Merchandise Controller

About us

Tri Coastal Design is a creative and fast-paced wholesale company operating in the international design and consumer goods industry. With headquarters in New York and a growing office in Milan, we develop innovative products in collaboration with third-party factories and bring them to markets worldwide, combining creativity, quality, and efficiency.

Our Milan office plays a central role in coordinating European operations, from product development and purchasing to inventory management and retail distribution. Joining Tri Coastal Design means becoming part of a dynamic, multicultural, and fast-growing team where analytical skills and creativity meet strong business execution.

Role overview

We are looking for a detail-oriented and analytical Merchandise Controller to join our Milan team. This is a newly created role, which means we need a structured and autonomous professional capable of setting up processes, methodologies, and reporting tools from the ground up.

The role will be responsible for analyzing sell-out and stock data, monitoring corporate stock rotation, defining replenishment strategies for retail points of sale, preparing buying projections, and supporting category assortment planning to ensure the right product mix and profitability.

This position sits at the intersection of inventory planning, category management, and retail operations, ensuring that the right product is in the right place at the right time with the right margin.

Responsabilities

• Set up and structure inventory and merchandise controlling processes within the company.
• Support the business in planning, controlling, and executing inventory and replenishment strategies across wholesale and retail channels.
• Monitor sell-out data and stock levels to define replenishment needs for each point of sale and maximize turnover.
• Track and analyze corporate stock rotation, identifying opportunities for optimization.
• Develop buying projections to support purchasing decisions from third-party factories.
• Conduct margin analysis to ensure profitability across categories.
• Define and monitor the correct product mix by category, balancing best sellers, slow movers, and new launches.
• Define and monitor inventory KPIs (rotation, stock coverage, obsolescence).
• Provide in-depth sales and stock performance analyses to management and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Product, Supply Chain, and Retail Partners to ensure assortment efficiency and availability of best sellers.
• Identify inefficiencies in stock management and propose actionable solutions.
• Manage activities related to clearance and scrapping of obsolete goods.
• Ensure transparent and timely reporting to support business decisions.
  

Qualifications

• Solid experience in merchandise controlling, demand planning, inventory management, or category management, ideally within Retail or Consumer Goods.
• Strong analytical capabilities, able to translate data into clear insights and action plans.
• Proven ability to structure processes, set up KPIs, and build methodologies in environments where the role did not previously exist.
• Good understanding of supply chain flows, from purchasing to retail replenishment.
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Proficiency in Excel and ERP systems (knowledge of BI tools is a plus).
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to collaborate effectively across teams and with retail partners.
• Meticulous attention to detail, proactive and solution-oriented.
• Degree in Management Engineering, Economics, Business Administration, or related field.
• Good knowledge of English and Italian, written and spoken.
• Strong determination to accomplish tasks and achieve established objectives
  

What we offer

• A high-impact role within a dynamic and international wholesale business.
• The opportunity to create and structure a new function, becoming the reference point for merchandise controlling in the company.
• Direct exposure to supply chain planning, retail operations, and category management.
• A multicultural, collaborative team in a fast-paced, design-driven environment.
• Competitive salary based on experience.

Tri-Coastal Design is an equal opportunity employer. All applications will be considered regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.