Job Description – Head of Merchandising

Company: Zeel Climate Clothing
Department: Merchandising
Designation: Head of Merchandising
Location: Corporate Office, Thane/Bhiwandi, with regular factory visits
Reporting To: Directors / Senior Management

Job Summary

Zeel Climate Clothing is looking for an experienced Head of Merchandising to lead and manage end-to-end merchandising operations across the corporate office and manufacturing facilities. The role will be responsible for product development, buyer coordination, costing, sourcing, order management, production planning coordination, and timely execution of orders. The candidate will act as a key link between buyers, design, sourcing, production, quality, and factory teams to ensure product quality, cost efficiency, and on-time delivery.

Key Responsibilities

1. Corporate Merchandising & Buyer Management

- Lead the merchandising function for corporate and factory operations, ensuring smooth coordination across all departments.
- Manage buyer communication, order enquiries, product specifications, approvals, and order confirmations.
- Oversee product development, sampling, fabric and trims selection, and sample approvals.
- Handle costing, pricing negotiations, margin analysis, and commercial discussions with buyers.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with domestic and international customers, where applicable.
- Monitor order status, delivery schedules, critical timelines, and customer requirements.

2. Factory Merchandising & Production Coordination

- Coordinate with factory teams to ensure smooth execution of confirmed orders from development to final dispatch.
- Work closely with production, planning, purchase, stores, quality, and dispatch teams.




- Ensure the timely availability of fabrics, trims, accessories, and other required materials.
- Monitor production progress, material consumption, order-wise status, and delivery commitments.
- Conduct regular factory visits to review order execution, resolve bottlenecks, and ensure adherence to approved specifications.
- Coordinate pre-production meetings, production follow-ups, inspections, and final shipment readiness.

3. Product Development & Technical Coordination

- Lead product development for rainwear, winterwear, climate clothing, and other relevant apparel or technical textile categories.
- Ensure samples, specifications, measurements, BOMs, and technical documentation are accurate and approved.
- Work with design, sourcing, and technical teams to improve product performance, quality, and cost effectiveness.
- Identify opportunities for material optimization, value engineering, and product innovation.

4. Team Leadership & Process Management

- Lead, mentor, and develop the corporate and factory merchandising teams.
- Allocate responsibilities, establish performance targets, and monitor team productivity.
- Develop standardized merchandising processes, reporting formats, and order-tracking systems.
- Prepare regular MIS reports covering order status, costing, sampling, material readiness,



production progress, and delivery performance.
- Coordinate with senior management on business priorities, order risks, customer escalations, and improvement initiatives.

Required Qualifications & Experience

- Graduate in Textile Technology, Fashion Technology, Apparel Manufacturing, Merchandising, or a related field; relevant equivalent experience may be considered.
- 12–18 years of experience in apparel merchandising, garment manufacturing, or a related industry, with substantial leadership experience.
- Prior experience handling both corporate merchandising and factory-level execution.
- Experience in rainwear, winterwear, outerwear, technical apparel, or similar product categories will be preferred.
- Strong knowledge of garment costing, fabric and trims sourcing, product development, sampling, production processes, and quality standards.
- Proven experience in buyer management, order execution, team leadership, and cross-functional coordination.
- Strong negotiation, communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Willingness to travel regularly to manufacturing units as required.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

- On-time order execution and delivery.
- Accuracy of costing and achievement of targeted margins.
- Sampling and product development turnaround time.
- Timely material availability and production readiness.
- Reduction in order delays, rework, and material wastage.
- Buyer satisfaction and repeat business.
- Merchandising team productivity and reporting accuracy.

Pay: ₹3,000,000.00 - ₹5,000,000.00 per year

Benefits:

- Adaptable schedule
- Paid sick time

Work Location: In person

📌 Head of Merchandising (Bhiwandi)
🏢 NZ Seasonal Wear
📍 Bhiwandi