Merchant Field Operations Executive

About the role Retail Signal is a retail technology platform for independent minimarts and provision shops. A small device sits between the shop's existing barcode scanner and its existing checkout terminal. It runs brand-funded promotions at the till and collects shopping basket data, without the shop having to change its POS system. We are launching in Malaysia with a 15-store pilot, and we are hiring the person who will run it on the ground. This is not a desk job. You will install the devices, keep them running, and hold the relationship with every shop owner in the pilot. You will also build the pipeline of shops for the next phase. Our product team is in Singapore, so you will be our person in Malaysia. When something needs attention in a shop, you are the one who goes. The role suits someone practical and self-directed, who is comfortable owning a market on their own, works carefully from a set procedure, and would rather spend the day in shops than in an office. This is a 6-month contract covering the pilot. We intend to extend it when the pilot succeeds, and the person in this role is the one best placed to make that happen. Part of the job is building the pipeline of shops for the phase that follows. What you'll do Install and set up the devices • Visit each shop before installation to confirm it is suitable, and record what you find. • Install the device and set it up using the tools and step-by-step guide we provide. Full training is given. • Test every installation with a live scan and confirm it is working before you leave. • Show the owner and staff how to get the till running again on their own if the device ever fails, and have them do it themselves at least once. • Help the owner download our Merchant App and log in for the first time. • Look after the Malaysian device stock, including spares. Support the shops • Be the first point of contact for any device problem in Malaysia. Our system alerts us automatically, so you will often know before the shop calls. • Resolve what you can over the phone or WhatsApp, and go on site for what you cannot. Keeping the till working always comes first. • Escalate to the Singapore team with enough detail for them to help. • Keep a record of what goes wrong and why, so recurring problems get fixed properly. Own the merchant relationships • Visit your shops regularly, not only when something is broken. Owner-operators stay because they trust the person. • Explain the Merchant App and the shop's own sales insights, and make sure owners understand what they are looking at. • Follow up on time-sensitive items: confirming promotions in store, monthly reporting, app access for new staff. • Be the first point of contact for earnings questions, and spot early signs that a shop is losing interest. Bring in new shops • Build a pipeline of independent minimarts and provision shops for the phase after the pilot. • Check each shop is suitable before approaching. • Deliver the briefing and an in-person demonstration. This trade converts on a live demo and a face, not on a deck or a web form. • Walk merchants through the agreement and complete signing. Collect product information • At installation, obtain a copy of each shop's product list from their till system. One export saves tens of thousands of manual entries. • Work out how each type of till system produces that list, and record it so the next shop is straightforward. • Tidy the list into the format our app accepts and upload it correctly. • Follow up on frequently scanned products we cannot identify, and track down the correct details for local products. Report back • Carry out store surveys on request, covering equipment, fixtures, space and photos. • Send a short weekly written report to Singapore covering installations, problems, merchant sentiment and pipeline. Who we're looking for • Based in Malaysia, with the right to work in Malaysia. • Own vehicle and a valid driving licence. Fifteen shops across a market, with problems to answer at short notice, makes this non negotiable. • Mandarin and English, spoken and written. Most of the independent grocery trade we work with is Chinese owner-operated, and the relationship is built in the owner's own language. • At least 2 years in a field-based role. For example FMCG field sales or merchandising, van sales, equipment or POS installation, telco or internet field work, IT support, or a similar hands-on role that puts you in front of customers. • Practical and hands-on. Comfortable setting up equipment, handling cables and connections, and using a laptop and phone confidently. No technical qualification is needed. What matters is that you follow a set procedure carefully and exactly, and learn the setup process properly during training. • Comfortable with everyday office files and spreadsheets. Handling product lists accurately is a real part of this job. • Self-directed. Your manager is in another country. You will plan your own week, report honestly, and raise problems early. • Genuinely comfortable in small independent shops: approaching owners, being turned down, and coming back. Nice to have • Bahasa Malaysia, Cantonese, Hokkien or Tamil, in addition to Mandarin and English. • Existing relationships with independent minimarts, provision shops or their distributors. • Familiarity with the till and cash-register systems used in Malaysian independent retail. • Confidence with Wi-Fi, mobile data and general device troubleshooting. • Experience being the first or only person in a market for a new product.