Buying and Merchandising - Senior Manager

Location - Jakkur (Yehalanka) - 5 days Work from Office
The Senior Manager – Buying & Merchandising will be responsible for leading the end-to-end Planning, Buying and Merchandising function for Ample's Non-Tech portfolio across Retail Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs) and E-commerce channels.
The role is accountable for driving topline growth, profitability and inventory efficiency through robust planning, data-driven decision making and best-in-class merchandising practices. A key expectation from this role is to leverage technology, analytics and automation to build scalable planning and merchandising processes that improve speed, accuracy and business performance.
Key Responsibility :
1. Merchandise Planning & Forecasting
Develop annual, seasonal and monthly merchandise plans aligned to business objectives.
Drive demand forecasting at category, channel and store levels using historical trends, market
intelligence and business insights.
Build and monitor financial plans covering sales, inventory, intake, sell-through and margin.
Continuously review forecast accuracy and implement corrective actions.
2. Buying & Open-to-Buy (OTB) Management
Own the Open-to-Buy (OTB) process across all brands and channels.
Ensure optimum inventory investments while maintaining healthy stock availability.
Work closely with brand principals and respective teams on purchase planning and order
management.
Balance new launches, continuity products and seasonal inventory.
3. Assortment Planning & Merchandising
Define channel-wise, store-wise and cluster-wise assortments.
Drive localized assortment strategies based on customer demographics, sales trends and store
performance.
Ensure optimal width and depth of assortment across categories.
Review assortment productivity and recommend portfolio rationalization wherever required.
4. Inventory & Merchandising Operations
Lead replenishment planning across retail and e-commerce channels.
Drive inventory optimization through Inter-store transfers, Replenishments, Stock replacements,
Inventory consolidation, Slow-moving stock correction.
Ensure optimum stock availability while minimizing excess inventory.
Drive EOL (End-of-Life) inventory liquidation strategies.
5. Promotion & Pricing Management
Plan and execute promotional calendars aligned with business objectives.
Evaluate pricing and discount strategies to maximize sales while protecting margins.
Monitor offer effectiveness and post-promotion performance.
Ensure governance around markdowns and discount controls.
6. Visual Merchandising & Planogram Excellence
Drive planogram development, execution and compliance.
Ensure effective space planning and category adjacencies.
Continuously improve store productivity through data-driven merchandising decisions.
7. Process Automation & Digital Transformation
Identify opportunities to automate planning and merchandising processes.
Implement technology solutions to improve planning accuracy and execution efficiency.
Leverage BI tools, merchandising platforms and analytics to enable faster decision making.
Partner with Technology and Data teams for system enhancements and process digitization.
8. Analytics, Reporting & Business Reviews
Develop dashboards and MIS for business performance.
Lead weekly, monthly and quarterly business reviews.
Track merchandise productivity across brands, channels and categories.
Generate actionable insights and recommend interventions to improve business performance.
9. Cross-functional Collaboration
Partner closely with Brand Principal, Retail Operations, E-commerce, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain and Warehouse teams.
Work with brand partners on seasonal range planning, launches and inventory management.
Ensure seamless execution from planning to sell-through.
10. Team Leadership
Build and mentor a high-performing Buying & Merchandising team.
Establish structured planning processes and governance.
Drive a culture of ownership, analytical thinking and continuous improvement.
Develop succession planning and capability building within the function.
Preferred Experience
10–15 years of experience in Buying, Planning and Merchandising.
Experience in Fashion, Sportswear, Footwear, Lifestyle, Toys or Consumer Retail.
Strong exposure to Omnichannel retail and Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs).
Proven experience managing merchandise planning, buying and inventory optimization.
Experience working with international brands will be an advantage.
Hands-on experience with merchandising, planning and analytics platforms.

Work arrangement
No