Assistant Merchandising Manager

Arla KSA is looking to hire a highly driven Merchandising Ass-Manager to improve Merchandisers efficiency and Merchandising Team vision and Mission.

The role and responsibilities cover a broad base within the organization, working cross-functionally (finance, supply chain, marketing, Commercial Operation, sales & Merchandising) to achieve the below goals:

Your key tasks include:

• Run a quick scan of merchandisers and Merchandising leaders capabilities and skills. Identify gaps vs current and future business needs
• Anticipate merchandiser work peaks and lead staff planning
• Drive initiatives to improve the efficiency and impact of team (e.g. centralize priorities training, tools)
• programs aimed at improving our in-store presence (e.g. planogram training, FIFO, etc).
• Coach and build a highly engaged team of Merchandisers & Supervisors (Work Plan, feedbacks, team building …)
• Drive Team training, Depots & Field Visits
• Participate in Sales & Marketing Meeting with responsibility of informing regarding merchandisers activities and Plan
• Communicate new product and service opportunities, feedback gathered through field activities.
• Engage Merchandisers, Supervisors & work and lead allocated Region Team.
• recruiting, training, supervising and appraising staff.
• Work and Managing the budgets efficiently ( Finance ,resources utilization )
• Set merchandising targets and KPIs. Monitor and communicate results with regular scorecards
• Lead the Merchandisers fundamental tracking based on business needs.
• Merchandising automated tools knowledge and work experience ,

Educational / Experience and skills

• Bachelor's Degree in Business/ Marketing or University graduate
• Relevant 3 to 5 Years’ experience as a Merchandiser Senior level & Sales Senior Level in FMCG industry.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills
• Analytical Thinking: ability to analyze complex data to extract actionable insights.
• Leadership/People Management: Ability to coach and engage the Team.
• Effective communication and leadership skills.
• Self-driven and motivated to learn and improve team and Self ,
• Entrepreneurial and Results oriented: Constantly looks for opportunities and ideas to improve his organization and performance.

Job Purpose

The Merchandising Assistant Manager supports the execution and continuous improvement of merchandising strategies by leading field teams, strengthening capabilities, optimizing resources, and ensuring strong in-store execution. The role focuses on people development, operational excellence, efficiency initiatives, and close collaboration with Sales and Marketing to drive commercial impact.

Key Responsibilities

Team Capability & Workforce Planning

• Conduct regular capability and skills assessments of Merchandisers and Merchandising Leaders to identify gaps against current and future business needs.
• Anticipate merchandising workload peaks and proactively lead staff and resource planning to ensure optimal coverage.
• Recruit, train, supervise, coach, and appraise Merchandisers and Supervisors to build a high-performing, engaged team.

Team Leadership & Engagement

• Coach, motivate, and develop Merchandisers and Supervisors through structured work plans, regular feedback, performance reviews, and team-building initiatives.
• Engage and lead Merchandisers and Supervisors across the assigned region, ensuring alignment with company objectives and execution standards.
• Lead and support depot visits and field visits to ensure consistency, compliance, and best practice sharing.

Training & Development

• Drive structured training programs for Merchandisers and Supervisors, including planogram execution, FIFO, visibility, and execution excellence.
• Implement initiatives to centralize priorities, improve training effectiveness, and enhance the use of tools and systems.
• Support the rollout and adoption of merchandising automated tools, ensuring teams understand and effectively use available technologies.

Merchandising Execution & In‑Store Excellence

• Lead and support merchandising programs aimed at improving in-store presence, product visibility, availability, and compliance with planograms and standards.
• Monitor and drive merchandising fundamentals tracking based on business priorities and execution requirements.
• Identify execution improvement opportunities and implement corrective actions in collaboration with field teams.

Performance Management & Reporting

• Set clear merchandising targets and KPIs aligned with business objectives.
• Monitor performance and communicate results through regular scorecards, reviews, and performance discussions.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting of field activities and merchandising outcomes.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Participate in Sales and Marketing meetings, providing updates on merchandising activities, execution plans, and field insights.
• Communicate new product launches, initiatives, and service opportunities to the field team.
• Collect and relay market feedback, competitive insights, and execution observations gathered through field activities.

Budget & Resource Management

• Support efficient management of merchandising budgets, ensuring optimal use of financial and operational resources.
• Monitor expenses related to manpower, tools, and execution, while identifying opportunities for cost optimization without compromising quality.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• Proven experience in merchandising operations, preferably within FMCG or retail environments.
• Prior experience leading, coaching, and developing field teams.
• Strong knowledge of merchandising fundamentals, in-store execution standards, and planogram compliance.
• Experience working with merchandising automated tools, reporting systems, and performance dashboards.

Key Competencies

• Strong people leadership and coaching skills
• Planning, prioritization, and organizational excellence
• Analytical mindset with KPI and scorecard management
• Effective communication and stakeholder management
• Results-driven, proactive, and solution-oriented approach
• Ability to work in dynamic, field-based environments