Head of Merchandising– 37.5 hours

Where: JoJo House, Battersea (hybrid – 3 days in office)

Reporting to: Trading Director

Who you are:

We are looking for a commercially astute, customer-obsessed Head of Merchandising with deep experience in product-led retail. You combine strategic vision with hands-on in-season trading expertise and thrive in a fast-paced, multi-category environment. You understand how families shop across maternity, baby and childrenswear, and you know how to balance availability, value and margin while protecting cash and stock risk.

You are confident shaping financial plans, optimising stock and driving profitable growth across multiple channels. You work in close partnership with Buying, Design and cross-functional teams, bringing clarity, insight and a calm, solutions-focused mindset. You build high-performing teams, role-model JoJo’s values, and apply strong commercial judgement while always keeping the customer at the heart of decisions.

Your role in the JoJo story:

Reporting into the Trading Director, the Head of Merchandising is a senior leadership role responsible for driving the commercial performance of JoJo through strategic range planning, demand forecasting, stock optimisation and in-season trade management.

The role ensures that customer demand is met profitably across all channels, supports sustainable growth, and strengthens JoJo’s position as a trusted, design-led brand for modern families.

This role leads the merchandising function and works in close partnership with Buying, Design, Channels and Finance to deliver a cohesive, customer-led product strategy that balances creativity with strong commercial outcomes.

A peek into your daily adventures:

Strategic leadership

· Define and lead the end-to-end merchandising strategy across all categories, ensuring alignment with JoJo’s brand values, customer needs and commercial objectives.

· Own and shape seasonal financial plans including sales, margin, stock, markdown and terminal stock targets.

· Contribute to long-term growth strategies, including category expansion, channel development and improved stock efficiency across the lifecycle of the customer.

· Team Leadership

· Drive continuous improvement in planning, trading and stock management processes, embedding best practice and consistency while remaining responsive to customer and market change.

· Lead, inspire and develop the merchandising team, building capability, succession and a high-performance culture.

· Create a high-performing, collaborative and inclusive team culture, where people feel supported, challenged and empowered to take ownership and make commercial decisions.

Range planning & trading

· Oversee the development of balanced, customer-focused ranges that drive full-price sell-through, minimise risk and maximise profitability.

· Lead seasonal planning cycles, ensuring clear KPI ownership, budget control and strong alignment with Buying and Design.

· Drive weekly and in-season trade, making clear, timely decisions on risks, opportunities, markdowns and stock.

Stock management

· Ensure optimal stock levels across all channels, balancing availability, cash flow and inventory exposure.

· Own WSSI performance, intake and commitment phasing, and terminal stock reduction strategies.

· Champion continuous improvement in forecasting, allocation and replenishment to support customer availability and operational efficiency.

· Cross-functional collaboration

· Partner closely with Heads of Buying and Design to deliver a cohesive product strategy grounded in customer insight and commercial discipline.

· Work with Retail, Ecom & B2B teams to support channel performance, space planning and promotional activity.

· Collaborate with Finance to deliver accurate forecasting, scenario planning and robust budget management.

Skills that make you shine:

· Proven senior merchandising experience within a multi-channel retail environment; experience across clothing and/or lifestyle products is essential, with international exposure advantageous.

· Strong strategic and commercial capability, with a demonstrable track record of delivering profitable growth.

· Deep expertise in range planning, forecasting, stock management and in-season trading.

· Highly analytical, with the ability to translate data into clear actions and decisions.

· Inspirational leadership experience, with a passion for developing and motivating high-performing teams.

Just to give you a taste of our culture, we’ll be looking for you to:

·Be a brand ambassador, safeguarding our values and ethos.

·Demonstrate honesty and respect in every interaction.

·Foster collaboration and open, active listening

·Take ownership of all aspects of the role.

Perks and Benefits:

· Enjoy 25 days' annual leave plus all bank holidays

· Extra day of annual leave for each year you’re with us, up to 38 days.

· Is it your birthday? Take it off and celebrate!

· Helping plan for the future - enhanced pension scheme.

· Get on the move - cycle to work scheme.

· Financial wellbeing app - pay yourself 40% of your earned wages whenever you want.

· Saving scheme with Smart Money Cymru.

· Flexible work options.

· Enjoy fabulous social events.

· Give back with volunteer days to support our communities.

· Prioritise your well-being with our Health and Wellbeing hub.

· Specsavers voucher – Get a free sight test and contribution towards glasses (T & C’s) apply.

· We love our products! Enjoy:

o 40% off JoJo branded lines

o 25% off full-price NEXT products (in-store)

o 10% off NEXT Beauty products (in-store)

o Up to 10% off most branded products

· Embrace an “It’s up to you” learning environment with ongoing training and development opportunities.

· Your furry friend doesn’t have to stay at home – our offices are dog friendly for friendly pooches.

Want to know more about JoJo?

We make happy and helpful clothes and products that let children be children – in all their silly, messy, adventurous, noisy, imaginative joy. But we’re not just about selling products; we’re about creating a warm, community-centric environment for our employees and our customers. From 39 locations across the UK and Ireland and a thriving e-commerce platform, we offer a meticulously designed collection of children’s clothing, toys, and essentials designed with love and care: always with children at the forefront of our minds.

As a B Corp, our commitment goes beyond commerce, we strive for a sustainable future and take pride in our responsibilities to the planet and our communities. At JoJo, every role, every task and every day is an opportunity to support, inspire and contribute to the well-being of our teams and our customers.

We embrace and openly welcome people from different cultures, perspectives, and experiences to create a diverse and enriched environment. We work hard to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people, regardless of background to make sure we grow our company sustainably and with different cultural influences. By encouraging a diverse and inclusive workforce, we aim to create an environment where everyone can thrive and reach their full potential.