Trade & Merchandise Manager (AI-Forward)

Engagement: Ongoing / long-term contract (part-time, ~20–25 hrs/week to start) Location: Remote — some overlap with Australian business hours preferred Level: Intermediate–Expert About the role We are a growing direct-to-consumer ecommerce retailer selling our own apparel line alongside a curated range of third-party footwear and gear. We are looking for a sharp, commercially-minded Trade & Merchandise Manager to own our merchandising strategy, trade analysis and sales events, and to support our founders on supplier negotiations. This is not a traditional merch role. We run our planning and reporting on a modern AI stack — much of the number-crunching that used to eat a merchant's week is now automated. We need someone who thinks: someone who uses these tools to make sharper decisions, catches when the data looks wrong, and turns analysis into margin. This is a strong fit if you - Are genuinely AI-forward. You already use AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT or similar) in your day-to-day work, and you're energised — not threatened — by a role where AI does the heavy lifting and you do the judgement. - Are sceptical in the right way. You know retail data well enough to spot when a number doesn't add up, and you never take an output — human or AI — at face value before a decision rides on it. - Can direct a tool precisely. You can brief an AI clearly, interpret what comes back, and translate it into a decision the rest of the team can act on. - Have real merchandising chops. Range planning, pricing, markdown strategy and buying are second nature to you — the AI amplifies your judgement, it doesn't replace it. What you'll do 1. Merchandising & trade analysis - Own the merchandise strategy — range architecture, category expansion and seasonal planning — aligned to revenue and margin targets. - Use our AI-driven SKU grading and demand-planning tools to drive assortment, re-buy and range-exit decisions, focusing effort on the SKUs that carry most of the margin. - Steer the demand and purchase plan (size curves, seasonal factors, unit and gross-profit targets) and own the resulting buy recommendations. - Interpret AI-generated trade reporting (pacing, margin waterfall, fast/slow movers) and turn it into clear, actioned recommendations each week. - Review product-launch performance and decide re-push versus clearance. 2. Sales events & pricing - Own planning and execution of major sale events and tactical flash sales. - Own markdown strategy end to end — setting markups and markdowns against clear KPIs and a pacing model. - Curate sale selections with the ecommerce team and price events for sign-off. 3. Supplier support & negotiation - Act as analytical second chair to the founders on supplier negotiations — building the case (sell-through evidence, margin analysis, rationale for terms and delivery windows). - Reconcile supplier balances and invoiced positions, resolving discrepancies before they reach the table. - Model what each proposed term does to cash and margin before anything is committed. - Track agreed terms, purchase-order staging and follow-ups, and maintain the trade calendar with suppliers. What we're looking for - 3+ years in merchandise, buying or category management (retail or ecommerce). - Demonstrated AI fluency — please tell us specifically how you currently use AI tools in your work. - Strong commercial acumen and a track record of hitting revenue and margin targets. - Skilled in product selection, pricing, negotiation and vendor management. - Comfortable interrogating data and spreadsheets, and confident challenging analysis that doesn't look right. - Clear communicator, highly organised, reliable, and comfortable in a fast-moving environment. Bonus: a genuine interest in fitness, sport or the training space. To apply In your proposal, please include: - A short note on how you use AI tools in your merchandising or buying work today — be specific with examples. This is the single most important thing we're screening for. - A brief example of a range, pricing or markdown decision you made that moved revenue or margin, and how you approached it. - Your relevant merchandising / buying experience and availability. Applications that skip the AI question, or that read as generic copy-paste, won't be considered. We're specifically looking for an operator who is excited to work this way.