Monkhouse Schoolwear Specialists was established in 1938 and is one of the country’s largest multi-channel retailers of school uniform. It works together with it’s sister brand SWI, which provides a high service online only proposition to schools.

What role does a Merchandiser play in the business

Supply Chain Analysts & Merchandisers form a pivotal part of our Buying & Merchandising team who overall are responsible for guaranteeing the accuracy of data, to ensure that we have the right stock in the right place at the right time. They go the extra mile to deliver outstanding customer service to all key stakeholders both internally and externally, contributing to our purpose of giving every child the chance to shine.

What does the role entail

In this role you will be responsible for forecasting and forward planning sales demand, by the school for our uniform and sportswear categories, to drive forward our vision of revolutionising school wear.

You will consolidate the stock requirements for all schools and analyze the data to proactively draw conclusions and identify trends that will drive improvement, efficiency, and accuracy of our forecasting and product availability.

Alongside your overall day to day management of stock, you will also ensure regular ideal stock level replenishment reviews are carried out. You will be able to spot and mitigate the impact of any potential upcoming shortages or setbacks, suggesting ways to drive improvement and overseeing the implementation of such changes.

You will be confident in making the right calls and be comfortable pulling data together and owning reporting for the whole team. You will work closely with the Supply Chain Manager on a variety of departmental and companywide projects to continually raise the bar within the industry.

You will maintain accurate data on the system and liaise with key stakeholders such as customer account managers, sales representatives, and store colleagues whilst prioritising your workload to also keep any daily phone and email queries within a timely SLA.

More specifically:

• Plan and develop merchandising strategies that balance customers’ expectations and company’s objectives.
• Forecast profits/sales and plan budgets.
• WSSI management for region/category.
• Drive department performance in line with KPI’s.

What personal attributes are required?

• Analytical and commercially minded, with a keen eye for detail (experience in forecasting/merchandising in the retail or school wear sectors is desirable).
• Naturally inquisitive with a logical and methodical approach to problem-solving.
• Knowledgeable in data extraction and analysis.
• Knowledge of Prima Solutions ERP system is beneficial but not essential.
• Able to evaluate KPIs and data into real-world insights, effectively using data and school specific insight to ‘tell a story’.
• Able to prioritise workload to fulfill various commitments simultaneously.
• A positive, team focused, and encouraging individual who takes pride in playing their part in the success of the business.

What skills are needed

 Ability to identify forecasting and stock requirement trends across product categories.

• Confident in identifying and maintaining optimum stock levels, to ensure the correct replenishment across stores and online.
• Proficient in pulling data and writing reports.
• Good knowledge of all Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent Excel skills inc. formulas, lookups, data validation, and advanced pivots.
• Competent at using Power Bi for data extraction and interrogation.

What Professional expertise is required

• Experience in driving improvement across forecasting processes.
• Able to spot and mitigate against potential issues, shortages, and setbacks.
• Excellent knowledge of data systems and reporting tools.
• Passion for analyzing numbers, data sets, and trends.
• Excellent time management skills and ability to prioritise own workload.

What do your working days and hours look like

This is a full-time permanent contract with hybrid working, 2/3 days split between home and office.

We work Monday to Friday, typically 8.30am to 5pm with no weekend work.

Social Environmental Responsibility (SER)

We take our sustainability responsibility extremely seriously, and it is only with the full cooperation of each and every one of us, that will ensure we deliver on our sustainability objectives.

Below are 5 things, we want you to build into your day-to-day responsibilities:

1. Switch off lights when the space is not being used.
2. Switch off computers at the end of every day.
3. If possible, avoid using one-use plastic water bottles.
4. Only fill up the kettle for the number of cups of hot drinks you are making.
5. Dispose of waste responsibly by using our recycling processes.

Some of the benefits you can look forward to include:

• Company induction and training.
• Gaining retail management skills.
• Celebration leave.

Monkhouse is committed to supporting, developing and promoting equality of opportunity and diversity in all our business activity. We value different perspectives and believe that diversity makes us stronger. We aim to provide an inclusive culture, free from discrimination and based on the values of dignity, courtesy and respect. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated in accordance with these values. Monkhouse is part of Banner Ltd which is B-Corp certified, and these values are an essential element of our culture. If there is anything we can do to accommodate you to participate fully in the recruitment or interview process, please let us know.

This job description is a tool to help both the Company and the individual understand the main responsibilities of the role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete list of all possible tasks. Everyone is expected to be flexible in their approach and to take on tasks as reasonably requested. The Company reserves the right to change the tasks and responsibilities of the role according to business need.

Please submit your application as directed on this website. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the role before applying please contact us at recruitment@banner.co.uk .
By submitting your application you agree to the retention of all information submitted through your application including contact details, CV, covering letter and interview notes for a maximum of one year from the date of your application.
Candidates submitted by agencies without express agreement will be regarded as not being represented by that agency and Monkhouse Limited, Banner Limited nor any linked or subsidiary will be liable for any fees associated with future employment of that candidate.