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.