Chief Merchandising Officer - Jewellery Market

Description:

Key Responsibilities:

Merchandising Strategy & Planning:

- Develop and lead the end-to-end merchandising strategy for all jewellery categories (rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, gemstones, bridal, fashion).

- Build annual, seasonal, and monthly assortment plans based on trends, customer insights, and business goals.

- Identify new product opportunities, emerging trends, and innovation areas across global markets.

Product Development & Assortment Management:

- Oversee the complete product lifecycle concept, design, sampling, pricing, launch, and performance review.

- Guide design teams with clear product briefs, trend direction, material specifications, and competitive insights.

- Ensure assortment differentiation aligned with Angara's brand identity, craftsmanship standards, and gemstone expertise.

Sales, Inventory & Performance Management:

- Drive revenue, margins, sell-through rates, and category profitability.

- Build inventory strategies for fast- and slow-moving SKUs, lifecycle planning, and demand forecasting.

- Collaborate with supply chain and production teams to ensure optimal availability and lead times.

- Pricing, Promotions & Competitive Intelligence

- Develop competitive pricing architecture across product lines and geographies.

- Partner with marketing to plan product launches, category promotions, and storytelling strategies.

- Continuously monitor competitor catalogues, trends, and pricing to maintain category leadership.

Cross-Functional Leadership:

- Work closely with Design, Manufacturing, Marketing, Analytics, E-commerce, and Operations teams.

- Partner with the Creative and Brand teams to ensure product imagery, content, and positioning align with the merchandising vision.

- Ensure seamless collaboration across global teams for collection launches and go-to-market execution.

Customer & Market Insights:

- Leverage customer behaviour data, market feedback, and trend reports to inform assortment strategies.

- Champion a customer-first approach to product development and merchandising decisions.

Team Leadership & Development:

- Lead, mentor, and scale the merchandising and product teams across geographies.

- Establish strong processes, KPI's, and governance frameworks for merchandising excellence.

Qualifications & Experience:

- 12 - 18+ years of experience in jewellery merchandising, product strategy, buying, or category management (fine jewellery preferred).

- Strong exposure to global jewellery markets (US preferred).

- Proven leadership experience in a fast-paced D2C /e-commerce environment.

- Deep understanding of gemstones, metals, design sensibilities, craftsmanship, and retail trends.

- Strong analytical, commercial, and data-driven decision-making skills.

- Experience collaborating with design studios, manufacturing units, and global suppliers.

- Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and cross-functional leadership capabilities.