Vital member of the merchandising team, Director of Merchandising works with product managers to drive product strategies and business profitability through product design, selection, pricing and promotion. He/she manages a team of product/merchandising managers and analysts and helps create and execute the merchandising and promotional calendar. Ideal candidate must have high intellectual curiosity, proven project and vendor management skills, strong analytical skills, strong cross-functional skills and a willingness to invest time learning a new industry.

Key Responsibilities:

• Directly manage team of product managers, analysts and designers to design, select, and price products to drive sales and gross margin:
  • Work with marketing to develop annual promotion calendar to drive traffic, sales and margins
  • Review/compare each product line versus competitors and devise strategy and set prices to maximize sales and margins
  • Review and analyze sales and margin trends regularly to identify opportunities for improvement; Liquidate underperforming styles/SKUs timely and profitably
  • Regularly shop and benchmark competition to stay abreast of trends and adjust strategy as needed
• Work with product development and vendors to prioritize new product development and keep product line innovative and relevant:
  • Visit stores regularly to keep informed of market needs and opportunities
  • Stay informed of innovation by vendors and conduct timely new product market tests to gauge the potential
  • Work with product development and vendors to create exclusive colors, styles, and product attributes that differentiate BTG and command premium pricing, extra sales
  • Guide the visual design of products to emphasize marketable consumer desires
• Work with store operations team to launch and ensure that stores have the information and training to sell new products:
  • Work with operations and marketing as needed to develop visual displays and signage to showcase new products
  • Work with store teams to develop and execute training required for each new product
  • Visit stores, track sales performance, and adjust training as needed to get stores behind new products
• Work with sourcing team to build loyal vendor partnerships, negotiate vendor prices, and manage finished product costs:
  • Analyze and review cost proposals based on weighted-average sales by size and negotiate prices, terms, samples, and promotional support
  • Get key vendors to support promotional calendar to maximize sales and margins
  • Serve as the primary vendor contact for new products and pricing negotiations; participate in vendor meetings and leverage relationships as needed to resolve operational issues
• Drive execution of merchandising plan across the entire organization, ensuring achievement of sales and margin objectives:
  • Communicate merchandising calendar and promotional calendar cross-functionally and ensure that all stakeholders are aware of their responsibilities
  • Lead the project management of new product launches; work with IT, manufacturing team, and store teams as needed

Key Requirements:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in fashion merchandising, marketing or business
• 6+ years experience including:
  • Merchandising or buyer experience managing retail business preferably in home fashions
  • Proven experience in product development, product marketing, visual presentation, product costing and vendor management
  • Project management experience
• Strong understanding of interior design, home fashion trends and target customer
• Strong business acumen; Advanced analytical skills and understanding of merchandising KPIs
• Very strong problem solving and follow-up skills
• Ability to identify root causes and solve issues with a high sense of urgency
• Good customer service skills and ability to build cross-functional relationships
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Proven team-building skills

Integrating senior managers into the existing business and culture is critical. We will work with him/her to develop an integration plan that sets up the new manager for success at BTG. Development plan will be individualized and will include 3-4 months in our showroom to gain a first-hand appreciation of our products, customers, customer service requirements and to develop key relationships in the field.