Director of Merchandising

Job Description

<p>We are seeking a strategic and dynamic <b>Director of Merchandising</b> to lead our merchandising team and drive the development and execution of merchandising strategies. Reporting to the President, the Director of Merchandising will play a pivotal role in shaping our product assortments, driving sales, increasing contribution margins and overall brand profitability.</p><p><br></p><p><b>Responsibilities:</b></p><p><br></p><p><b>Merchandising Strategy & Assortment</b></p><ul><li>Develop annual and quarterly merchandising strategies by category, including assortment architecture, new product development, newness mix, and exit plans. Ensure strategies align with company goals, market trends, customer preferences, and brand positioning.</li></ul><p><b>Vendor & Supplier Management</b></p><ul><li>Lead vendor portfolio strategy including segmentation, contract terms, cost negotiations, and co-op agreements. Establish and maintain strong vendor relationships, collaborate on product development and sourcing, and resolve escalations. Govern partnerships via scorecards, SLAs, and ongoing performance management.</li></ul><p><b>Pricing, Promotions & Profitability</b></p><ul><li>Define pricing strategies and promotional guardrails, approve major sales events, and ensure profitability. Leverage data insights and market analysis to optimize pricing and promotional effectiveness.</li></ul><p><b>Inventory & Operations Planning</b></p><ul><li>Partner with Planning and Operations on open-to-buy (OTB), lead times, MOQs, inventory forecasting, and continuity risk. Ensure customer delivery times are met and operational execution supports business objectives.</li></ul><p><b>Cross-Functional Alignment</b></p><ul><li>Collaborate with Marketing, Creative, Sales, Finance, and Operations to ensure merchandising strategies translate into consistent, customer-facing communication. Provide product priorities and inputs; align campaigns with assortment strategies and promotional calendars.</li></ul><p><b>Data-Driven Insights & Decision Support</b></p><ul><li>Institutionalize data-driven decision-making in partnership with BI and Engineering. Use analytics to monitor KPIs, track merchandising effectiveness, sense market/competitor trends, and identify white space and exclusive opportunities. Ensure Buying teams consume insights rather than build reports manually.</li></ul><p><b>Team Leadership & Delegation</b></p><ul><li>Build and lead a high-performing merchandising team. Provide coaching, clear delegation, and focus senior ICs on high-value vendor and strategy work, while shifting low-value/repeatable tasks to appropriate owners or automation.</li></ul><p><b>Continuous Improvement</b></p><ul><li>Drive initiatives to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and optimize merchandising operations for sustainable top- and bottom-line growth.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><b>Your Qualifications:</b></p><p><br></p><p><b>Education & Experience</b></p><ul><li>Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Merchandising, or related field, with <b>15+ years of progressive experience in merchandising or product leadership</b>. Proven track record of delivering sales, margin growth, and scalable strategies.</li></ul><p><b>Strategic & Analytical Expertise</b></p><ul><li>Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with deep understanding of consumer behavior, market dynamics, pricing, promotional strategy, and assortment analytics. Skilled at translating insights into actionable merchandising strategies that drive financial returns and customer impact.</li></ul><p><b>Vendor & Portfolio Management</b></p><ul><li>Demonstrated success in vendor negotiation, portfolio governance, and partnership management. Skilled at building high-value vendor relationships and ensuring accountability through scorecards, SLAs, and performance tracking.</li></ul><p><b>Technology & Data Proficiency</b></p><ul><li>Proficient in leveraging data tools and platforms (e.g., PIM, DMP, NetSuite, Bynder, CHUB) to drive automation, dashboard adoption, and data-informed decision-making. Strong capability to institutionalize reporting and eliminate manual execution work.</li></ul><p><b>Cross-Functional Leadership</b></p><ul><li>Experienced in leading cross-functional initiatives with Marketing, Finance, Operations, Creative, and BI. Adept at aligning merchandising strategies with company-wide objectives and customer-facing execution.</li></ul><p><b>Team Leadership & Talent Development</b></p><ul><li>Strong leadership skills with a proven ability to build, coach, and inspire teams. Clear focus on role clarity, process improvement, and delegating low-value tasks to the right owners or automation—enabling senior talent to prioritize vendor and strategy work.</li></ul><p><b>Execution Philosophy</b></p><ul><li>Establishes the "what" and the "why" of merchandising direction, while empowering execution teams to deliver the "how" with clear SLAs and accountability. Prioritizes automation, templates, and efficiency in all initiatives.</li></ul><p></p>