Senior Director, Merchandising Strategy at The Coca-Cola Company

Tokyo, , Japan -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

10 Jun, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

12 Mar, 26

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Merchandising Strategy, Assortment Optimization, AI Algorithm Evolution, Demand Forecasting, Category Strategy, Portfolio Development, Consumer Insights, Merchandising Principles, Performance Management, Insight Generation, Stakeholder Leadership, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Advanced Analytics, Machine Learning, Revenue Management, Supply Chain

Industry

Food and Beverage Services

Description

Job Description Summary: Lead the end-to-end merchandising strategy for Japan Vending, evolving AI-driven assortment optimization, strengthening category strategy, and improving demand forecast accuracy to drive NSR, variety, and operational efficiency. Key Responsibilities 1. Assortment Optimization & AI Algorithm Evolution Further evolve the AI assortment algorithm to optimize the balance between variety rate, consumer relevance, and complexity cost. Integrate demand drivers (location type, seasonality, machine performance, consumer preference patterns) to enhance model accuracy. Strengthen demand forecasting capabilities by incorporating advanced analytics, real-time performance data, and machine learning. 2. Category Strategy & Portfolio Development Design and execute end-to-end category strategy across CCTM, coffee, tea, and water categories. Start from consumer insights (“consumer-back”) to define target portfolio, coverage, assortment depth, and role of each category. Develop long-term category growth plans and innovation roadmap aligned with Vending strategy. 3. Merchandising Excellence Define merchandising principles and guidelines to achieve optimal product availability, consumer choice, and operational feasibility. Partner with Commercial, Operations, RGM, Equipment/Technology, Supply Chain, and bottlers to ensure seamless execution. 4. Performance Management & Insight Generation Build dashboards and tracking mechanisms to monitor SKU performance, category trends, and assortment efficiency. Identify underperforming SKUs and recommend rationalization, simplification, or portfolio refresh actions. Lead weekly and monthly routines to drive performance transparency and decision making. 5. Stakeholder Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration Provide thought leadership on category and merchandising strategy to OU and global stakeholders. Collaborate with Data Science to refine algorithms and demand forecasting. Manage bottler relationships to ensure aligned execution and continuous improvement. Qualifications 10–15+ years in merchandising, category management, revenue management, or related analytics-driven roles. Experience in FMCG, retail, vending, or e-commerce preferred. Strong analytical capability with experience in advanced analytics, AI/ML-powered tools, or demand forecasting. Proven leadership in cross-functional environments and influencing without authority. Business-level English and native-level Japanese preferred. Skills: Location(s): Japan City/Cities: Tokyo Travel Required: 00% - 25% Relocation Provided: No Job Posting End Date: March 27, 2026 Shift: Our Purpose and Growth Culture: We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company is a global community of passionate employees who are refreshing the world and making a difference every day. Innovation has been at the heart of our story since 1886. It goes beyond new flavors and brands. Learn more about our system and how we’re making an impact. We believe a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace makes us a stronger and more innovative company. This includes supporting the financial and personal well-being of our employees. Learn more about our benefits. We empower each and every one of our employees across the globe to prioritize their career development by building capabilities, developing new skills, and leaning into new experiences. Learn how we provide support and clarity on defining your own career so you can thrive. We’re glad you’ve chosen to explore your next career opportunity with The Coca-Cola Company. Learn more about our hiring process and pick up tips on how to showcase your experience and skills so you can stand out and thrive.

Responsibilities

This role involves leading the end-to-end merchandising strategy for Japan Vending, focusing on evolving AI-driven assortment optimization, strengthening category strategy, and improving demand forecast accuracy. Key duties include designing category strategies from consumer insights, defining merchandising guidelines, and generating performance insights to drive efficiency.