Chief Digital Merchandiser Officer

Description:

Role Overview:

The Chief Merchandising Jewellery Officer will spearhead the overall merchandising vision, strategy, and execution for global jewellery business. This role is responsible for developing a compelling, data-backed product assortment, driving category growth, optimizing pricing and margins, and elevating the brands product leadership across markets (US, UK, Australia, India). The ideal leader brings a strong blend of creativity, commercial acumen, deep jewellery domain expertise, and digital-first retail understanding.

Key Responsibilities:

1. 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.

2. 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 brand identity, craftsmanship standards, and gemstone expertise.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Customer & Market Insights:

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

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

7. Team Leadership & Development:

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

- Establish strong processes, KPIs, 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.