RETAIL SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT (SME)

Role overview We are seeking an experienced Retail Subject Matter Expert to provide deep domain expertise across retail operations — spanning merchandising, planning, store operations, supply chain, and retail analytics. The SME translates hands-on retail knowledge into actionable strategy, clear product requirements, and AI/technology-enabled improvements, partnering closely with product, engineering, and data science teams. Key responsibilities Retail domain leadership • Act as the domain authority across merchandising, assortment & category management, planning & forecasting, store operations, and supply chain. • Provide strategic guidance on retail processes, KPIs, data structures, and operational workflows. • Translate business needs into detailed requirements, use cases, and process maps. Product & solution contribution • Partner with product, engineering, and data science teams to validate features and ensure solutions align with retail realities. • Participate in requirement reviews, backlog grooming, and solution design workshops. • Evaluate prototypes, analytics dashboards, and AI/ML models for business fit and accuracy. Operational intelligence & process excellence • Identify improvement opportunities across inventory, pricing, promotions, replenishment, and demand forecasting. • Map "as-is" and design "to-be" operational processes. Stakeholder engagement • Run discovery sessions, interviews, and deep-dives with cross-functional business teams. • Communicate insights and recommendations through clear storytelling and presentations. Training, governance & change management • Support SOPs, process documentation, and training assets for new systems. • Drive adoption of new tools, dashboards, and AI-enabled workflows. • Support governance for data quality and performance. Must-have qualifications • 12–15 years of experience in retail, merchandising, planning, category management, or supply chain operations. • Strong command of retail KPIs — sell-through, GMROI, inventory turn, margin mix, OOS, promo uplift, safety stock. • Depth in 2–3 retail domains: merchandising · planning & forecasting · category management · store operations · e-commerce & omni-channel · supply chain. • Hands-on experience with retail systems — POS, ERP, merchandise/demand planning, allocation, or replenishment tools. • Ability to define business requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria, and operational workflows. • Strong analytical, documentation, and communication skills. Good-to-have • Experience collaborating with AI/ML, data engineering, or product teams on retail solutions. • Familiarity with retail cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP) and data ecosystems. • Comfort with BI / analytics tools (Power BI, Tableau). • Exposure to Generative or agentic AI use cases in retail. • Experience with process standardization and operational-excellence initiatives. Soft skills Strong problem-solving and structured thinking · ability to simplify complex retail processes for technical teams · high ownership and bias for action · excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration. Education • Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Retail Management, or a related field. • MBA or advanced certification in Retail / Supply Chain preferred.