Merchandising & Product Strategist

Job Description

The Merchandising & Product Strategist is responsible for supporting Plain Vanilla’s leadership team in elevating product quality, relevance, and performance across all categories and channels. This role provides strategic, insight-driven direction on the end-to-end product lifecycle—from research and development to campaign execution, pricing, and performance tracking.

This is a senior individual contributor role with cross-functional reach, working closely with the CEO, Head Chef, Pastry R&D Specialist, Head of Bar, Brand, and Sales teams. The role will independently drive research, systems maintenance, pricing recommendations, and merchandising development, while working collaboratively with other team leads to align product decisions with brand direction and operational feasibility.

Key Responsibilities

Consumer Insights & Product Research (Own & Lead)

• Conduct research on product trends, including formats, flavours, packaging, and category innovation


• Analyse customer behaviour, preferences, and seasonal patterns to recommend new product directions


• Maintain competitor benchmarking and category landscape reports across all product lines


• Develop and maintain customer profiles and personas to inform product planning

Product Strategy & Campaign Development (Collaborate)

• Work with the CEO and Brand Team to align product ideas with the annual brand and campaign calendar


• Collaborate with culinary and bar leads to develop product ideas based on identified gaps or opportunities


• Lead seasonal or monthly product campaign planning with the Brand Team, including: Product line-up proposals, Visual direction / moodboarding, Post-campaign reviews and performance insights


• Support go-to-market planning for product launches in partnership with Brand & Sales teams

Retail Merchandise & Seasonal Gifting (Own & Lead)

• Lead sourcing and development of house brand merchandise, lifestyle items, and retail offerings


• Design and curate seasonal hampers, gift sets, and bundles for festive campaigns or retail peaks


• Independently drive cross-brand collaborations (where applicable) for new retail


• offerings


• Manage development of non-food SKUs for online and in-store sale

Pricing, Costing & SKU Management (Own & Lead)

• Own and maintain the Pricing Masterbook, including ongoing review and alignment of pricing architecture


• Lead costing analysis across product lines, working with Culinary and Fulfilment teams on COGS management


• Support the business in price change exercises, including: Competitor pricing analysis, Financial modelling of price impact across channels (in-store, online, 3P), Preparing pricing decks for leadership review


• Drive SKU lifecycle management, including product refreshes and rationalisation planning

Product Systems & Documentation (Own & Maintain)

• Own and maintain key product databases: Product Cheat Sheets, Pricing & Costing Masterbooks, Product Launch Timelines and Campaign Planning Sheets


• Support operational teams in having accurate and updated references at all times

Post-Launch Review & Feedback Loop (Collaborate)

• Work cross-functionally to review product launches and extract insights for future improvement


• Define success metrics with Brand, Culinary and Sales teams


• Recommend iterative improvements based on feedback and performance

Qualifications & Experience

• 3+ years of experience in product strategy, category management, or merchandising; F&B, lifestyle, or consumer goods background preferred


• Strong analytical and commercial acumen—able to translate data into decisions


• Experience with pricing, cost modelling, and product positioning across channels


• Exceptional attention to detail, with strong organisational and documentation skills


• Effective communicator and collaborator across diverse teams


• Confident working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment with shifting priorities


• Familiarity with F&B operations, café culture, or consumer lifestyle brands a plus

Success Traits

• A curious and commercially-minded individual who seeks to elevate the product experience


• Thinks like a brand owner but works with the rigour of a strategist


• Appreciates detail but can zoom out to see macro patterns and business impact


• Brings clarity, momentum, and alignment to cross-functional efforts