Merchandising Manager (Category Manager)

Merchandising Manager, Hard Surface Flooring

Are you ready to grow your career? Empire Today is looking for a Merchandising Manager to join our dynamic team of professionals. The Merchandising Manager will be responsible for managing merchandising operations and utilizing sales, research, and trend analytics to develop strategies for the merchandise categories. The Merchandising Manager will also develop plans and pricing that support key strategic initiatives, launches, top sellers, and more, and will work cross-functionally to manage all aspects of vendor relations and product life cycles.

We offer:

• Health benefits with quick enrollment – medical, dental, and vision.
• 401K plan with premium 4% company match.
• Paid time off & holiday pay.
• Wellness program.
• Professional development & career advancement opportunities.
• Incentive program.
• Lots of perks!

Responsibilities:

• Manages the business strategy and financial outcomes for hard surface flooring and accessories products including sales, margin and inventory productivity. Partner with finance and supply chain teams on initial product orders, product transitions and ongoing forecasts.
• Be a flooring industry expert with knowledge of products, industry, sourcing, competition, and trends. Continually assess industry trends to provide strategic guidance for short and long-term planning.
• Manage the vendor relationships. Lead supplier selection process, develop successful partnerships to create long term strategic relationships, new relationships, and continuous improvement of existing relationships. Drive consensus on supplier selection and award business. Develop transparent communication of supplier measurement and dashboards ensuring accountability.
• Successfully negotiate lowest prices and best terms and implement purchase agreements while ensuring quality specifications are met or exceeded.
• Design best in class product trade up assortment structures. Purchase and develop products to fit that enable exclusivity, innovation, sustainability goals and compliance requirements.
• Manage product life cycle from introduction to obsolescence.
• Partner with Sales Leadership to gather feedback to action to ensure assortments satisfy market needs. Create and provide product training and conduct presentations.
• Ensure all procurement practices follow applicable regulations and laws in partnership with legal. Oversee quality process, vendor contracts and setup documentation, item setup accuracy, packaging, warranty and spec sheet management.
• Manage and execute product line reviews and quarterly business reviews. Develop and deliver routine business summaries and reports to internal stakeholders and vendors.
• Collaborate with marketing to update the shop at home sample program and oversee ensuring website has current and best content.
• Oversee communication of Sales Sheets, stock shortages to markets, implementation of new product roll out and obsolete consolidation process to facilities.
• Serve as the main point of contact between company and vendors to resolve issues. Oversee execution of product claims and installation disputes, invoice variances and returns to vendors. Partner with the resolution team to make decisions on post installation actions.
• Manage the performance, development and expectations of internal support staff and provide meaningful feedback and coaching.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Business, Finance, or related field
• 5+ years buying/sourcing experience. Flooring products preferred.
• Must be both hands on and strategic with the ability to navigate between the two.
• Strong merchandising business acumen, including a sound understanding of financial drivers, commodity and market conditions, and the impact to the business.
• Strategic thinker with demonstrated ability to synthesize and interpret financial data, apply to decision making, summarize and effectively present.
• Proven experience of ability to recognize and maximize trends in the market.
• Proven negotiation skills with positive outcomes and mutually beneficial business relationships.
• Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills necessary to effectively exercise tact, discretion, judgement, and diplomacy with all levels of internal and external customers in a global industry.
• Understanding of domestic and import regulatory and safety standards of sourced products.
• Proficient in all Microsoft applications (Powerpoint, Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Entrepreneurial drive to take a business into new, uncharted territory.
• Ability to set priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to travel up to 25% as needed.

Why Empire Today?

We empower our employees to strive for their unique goals. Within such an inclusive company with unlimited growth opportunities, how far you go is up to you.

We take care of our people. We start investing in you from day one. The perks and benefits we offer help you live well, both at work and at home.

We have an unmatched company culture. We've won multiple awards for employee and customer satisfaction, and we believe it all comes down to our culture of teamwork, creativity, and growth.

We're one of the nation's most recognizable brands. You'll enjoy the stability that comes with a national company and a sense of pride when you're a part of our team.

Empire Today is an equal opportunity employer. We believe passionately that employing a diverse workforce is central to our success. Base pay is one part of our total rewards package. Starting pay may vary based on a number of factors, including but not limited to position offered, location, and the individuals’ knowledge, skills and ability. By Submitting your resume and application information, you authorize Empire Today to transmit and store your information in the Empire Today group companies' world-wide recruitment database, and to circulate that information as necessary for the purpose of evaluating your qualifications for this or other job vacancies.