Manager - Merchandising

Roles & responsibilities

1. Buyer Communication & Account Management

• Act as the primary point of contact for key domestic and export customers.
• Understand buyer requirements, specifications, packaging, testing protocols, and delivery timelines.
• Ensure all buyer queries, clarifications, and feedback are addressed promptly.
• Maintain excellent customer relationships to support repeat business.

Product Development & Sampling

• Lead development of new sock designs, styles, materials, and packaging.
• Coordinate closely with design, R&D, knitting, linking, washing, finishing, and QA teams.
• Ensure timely creation and submission of development and confirmation samples.
• Track sample approvals in buyer ERPs and merchandising platforms.

3. Material Approvals & Pre-Production Readiness

• Ensure all yarns, trims, and accessories are sourced, delivered, and approved by buyers well before production start date.
• Maintain a clear and updated timeline for all material approvals and coordinate with suppliers and QA to avoid delays.
• Track all approvals in buyer-specific ERPs, portals, or merchandising systems and escalate any pending issues immediately.
• Maintain a consolidated, always-updated status sheet for materials, approvals, and buyer requirements.
• Ensure complete clarity on all specifications, technical details, and approvals prior to the knitting start date.

4. Order Management & Execution

• Review purchase orders and ensure all critical details are correctly communicated to PPC and production teams.
• Create and maintain Time & Action (T&A) calendars and ensure adherence across departments.
• Follow up with knitting, linking, washing, finishing, packing, and logistics to ensure timely execution.
• Resolve production challenges, quality issues, or bottlenecks in coordination with internal teams.

5. Costing & Commercial Management

• Prepare accurate cost sheets considering yarn composition, knitting time, finishing costs, trims, and packaging.
• Negotiate pricing with buyers while maintaining target margins.
• Monitor cost variances and drive continuous cost optimization.

Quality & Compliance Coordination

• Work closely with QA to ensure all buyer quality standards, testing requirements, and compliance norms are met.
• Ensure correct size specs, packaging guidelines, labelling, and carton details are followed.
• Support buyer audits, quality inspections, and shipment approvals.

Reporting & MIS

• Maintain robust merchandising MIS including:
• Sample tracker
• Approval tracker
• Order status report
• T&A calendar
• Dispatch plan
• Present weekly/monthly updates to management.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of socks manufacturing processes (knitting, linking, washing, boarding, finishing, packing).
• Excellent communication and buyer-handling skills.
• Strong planning and follow-up capability.
• Expertise in costing, approvals management, and Time & Action (T&A) execution.
• Proficiency in MS Excel, ERP systems, and buyer merchandising portals.
• Leadership and team-management ability.
• Detail-oriented with strong time-management skills.

Preferred candidate profile

• Graduate/PG in Textile Technology, Fashion Technology, or Business Management.
• 812 years of merchandising experience in socks, hosiery, or apparel manufacturing.
• Experience handling international buyers and large-volume accounts is preferred.
• Strong understanding of material approvals, pre-production stages, and production workflows.