Assistant Merchandising Manager (Food)

Objectives of this position: Manage the overall Merchandising team’s day to day operations in line with headquarters strategy and expectations. Coach & Mentor the merchandising team to maximize work efficiency and achieve business targets. Excels in negotiation with suppliers and European buyers to achieve department turnover and margin targets. Be accountable for business measurability. This includes sales, profitability, Asia market share, delivery performance, quality of the articles and maintaining an efficient supplier pool. What will you do? Main contact point for Lidl international buyers and factories. Drives the business with your merchandise team and makes sure that the Lidl International interests are implemented. Support the business strategies to achieve department turnover and margin. Develop a robust supply base by vendor selection, price negotiation and supplier performance measurements to meet the needs of the organization. Evaluate the performance of suppliers on a continual basis and take measures to improve performance when necessary. Key contact person of strategic partner(s) and develop the relevant categories directly with them. Conduct market research to develop new business and product categories. Support the sample development with the team in line with the department's strategy. Build and develop a capable and decisive merchandising team to manage suppliers and drive order allocation within the respective regions. Responsibility for price negotiations in two directions – towards our Lidl international buyers and factories of product suppliers. Driving the end-to-end operational process and performing critical path management within the merchandising team and through day-to-day liaison with supply chain and supporting departments. Liaise with different parties within the supply chain on a day-to-day basis. Drive cross divisional projects which brings the company to the next level in terms of business growth and efficiencies. What will you need? Degree holder Extensive merchandising experience and management experience and proven experience in leading a team. Excellent negotiator with a commercial mindset and the ability to understand the bigger picture. Works well under pressure, effectively handles conflict, and demonstrates flexibility in work style to accommodate changing priorities and fixed deadlines. Technical knowledge in production and capable of solving issues with the supply chain and quality. Strong leadership, supervisory and motivation skills. Team player with interest to innovate, collaborate and excel in a fast-paced environment. Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to cultivate sustainable relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Problem solving skills, with the ability to seek advice when required. Excellent skill in MS Office/Google Workspace (specifically Excel/Sheets and Power Point/Slides). Willing to travel as required. What you'll receive We are dedicated to fostering a family-friendly culture and work environment. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all candidates with the required skills and experience. We enable fair pay within the company by creating non-discriminatory salary systems. Working at Lidl & Kaufland Asia is rewarding, in every sense, because we give you the training to succeed in your role and plenty of opportunities to progress your career here. We are accredited as a Fair and Progressive employer by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP). Market Leading Remuneration Package: Annual wage supplement and discretionary bonus Life Insurance Medical Insurance Supportive Environment: Out of Office leave for important appointments In-house training courses Training sponsorship scheme Work-life Balance: 5-day week Competitive Annual Leave Charity, Community and Sporting Events If you are not invited for an interview within 4 weeks, we regret that your application was not suited to this vacancy. For more company information, please feel free to visit: http://www.lidl.asia Personal data collected will be used for recruitment related purposes only and will be destroyed after 12 months