Divisional Merchandising Manager (DMM) Apparel

Location: Gurgaon

Function: Apparel Sourcing & Merchandising

Role Overview

We are looking for an experienced Divisional Merchandising Manager – Apparel to lead sourcing, merchandising, vendor management and execution for a portfolio of international customers.

A key focus of the role will be value and mid-market apparel retail, predominantly for European customers, along with exposure to the US market. The person should therefore have a strong understanding of the sourcing economics, costing expectations, speed and vendor ecosystem required to service value-conscious international retailers.

The role requires someone with substantial apparel buying-house / sourcing organisation experience, strong commercial judgement, a well-established industry network and a highly hands-on approach.

We are specifically looking for someone who is entrepreneurial, decisive and fast-moving — someone who takes ownership, finds solutions and drives closure rather than waiting for extensive direction or established processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead apparel merchandising and sourcing across product development, costing, order management, production and delivery.
• Manage sourcing programs for value and mid-market international retail customers, particularly across Europe.
• Translate customer target prices and product requirements into commercially viable sourcing solutions.
• Identify factories capable of delivering the right combination of competitive pricing, scale, quality, compliance and speed.
• Develop and continuously strengthen a vendor base relevant to the value retail and mid-market apparel segment.
• Drive costing and commercial negotiations with factories while protecting customer requirements and business margins.
• Manage relationships with international brands/customers, factories and suppliers.
• Take ownership of production, quality, delivery and commercial challenges and ensure quick resolution.
• Support onboarding and development of new brands/customers where required.
• Ensure adherence to CSR, social compliance, quality and customer-specific standards.
• Lead and develop the merchandising team while maintaining strong execution discipline.
• Anticipate sourcing and execution risks and proactively resolve them rather than relying on escalation.
• Leverage industry relationships to quickly identify alternate factories, capabilities and sourcing solutions where required.

Candidate Profile

• Strong experience in apparel sourcing and merchandising, preferably servicing European value or mid-market retailers/brands.
• Significant experience within buying houses, liaison offices or global sourcing organisations is essential.
• Current or recent experience at DMM, MM or equivalent senior merchandising level.
• Experience with organisations such as Li & Fung, Asmara, PDS portfolio companies or comparable international sourcing organisations would be highly relevant.
• Strong understanding of the economics and sourcing requirements of value retail, including target costing, price negotiation, factory selection and large-scale execution.
• Strong understanding of apparel sourcing, product development, costing, factory operations, production and merchandising.
• Well connected within the apparel sourcing ecosystem, particularly with factories capable of servicing value and mid-market international customers.
• Strong commercial judgement and ability to assess supplier viability across price, capability, capacity, quality, compliance and delivery.
• Strong exposure to European customers is preferred; US market experience would be additionally relevant.
• Experience managing merchandising teams and multiple customer/factory stakeholders.
• Good understanding of CSR, quality and factory compliance requirements.
• Exposure to new customer/brand acquisition or onboarding would be preferred.
• Strong maturity in managing relationships with both international customers and factories.
• Hands-on and comfortable personally stepping into execution when required.

Preferred Mindset

• High ownership and accountability.
• Strong bias for action and quick turnaround.
• Entrepreneurial and solution-oriented.
• Commercially sharp, particularly around value-focused sourcing and costing.
• Strong industry and factory network.
• Hands-on execution mindset.
• Comfortable making decisions and moving forward without excessive process dependency.