Head, Retail Inventory, Category and Merchandising

About this role

The role is a senior retail inventory leadership position responsible for building and managing a disciplined, data-driven system for product variety, stock availability, replenishment, category performance and merchandising across the group’s supermarket, village market and related consumer goods operations. It targets ensuring the right products, brands, pack sizes and quantities while reducing stockouts, overstocking, expiry and shrinkage. The job focuses on inventory, assortment and merchandising rather than storekeeping, reporting to the COO or Operations Manager. It involves working with Finance, Data Analysis, Procurement, Store/Warehouse, Marketing & Sales, HR and Security, and managing a team including an Inventory Control Officer and Merchandising staff. The role operates within Afri-9 Group which spans Oil & Gas, Hospitality and Consumer Goods retail and wholesale.

What you would do

• Improve shelf availability and product placement, planograms and pricing labels.
• Set minimum, maximum and reorder points, safety stock and supplier lead-times.
• Produce daily, weekly and monthly inventory, availability, category and gross-profit reports.
• Train and supervise inventory, store, warehouse, shelf and merchandising personnel.
• Lead cycle counts, physical stock counts and variance investigations.
• Identify missing categories, brands and price levels based on demand and sales data.
• Classify products by movement and manage damaged, expired or dead stock.
• Create and maintain the SKU master, category structure and assortment plan.
• Develop and maintain a reliable replenishment and merchandising system.
• Ensure stock accuracy, timely reporting and manage cash flow impact.

What they are asking for

• Experience in retail inventory management or a similar leadership role.
• Strong data analysis, reporting and forecasting skills.
• Knowledge of stock control, category management and merchandising principles.
• Ability to lead and train teams across multiple functions.
• Familiarity with KPI tracking related to stock, turnover and gross margin.
• Understanding of procurement interfaces and supplier lead-times.
• Experience with cycle counts, physical stock counts and variance investigations.
• Ability to develop and manage SKU master and assortment plans.

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