Merchandising & Marketing Manager - Leather Outerwear

As a Merchandising & Marketing Manager for Leather Outerwear, your role involves leading the end-to-end merchandising, product development, and marketing processes. Your primary focus will be on ensuring timely product execution, cost optimization, and strategic market positioning for leather outerwear. You will engage with customers, drive product innovation, and coordinate effectively with design, production, sourcing, and international buyers. Key Responsibilities: - Manage the complete merchandising cycle including sampling, costing, approvals, production follow-up, and shipment. - Collaborate with buyers to understand seasonal requirements, price expectations, and technical specifications. - Prepare and oversee T&A calendars to ensure on-time execution without deviations. - Review tech packs, BOM, trims, and leather quality specifications. - Coordinate with sampling teams for proto, fit, size set, PP samples, and shipment samples. - Monitor production stages to ensure buyer quality standards are met. - Follow up on material sourcing, leather allocation, lab dips, and trim approvals. - Maintain order sheets, costing sheets, WIP reports, and delivery trackers. Product Development (Leather Outerwear): - Identify trends in leather jackets, fashion outerwear, biker styles, puffers, shearlings, etc. - Collaborate with design teams to build seasonal collections based on market trends. - Innovate on leather types, finishes, wash treatments, textures, and hardware. - Conduct competitive benchmarking against other brands in EU/US markets. Marketing & Customer Interaction: - Lead customer presentations of collections, concepts, and new developments. - Support marketing initiatives for leather outerwear catalogs, line sheets, product stories, and digital content. - Cultivate strong buyer relationships to increase business share and repeated orders. - Represent the company at fairs, exhibitions, and buyer meetings as required. Costing & Commercials: - Prepare detailed costing (FOB/CMT) and negotiate to achieve target margins. - Coordinate with finance and production to ensure cost accuracy and profitability. - Track order values, projections, and category-wise business MIS. Cross-functional Coordination: - Collaborate with production, QA, sourcing, and factories for smooth order execution. - Identify and address bottlenecks early to ensure timely corrective actions. - Support QA teams in resolving technical garment or leather-related issues. Skills & Competencies: - Strong product knowledge in leather outerwear, trims, washing, treatments, and finishing. - Excellent communication skills with international buyers. - Ability to manage multiple orders and timelines simultaneously. - Strong analytical, planning, and costing skills. - Proficiency in MS Excel, T&A planning tools, and merchandising documentation. - Creative eye for trends and fashion. Experience Requirements: - 510 years experience in merchandising or product development for leather apparel. - Strong background in exports/domestic premium brands preferred. - Experience with EU/US buyers is an added advantage. Education: - Graduate/Postgraduate in Fashion Merchandising, Leather Technology, Apparel Management, Marketing, or related fields. As a Merchandising & Marketing Manager for Leather Outerwear, your role involves leading the end-to-end merchandising, product development, and marketing processes. Your primary focus will be on ensuring timely product execution, cost optimization, and strategic market positioning for leather outerwear. You will engage with customers, drive product innovation, and coordinate effectively with design, production, sourcing, and international buyers. Key Responsibilities: - Manage the complete merchandising cycle including sampling, costing, approvals, production follow-up, and shipment. - Collaborate with buyers to understand seasonal requirements, price expectations, and technical specifications. - Prepare and oversee T&A calendars to ensure on-time execution without deviations. - Review tech packs, BOM, trims, and leather quality specifications. - Coordinate with sampling teams for proto, fit, size set, PP samples, and shipment samples. - Monitor production stages to ensure buyer quality standards are met. - Follow up on material sourcing, leather allocation, lab dips, and trim approvals. - Maintain order sheets, costing sheets, WIP reports, and delivery trackers. Product Development (Leather Outerwear): - Identify trends in leather jackets, fashion outerwear, biker styles, puffers, shearlings, etc. - Collaborate with design teams to build seasonal collections based on market trends. - Innovate on leather types, finishes, wash treatments, textures, and hardware. - Conduct competitive benchmarking against other brands in EU/US markets. Marketing & Customer Interaction: - Lead customer presentations of collections, concepts, and new developments. - Support marketing initiatives for leather outerwear catalogs,