Your Role...

The Merchandising Strategy Manager reports to the Director of Merchandising and will be responsible for working directly with Merchandising, Marketing, Operations and Store teams on all product initiations for marketing, product promotions, vendor co-op and category strategies to drive growth and profitability through thoughtful planning and execution of our day-to-day projects in all channels. This role leads the merchandising team through the retail promotions, catalog planning, web marketing initiatives, vendor program agreements, and other key strategies for the merchandising department. This role also manages a small team who are ultimately the foundation that supports the product initiatives for the Category Managers and Retail Merchandisers in stores, web, and catalog. This position requires a strong attention to detail and ability to be both creative and analytical.

Responsibilities:

Promotions and Pricing

• Oversee retail promotional pricing and omni-channel product promotions to ensure that all promos have the largest impact possible to increase traffic, remain competitive, improve margin, and offer the best breadth of assortment.
• Create, maintain, and review SKUs lists for promotions nationwide to ensure product theme, pricing, and inventory standards are met. Suggest options when issues arise, and product needs pulled or adjusted.
• Work with Category Managers/Buying team to identify promotional opportunities at SKU level; collaborate with demand planning team to project and secure adequate inventory.
• Oversee the everyday signage and promotional signage development in stores.
• Work with Retail Merchandising and Operations teams to ensure communication of processes and task management are executed properly to maximize efficiencies and productivity in stores.
• Act as key liaison between the merchandising and marketing teams, communicating product trends, new product rollouts, product initiatives, vendor sponsorships and sales insights via quarterly presentation to the marketing team for product features/advertisements and planning.
• Create PowerPoint presentations that include influential data points that effectively convey strategic opportunities for merchandising initiatives.
• Work on inventory clearance strategies for web and retail.
• Work alongside the retail merchandising team to create impactful and profitable endcaps, stackouts, one-time-buys, and other retail initiatives.

Vendor Partnerships

• Oversee the vendor partnerships from billing to vendor agreements to budget. Work with finance and buying team to ensuring billing is accurate, and any analytical tools are developed and maintained to review margin impact and vendor spend in the co-op partnership.
• Oversee key vendor and brand partnerships by directly working the Category Manager, Vendor and Marketing on all activities, billing, and scheduling. This includes slotting and billing for all e-blasts and homepages.

Print Publications

• Lead Merchandising team through direct-to-consumer and scholastic catalog processes.
• Scholastic and educational sales analysis to identify opportunities.

Web Merchandising and Digital Marketing

• Work with buying team on all digital marketing efforts, often being the final decision maker so that our messaging and product selection is clean and compelling. 
• Partner with web marketing team and merchandising team on any online projects or assortment initiatives.

Merchandising Responsibilities

• Work with merchandising team on category, subcategory, and brand integrity at SKU level as well as SKU seasonal coding.
• Responsible for managing all merchandising schedules relating to your areas of responsibilities to make sure all planning timelines are met, and all merchandising team members understand their deliverables.
• Partner with Director of Analytics to drive the automation of processes and analyze data within Excel or other analytical tools.
• Work directly with Category Managers, SVP of Merchandising, and other senior leaders to bring forward creative, out-of-the-box thinking to identify opportunities through trend research, analytical insights, in support of Merchandising to ultimately drive competitive advantages and market share growth.
• Work with cross-functional teams to lead merchandising projects as needed by translating complex projects into clear processes that can be easily communicate to all levels within our department.
• Hire, train and mentor Planning Team (current 3 fulltime corporate staff)

Skills:

• Exceptional analytical/retail math skills, ability to analyze retail business at a macro/micro level.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to work with numerous departments.
• Exceptional problem-solving and critical thinking skills with outstanding attention to detail
• Inquisitive nature and proactive approach to use data to explore opportunities and spot concerns.
• Dynamic and positive attitude with the ability to thrive in fast-paced, challenging environment.
• Excellent time management and organization skills
• Ability to think both creatively and analytically.
• Ability to work independently while handling multiple projects concurrently.
• Strong understanding of retail store management or retail operations
• Flexibility in schedule to meet deadlines which may include overnight and weekend work or travel.
• Ability to shift priorities or projects on demand as the needs for the business can change quickly by channel.

Qualifications:

• Able to work in office in Highland Park, IL on Monday and Thursday each week.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in retail and merchandising team leadership with analytical roles and increasing responsibility
• 2 Years of experience leading a team.
• Must have experience in buying or merchandising in a corporate environment.
• Must be interested in product trends, and storytelling through curating assortments.
• Experience planning marketing activations.
• Advanced Excel, PowerPoint, and data organizational skills
• Interest in or knowledge of the arts, art education, or art materials a plus.

Benefits Include:

• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
• 401K & Profit Sharing Plan
• Incentive Bonus Plans
• Paid Holidays & Paid Time Off
• Paid Parental Leave
• Short-Term/Long-Term Disability
• Training Opportunities
• Basic & Optional Life Insurance
• Employee Discount

Who we are...

Founded in 1911, Blick Art Materials is in its third generation of family ownership, and is the largest and oldest provider of art supplies in the United States.

Our Mission...

At Blick Art Materials, our family owners and dedicated staff support the Visual Art Community by providing the widest selection of art supplies at the lowest prices. With extraordinary service and integrity, we strive to provide artists, educators, students, and our employees with the tools, assistance, and training they need to grow, innovate, and reach their creative potential.