Merchant Operations Assistant Manager

Overview:

The Merchant Operations Assistant Manager provides project coordination and operational support for assigned product commercialization projects and workstreams. Under the direction of the Merchandising Senior Director, this role helps move assigned products from approved concept through system setup, costing, purchase order readiness, production preparation, and customer launch. The Merchandising Senior Director retains ownership of the overall commercialization process, business priorities, cross-functional governance, and material launch decisions.

The Merchant Operations Assistant Manager maintains assigned project trackers and documentation, follows up on routine deliverables, performs established data-completeness checks, and promptly escalates exceptions or unresolved issues to the Merchandising Senior Director.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: (Includes the following, other duties may be assigned)

Primary Responsibilities:

• Support assigned product launches and commercialization workstreams from concept approval through production readiness and shipment.
• Log assigned commercialization requests, review submissions for completeness using established requirements, and route incomplete or conflicting information to the appropriate owner.
• Maintain assigned project timelines, milestones, deliverables, and launch schedules based on priorities and target dates established by the Merchandising Senior Director and project owners.
• Follow up on routine deliverables and notify the Merchandising Senior Director of overdue items that may affect an assigned launch.
• Coordinate routine activities for assigned projects with relevant business partners and escalate material issues or cross-functional conflicts to the Merchandising Senior Director.
• Support commercialization meetings by coordinating schedules and materials, documenting decisions and action items, and following up on assigned deliverables.
• Track assigned milestones, overdue items, and documented risks, and escalate exceptions or execution concerns to the Merchandising Senior Director.
• Enter or coordinate assigned product setup information within ERP and related systems using approved data and established procedures.
• Perform routine completeness checks of product master data against approved requirements and route discrepancies to the responsible functional owner.
• Collect and track required costing inputs for assigned projects; Finance and Sourcing remain responsible for validation and approval.
• Track the status of purchase order readiness, production authorization, and production kickoff activities; designated functional leaders remain responsible for authorization and approval.
• Maintain assigned launch checklists and documentation, track receipt of required approvals, and follow up on incomplete items.
• Maintain organized project files, documentation, and commercialization records for reporting, audit, and business continuity purposes. 
• Update established project trackers and routine status reports for assigned launches and provide summaries to the Merchandising Senior Director.
• Compile assigned launch documentation, feedback, and lessons learned for review by the Merchandising Senior Director.
• Support approved updates to commercialization templates, trackers, and procedures under the direction of the Merchandising Senior Director.
• Maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders supporting assigned commercialization projects.
• Maintain confidentiality of proprietary product, customer, vendor, and business information. 
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Education And/or Experience:  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Merchandising, Product Development, Operations Management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in merchandising operations, commercialization, product development, supply chain, project coordination, or a related business function.
• Experience supporting cross-functional projects or multiple product launches in a fast-paced environment.
• Working knowledge of ERP systems, product information management (PIM) systems, and commercialization or product lifecycle management processes. 
• Strong project coordination, organizational, and time management skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
• Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across all levels of the organization. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify risks, recommend next steps, and support projects through completion.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality while exercising sound judgment and professionalism.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Four (4) or more years of experience in merchandising operations, commercialization, product development, supply chain, or project coordination within a consumer products, retail, textile, manufacturing, or home furnishings environment.
• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Lean Six Sigma, or another relevant project coordination or process improvement certification.
• Experience participating in ERP system enhancements, product setup activities, or master data maintenance.
• Experience with product commercialization, stage-gate processes, product lifecycle management (PLM), or product information management (PIM) systems. 
• Experience maintaining dashboards, KPI reporting, and cross-functional project status reporting.
• Experience supporting continuous improvement initiatives that improve commercialization efficiency, operational effectiveness, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including PivotTables, data analysis, and reporting; experience with Power Query or reporting automation is a plus.
• Experience working in a matrixed, cross-functional organization supporting multiple product categories and customer channels.