Merchandiser

About Us

Centric Brands is a leading lifestyle brand collective that designs, sources, markets and sells high quality products in multiple segments, including women’s, men’s and kid’s apparel, accessories, entertainment and beauty. Centric Brands is focused on our customers and our brands that will drive the company’s future growth. We are defined by innovation as we seize new opportunities and thrive in an environment informed by creativity and thinking that is both analytical and outside the box. Centric Brands reflects a team built on respect, for others and for the hard work it takes to achieve our goals and build our bright future together.

Specific Responsibilities Would Include

Job Purpose

To manage day-to-day merchandising activities with Kenya-based suppliers and factories, ensuring accurate order execution, timely sample approvals, production tracking, quality compliance, and on-time shipment in line with customer requirements and regional merchandising procedures.

Overall Responsibilities

Order Management

• Follow up on purchase orders, order confirmations, quantities, delivery dates, and critical requirements.
• Monitor each order from order placement through production and final shipment.
• Coordinate with factories to ensure production plans meet confirmed customer delivery dates (CRDs).
• Identify potential delays and communicate risks to the Egypt team immediately

Sample Management

• Coordinate proto, fit, SMS, PPS, TOP, and other required samples.
• Ensure samples are submitted, approved, and distributed to the relevant teams on time.
• Follow up on sample comments and corrective actions with factories.
• Escalate delayed samples and ensure approved samples are available before required production milestones.

Production Follow-up and WIP

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date Work-in-Progress (WIP) reports.
• Verify production milestones, including bulk fabric and trims readiness, cutting, sewing, finishing, inspection, and shipment.
• Validate factory updates before reporting order status to the Egypt team.
• Highlight production delays, capacity constraints, and CRD risks with clear recovery plans.

Supplier Coordination

• Maintain regular communication with factory merchandising, production, and quality teams.
• Conduct factory visits when required to verify progress and resolve issues.
• Ensure suppliers understand customer requirements, sample procedures, reporting timelines, and compliance standards.
• Escalate repeated non-compliance or inaccurate reporting to the Egypt team.

Factory Visits and On-Site Follow-up

• Conduct regular visits to apparel factories in Nairobi and Mombasa to monitor production progress and verify reported WIP status.
• Meet with factory merchandising, production, and QC teams to review order status, sample approvals, fabric and trims readiness, and shipment plans.
• Verify actual production milestones, including cutting, sewing, finishing, and inspection, against factory-reported dates.
• Identify production bottlenecks, quality concerns, and potential delivery delays, and agree on corrective action plans with factories.
• Ensure factories comply with customer requirements, sampling procedures, and reporting timelines.
• Share visit reports, key findings, action owners, and deadlines with the Egypt Regional Merchandising Team.
• Escalate critical issues immediately, particularly those that may affect confirmed customer delivery dates (CRDs).

Quality and Technical Compliance

• Follow up on fabric, trims, garment construction, measurements, labeling, and packaging requirements.
• Ensure trims and accessories meet both appearance and functional requirements before bulk production.
• Coordinate with Quality Control (QC) teams on inspections, defects, corrective actions, and shipment readiness.

Reporting and Communication

• Submit accurate weekly WIP reports and timely updates as requested by the Egypt team.
• Provide clear information on order status, delays, root causes, responsible parties, and recovery actions.
• Maintain proper records of approvals, sample submissions, production updates, and shipment documents.
• Use the designated company tracking systems and avoid unnecessary duplicate reporting.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• On-time shipment: Orders shipped against confirmed CRDs.
• Sample compliance: Samples submitted and distributed within agreed timelines.
• WIP accuracy: Reliable, validated production status and milestone dates.
• Risk escalation: Early communication of delays with actionable recovery plans.
• Supplier performance: Responsiveness, reporting accuracy, and adherence to requirements.
• Quality compliance: Reduction in preventable quality issues and repeat deviations.

Our Best Fit Candidate Would Have

• 5+ years of working experience in merchandising
• Professional qualification in Textile, Apparel, Merchandising, Business, or a related field.
• Relevant experience in apparel merchandising, sourcing, or garment manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of garment production processes, sampling, fabric and trims, quality, and shipment procedures.
• Experience working directly with apparel factories and managing multiple orders simultaneously.
• Strong Excel, reporting, communication, and follow-up skills.
• Willing to work primarily on-site at factories and travel regularly between Nairobi and Mombasa.

Behavioral Competencies:

• Strong ownership and accountability
• Attention to detail and data accuracy
• Proactive problem-solving and escalation
• Effective supplier and stakeholder management
• Strong time management and prioritization
• Ability to work independently while following regional procedures

Language Proficiency:

Fluent in: English

Specific Working Conditions

Work Base: Primarily factory-based, with a strong on-site presence at supplier factories in Nairobi and Mombasa.

Frequency of Travel: Regular travel between Nairobi and Mombasa is required, based on factory locations, production priorities, and business needs, typically 2–3 days in Nairobi and 2–3 days in Mombasa.