Chanel Senior Merchandising Manager

About Chanel

Chanel is one of the world’s most revered luxury houses, founded by Gabrielle Chanel and distinguished by an enduring vision of elegance, freedom, and modernity. As an employer, the House brings together métiers ranging from haute couture, fashion and leather goods to fragrance, beauty, watches, and fine jewelry, offering employees the opportunity to contribute to a legacy defined by exceptional craftsmanship and creative audacity. Chanel values excellence, discretion, collaboration, and long-term development, fostering an environment where talent is nurtured and heritage is continually reinterpreted for contemporary clients. Its teams are united by a commitment to quality, innovation, and the timeless spirit of the brand.

Role & Responsibilities

• Lead product strategy to anticipate market trends and strengthen qualitative growth by continuously reshaping the product offer, deepening client understanding and leveraging collection amplification in each boutique
• Collaborate closely with global and regional teams as well as local expertise teams from upstream to downstream with strong stakeholder management and long-term vision
• Define Open-to-Buy and sales ambition by category, boutique, and collection, balancing market flexibility with qualitative business growth and driving strategic assortment curation with local relevancy
• Innovate and identify new levers in 360-degree development plans by collaborating with Retail, Visual Merchandising, Marketing, Client Experience, Learning and other key partners
• Maximize business opportunities in the evolving China market with continuously improved operational efficiency
• Develop sales and inventory planning for assigned product categories based on China market dynamics
• Monitor sales, sell-through, stock-on-hand and key product performance to identify growth opportunities, risks and action plans whilst ensuring optimal stock levels
• Prepare pre-buy analysis with retail and client insights to onboard retail and global/regional teams for merchandising buying strategy
• Lead buying in showroom collaboratively with Retail, PR, Visual Merchandising, Marketing, Styling and other partners to build assortment
• Lead post-buy sharing with retail and office teams through clear rationale, business conviction and openness to boutique perspectives
• Own full assortment, order follow-up and submission, ensuring consistency between buying strategy, boutique needs and collection storytelling
• Provide relevant merchandising business reports (quantitative and qualitative) to stakeholders to align understanding of market trends and collection performance
• Share quarterly findings with retail teams on actionable insights to support collective work on action plans with feedback loops
• Set clear team priorities and ensure focused execution with strong ownership
• Coach team members to build and elevate product expertise, business acumen and stakeholder influence
• Develop team capability and talent pipeline through regular feedback, development plans and stretch assignments
• Create an open and collaborative team environment where members can share views and challenge constructively
• Support the Head of Merchandising on strategic priorities and progressively take ownership of broader cross-functional topics

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 years' experience in Merchandising, Buying and/or Retail, preferably with experience in luxury accessories, leather goods, or international premium brands
• Passion for luxury and arts combined with solid product acumen
• Driven by innovation and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with growth mindset and openness
• Strong buying dimension with proactive and hands-on approach, retail and market orientation
• Strong influence, coordination and managerial skills
• Ability to manage 1 to 5 direct reports with responsibility to build category capability across the retail community

Skills

Experience

Minimum 12 years in Merchandising, Buying, or Retail roles, preferably with luxury accessories, leather goods, or international premium brands. Experience in translating creative vision into commercial strategy, managing product categories, and leading cross-functional teams in fast-paced luxury environments is essential.

Education

Not specified; tertiary education in Fashion, Retail Management, Business Administration or related field is typically expected for this seniority level.

Workplace

Culture

Chanel fosters a culture of timeless creativity, exacting craftsmanship, and quiet excellence, where employees are encouraged to uphold the house’s heritage while contributing to its continued innovation. The workplace environment is refined, collaborative, and deeply committed to quality, offering professionals the opportunity to grow within a globally respected maison that values discretion, artistry, and long-term vision.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.