retail

Global Merchandising Leader

Role Mandate

This role sits at the intersection of product, brand, and commercial strategy, owning the global merchandising vision for a fashion-led, design-driven organization. The mandate is to build a product-first, AI-enabled merchandising engine—where customer insight, data intelligence, and technology drive every decision across assortment, pricing, and lifecycle management.

Core Responsibilities

1. Product-First Merchandising Strategy

• Anchor merchandising around product excellence, customer need states, and usage occasions

• Partner with Product, Design, and Innovation teams to co-create collections grounded in consumer insight and data signals

• Translate product vision into scalable, commercially successful global assortments

2. AI-First Merchandising & Decisioning

• Build and scale AI-driven merchandising capabilities across demand forecasting, assortment planning, and pricing optimization

• Leverage machine learning models for trend prediction, customer segmentation, and lifecycle management

• Drive adoption of automated decision systems for allocation, replenishment, and markdown optimization

3. Global Fashion & Category Leadership

• Define long-term merchandising vision aligned with brand positioning as a global fashion authority

• Lead seasonal strategies integrating trend forecasting with real-time demand signals

• Own category architecture across core, premium, and emerging segments

4. Assortment Intelligence & Localization

• Develop data-led assortment frameworks combining global scale with local relevance

• Use AI and analytics to identify gaps, whitespace opportunities, and regional preferences

• Drive precision merchandising through micro-segmentation and customer cohort targeting

5. Pricing, Margin & Commercial Optimization

• Own global pricing architecture leveraging dynamic and algorithmic pricing models

• Balance brand positioning with margin expansion through intelligent product mix and lifecycle pricing

• Continuously optimize promotions through data-driven experimentation and ROI tracking

6. Demand Planning & Inventory Strategy

• Implement predictive demand planning powered by AI models

• Optimize inventory placement, allocation, and replenishment across channels and geographies

• Reduce working capital intensity through smarter forecasting and faster inventory turns

7. Omni-channel Product Experience

• Ensure seamless and consistent product storytelling across e-commerce, retail, and marketplaces

• Leverage personalization engines to enhance discovery, conversion, and basket size

• Partner with digital and retail teams to create a unified, insight-driven customer journey

8. Data, Platforms & Analytics

• Build a strong merchandising data infrastructure integrating customer, product, and market data

• Establish real-time dashboards and decision frameworks for performance management

• Drive a culture of experimentation, A/B testing, and continuous optimization

9. Leadership & Organizational Impact

• Build and lead a high-caliber global merchandising organization with strong product and analytics orientation

• Champion a product-first, AI-first mindset across teams and leadership

• Influence broader business strategy across product innovation, market expansion, and customer experience

Candidate Profile

• Proven leadership in global merchandising within fashion, lifestyle, or consumer retail organizations

• Strong experience operating in product-led and tech-enabled environments

• Demonstrated exposure to AI/ML-driven decision-making in merchandising or adjacent functions

• Deep understanding of fashion cycles, consumer behavior, and omni-channel ecosystems

• Ability to integrate creativity with data science and technology

• Strong leadership presence with experience managing global, cross-functional teams

What Success Looks Like

• A scalable, AI-powered merchandising engine driving faster and more accurate decisions

• Strong product-market fit across regions with improved customer engagement

• Higher full-price sell-through and reduced dependency on discounting

• Best-in-class inventory efficiency and demand predictability

• Elevated brand positioning through differentiated, insight-led product offerings

Stakeholder Influence

• Executive Leadership Team

• Product, Design & Innovation

• Data Science & Engineering

• Supply Chain & Sourcing

• Growth, Marketing & Retail Leadership

Experience Level

Senior Level