Head of Merchandise

Proudly member-owned since 1911, National Pharmacies advocates for making quality healthcare more accessible and more affordable to more people.  Our members benefit directly with access to expert health, optical and beauty services and savings across our full range of products.  We are continually evolving to meet the changing needs of our members and supporting our communities through local health programs and sponsorships.

At National Pharmacies, we believe our people are our biggest asset.

We are committed to fostering a values-driven culture, that supports our team members to fulfil our purpose of Caring for People, Enabling Health and Inspiring Wellness in the communities in which we serve.

We are currently looking for a dedicated Head of Merchandise to join our team, to provide leadership and expertise across our range of categories whilst managing positive supplier relationships.

As Head of Merchandise, you will lead a team of Category Managers, Procurement and Space Planning professionals to ensure that the buying practices support the organisations sales and profit objectives, and the development of growth strategies across retail merchandise, to optimise merchandise display and control store space.

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Full accountability of the financial performance for Merchandise, including forecasting, reporting and implementing corrective actions, whilst achieving monthly retail budgets, sales, margin and markdowns across all OTC categories.
• Develop and Implement retail promotional plans which enable stores to achieve monthly category retail sales budgets and support monthly category and supplier sales targets.
• Build a membership program to attract and retain members.
• Manage and implement a range review schedule that supports category growth and optimises space in store to achieve store sales budgets.
• Identify and implement new product ranges, build effective relationships with suppliers and negotiate terms to support business goals.
• Manage range and planogram layouts to maximise sales.
• Provide budgeting advice on forecasted retail sale influences and analyse business reports to maximise profit.
• Manage the supplier lifecycle including trading term agreements, assessment of the supply chain and develop trusted relationships to achieve mutual success.
• Manage and review the onboarding and offboarding process for suppliers ensuring products are ethically produced and handled throughout the supply chain, ensuring compliance with Modern Slavery Legislation.
• Maintain all pricing in line with Australian Consumer Law guidelines.
• Proactive management of Merchandise department and its team members, ensuring the right people are in the right job at the right time.
• Market & Competitor Analysis: Regularly analyse market trends and competitor activity to inform merchandise strategy.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Collaborate with marketing, digital, supply chain, and store operations to deliver cohesive merchandise outcomes.
• Compliance with ESG requirements
• Champion change management initiatives, including new systems, processes and organisational decision making

To be successful in this role you will need to demonstrate:

• Strong commercial and business acumen and analytical skills.
• A focus on planning and building sustainable business results with a customer-centric mindset, using data and insights to shape merchandise decisions.
• Well-developed communication, interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Problem solving and change management leadership skills.
• Performance and people management skills.
• Exceptional Customer Service and supplier management skills, with the ability to build strong supplier partnerships and drive innovation in product and service offerings.
• Ability to champion sustainability and ethical sourcing in all merchandise activities.
• Foster operational excellence, agility, and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Competency to take full ownership of merchandise financial performance and adapt quickly to market trends.
• Leadership skills to develop and mentor a high-performing team, ready for the future of retail.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure.

You will also require the following qualifications and experience:

• Minimum 10 years' experience in a Senior Merchandise Buying Role / 3 years at Senior Leadership level
• Experience in supplier Trading term negotiations at a National Level
• Tertiary qualification in Sales and Marketing preferred
• Competency in Microsoft suite of products

As a member of our team, you will enjoy:

• An attractive remuneration package
• Career development opportunities
• Working within a supportive team environment which encourages our values of care, communicate, collaborate and celebrate
• Employee discounts across our entire range of health, and beauty products
• Working for an organization that supports the community and genuinely cares about its customers through sponsorships and investment in our business

If you are interested in joining a values-driven organisation and making a positive contribution to community pharmacy, please apply.

For further information, please contact