DescriptionYour top priority as a Director, Merchandising is to provided strategic leadership for multiple product categories and merchant teams, with accountability for sales, margin, inventory productivity, and profitability. This role develops and executes category strategies, leads supplier partnerships, drives omni-channel merchandising initiatives, and develops high-performing teams to achieve business objectives and deliver exceptional customer value. Your positive, professional, roll-up-your-sleeves-to-help attitude contributes to our winning culture and makes sure we leave a lasting impression.
Key Responsibilities:
Category Strategy & Business Performance
- Own the overall performance of assigned product categories, including sales, gross margin, EBITDA contribution, inventory productivity, and market share expansion.
- Oversee and assist team to develop and execute long-term category strategies aligned with role and intent company objectives, customer needs, and emerging industry trends.
- Establish and achieve annual and multi-year financial plans, including sales, margin, inventory turn, new item vitality rate and profitability targets.
- Monitor performance against key metrics and proactively identify opportunities, risks, and corrective actions.
- Lead category reviews and business performance discussions with executive leadership.
Merchandising & Assortment Leadership
- Direct category assortment strategies that optimize customer choice, product differentiation, profitability, and inventory investment.
- Lead product lifecycle management, including new product introductions, assortment rationalization, category expansion, and discontinuation strategies.
- Ensure consistency and effectiveness of merchandising standards across retail, e-commerce, catalog, and other customer touchpoints.
- Drive customer-centric merchandising decisions through consumer insights, data analytics, and market intelligence.
- Champion innovation in product selection, category positioning, and customer solutions.
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, coach, and develop Merchants and merchandising team members to achieve business goals and support succession planning efforts by building organizational capability for the future.
- Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer focus.
- Establish clear roles, objectives, performance expectations, and development plans for team members.
Vendor & Strategic Sourcing Management
- Develop and maintain executive-level relationships with key suppliers and strategic business partners.
- Support supplier negotiations focused on cost optimization, product innovation, exclusivity opportunities, service performance, and profitability improvement.
- Assist in identifying and developing strategic sourcing opportunities, including private brands, direct import programs, and supplier partnerships. Ensure supplier strategies align with category objectives and long-term growth plans.
Omni-Channel Customer Experience
- Partner with Marketing, E-Commerce, Sales Operations, and Customer Experience teams to deliver a seamless omni-channel shopping experience.
- Guide category content strategy, promotional planning, pricing architecture, and customer engagement initiatives.
- Ensure merchandising strategies support customer acquisition, retention, and loyalty objectives.
- Champion customer insights and voice-of-customer feedback in merchandising decisions.
Market & Competitive Intelligence
- Continuously monitor customer trends, competitive activity, industry developments, and emerging technologies.
- Leverage market intelligence to identify new business opportunities and category growth initiatives.
- Translate market insights into actionable business strategies.
Cross-Functional Partnership
- Collaborate with Inventory Planning, Supply Chain, Product Development, Marketing, Finance, E-Commerce, and Operations to align business strategies.
- Lead cross-functional initiatives that improve company performance, customer satisfaction, and operational effectiveness.
- Drive alignment across departments to deliver strategic priorities and enterprise-level objectives.
Governance & Operational Excellence
- Ensure compliance with company standards, quality requirements, regulatory requirements, and supplier expectations.
- Oversee direct import, private brand, and product quality initiatives.
- Support process improvements, technology adoption, and merchandising system enhancements.
- Promote data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement across merchandising operations.
What you will bring to the table:
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, Supply Chain, Retail Management, or a related field required.
- MBA or advanced business degree preferred.
- 10+ years of progressive merchandising, category management, retail buying, sourcing, or product management experience.
- 5+ years of people leadership experience managing Merchants, Category Managers, Buyers, or similar professionals.
- Demonstrated success managing multiple categories with responsibility for sales, margin, inventory, and profitability performance.
- Strong business and financial acumen with the ability to interpret and act on sales, margin, inventory, and profitability data.
- Strong strategic thinking and business planning skills.
- Proven leadership, coaching, and talent development capabilities.
- Strong communication and presentation skills, including executive-level interactions.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience utilizing data analytics and customer insights to drive business decisions.
- Experience leading supplier negotiations, strategic sourcing initiatives, and private brand programs.
- Experience within retail, omni-channel, wholesale distribution, hardlines, tools, equipment, industrial products, or related industries preferred.
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and merchandising analytics tools.
- Ability to travel 4-6 times/year or as business needs require
- Demonstrates Northern Tool + Equipment's 12 Core Competencies.
