8+ years in retail merchandising or category management, with 3+ years in team leadership.
Strong understanding of U.S. retail market and consumer demand for Asian lifestyle products.
Proven success in brand acquisition and supplier negotiations, with measurable sales and inventory improvements.
Experience in end-to-end OEM or private-label project management, including compliance coordination.
Proficient in Excel and merchandising systems, with skills in data analytics and budget management.
Fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese for effective business communication and negotiations.
Willingness to work at the New York headquarters and travel as needed.
Responsibilities
Develop annual and quarterly merchandising strategies, defining category roles and product assortment.
Oversee supplier sourcing, commercial negotiations, and order fulfillment processes.
Lead product development for OEM and private-label, from definition to launch.
Establish pricing structures and evaluate promotional effectiveness.
Manage product launch calendars and lifecycle processes for SKUs.
Monitor inventory health, including turnover rates and clearance strategies.
Define requirements for merchandising technology to support assortment and pricing decisions.
Benefits
401(k) with matching contributions
Paid Sick Leave
Employee discount
Health insurance coverage
Paid Time Off
Full Job Description
Position Overview
Oversee beauty, snacks, collectible toys, everyday lifestyle merchandise, and other approved expansion categories. Lead domestic and international sourcing, brand partnerships, OEM product development, and overall merchandising operations.
Job Responsibilities
Merchandising Strategy and Category Architecture: Develop annual and quarterly merchandising strategies, defining category roles, price tiers, SKU breadth and depth, and a balanced assortment of traffic-driving, profit-generating, brand-building, and innovative products.
Brand Acquisition and Purchasing: Oversee supplier sourcing and qualification, commercial negotiations-including pricing, payment terms, minimum order quantities, returns and exchanges, and rebates-purchasing plans, and order fulfillment.
OEM, Private-Label, and Exclusive Product Development: Lead annual product roadmaps, product definitions, target costs, sampling and testing, compliance reviews, mass production, product launches, and post-launch evaluations.
Pricing, Gross Margin, and Promotions: Establish pricing structures, target gross margins, price adjustment rules, and promotional plans, and evaluate promotional results.
New Product Launches and Lifecycle Management: Manage launch calendars, conduct 30-, 60-, and 90-day performance reviews, and establish processes for discontinuing slow-moving products and retiring SKUs.
Inventory Health: Manage inventory turnover, out-of-stock rates, and clearance of products nearing expiration or experiencing slow sales.
Merchandising Technology: Define business requirements and acceptance criteria for merchandising dashboards and systems supporting assortment selection, pricing, and automated replenishment.
Team Development: Design the team structure, translate business objectives into team goals, provide functional coaching, and standardize SOPs for assortment selection, supplier management, pricing, and promotions.
Qualifications
At least eight years of experience in retail merchandising, category management, or purchasing, including at least three years of team management experience. Ability to oversee multiple categories and take accountability for business targets.
Understanding of the U.S. retail market and consumer demand for Asian lifestyle products, with category experience in beauty, food and snacks, collectible toys, or everyday lifestyle merchandise.
Demonstrated, verifiable achievements in brand acquisition, supplier negotiations, and assortment optimization, supported by specific improvements in sales, gross margin, and inventory performance.
End-to-end OEM or private-label project experience covering product definition, costing, design, sampling, quality, production, and launch, with the ability to coordinate compliance reviews.
Proficiency in Excel, merchandising and inventory systems, and business analytics tools. Ability to implement practical applications of data and AI in business processes, along with budget management skills.
Fluency in English and Mandarin Chinese, with the ability to conduct business communication, commercial negotiations, and supplier collaboration in both languages.
Ability to work at the New York headquarters and travel as business needs require.
Preferred Qualifications
Merchandising management experience across multiple store formats or regions within a retail chain.
Established Asian supplier networks or cross-border sourcing experience.
Compensation
$130,000-$145,000 per year
Quarterly Performance Bonus: This position is eligible for a quarterly performance-based bonus, subject to the eligibility requirements, performance criteria, and terms of the Company's bonus program.
Benefits
401(k) & 401(k) matching - subject to the eligibility requirements
