Merchandising Manager

Position Summary:  The Merchandising Manager leads and supports an assigned team of Merchandisers with the goal of creating an environment where employees can be successful, customers receive consistent service, and expectations are clear.

This role requires a manager who is visible, approachable, and engaged with the team, who takes the time to coach, communicate, recognize good work, and help employees work through challenges. At the same time, the Merchandising Manager is responsible for setting clear standards, addressing performance and attendance issues when necessary, and holding the team accountable for results.

The Merchandising Manager serves as an important connection between Merchandising employees, Sales, and our retail customers, and is responsible for staffing and coverage, service execution, productivity, employee development, and continuous improvement.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Lead, coach, and develop assigned Merchandising employees by setting clear expectations, providing regular feedback, recognizing strong performance, addressing performance concerns, and creating an environment of accountability, communication, and employee growth.
2. Promote and enforce safe working practices and ensure employees follow Silver Eagle safety policies, customer requirements, and applicable regulations.
3. Build strong customer relationships and partner closely with Sales to align merchandising execution with account priorities, customer needs, and commercial objectives.
4. Ensure assigned customers receive the expected level of merchandising service, including shelf conditions, product rotation, backstock management, inventory organization, store communication, and applicable execution standards.
5. Own daily staffing and service coverage for assigned routes, including call-ins, PTO, vacancies, volume changes, and other service disruptions.
6. Communicate proactively with employees, Sales, customers, and other Silver Eagle departments regarding service issues, staffing challenges, customer concerns, and matters affecting execution.
7. Spend regular time in the field with employees and customers to observe execution, provide coaching, understand operating challenges, and identify opportunities for improvement.
8. Manage labor and productivity by monitoring workload, hours, overtime, and route demands to balance service expectations, employee workload, and the approved budget.
9. Use Encompass and other company systems to lead the operation effectively, including monitoring route activity, service execution, customer information, employee activity, and available performance data to identify issues and support operating decisions.
10. Drive continuous improvement and employee development by identifying root causes, recommending practical solutions, supporting retention and onboarding, and preparing employees for future opportunities within Silver Eagle.

Leadership Expectations:

• Take ownership of problems and results.

• Communicate issues early and avoid surprises.

• Bring forward solutions, not just problems.

• Be visible, approachable, and engaged with employees.

• Treat employees with respect while maintaining clear standards and accountability.

• Make sound decisions within their authority and take responsibility for those decisions.

• Encourage open communication and constructive feedback.

• Develop people rather than simply direct tasks.

• Recognize strong performance and address performance concerns promptly.

• Continuously look for better, simpler, and more efficient ways to operate.

 Minimum Qualifications:

1. Current Silver Eagle employee in good standing.
2. Demonstrated ability to lead, communicate, and solve problems effectively.
3. Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities.
4. Ability to work effectively with employees, customers, Sales, and other Silver Eagle departments.
5. Ability to learn and effectively use Encompass and other company systems.
6. Must meet applicable company driving and vehicle requirements.

Physical Requirements:

1. Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
2. Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull products and equipment as required in the merchandising environment.
3. Ability to safely operate approved merchandising equipment.
4. Ability to travel regularly between customer accounts.
5. Ability to bend, stoop, reach, climb, and perform other physical activities associated with customer-account visits and merchandising work.

Working Conditions:

1. Work may occur in indoor and outdoor environments and may include exposure to heat, cold, humidity, rain, dust, noise, and other normal distribution and retail conditions.
2. Work schedules may vary based on customer requirements, staffing, holidays, special events, and business needs.
3. The role requires regular travel between Silver Eagle facilities and customer locations.
4. Early mornings, evenings, weekends, and occasional holidays may be required based on business needs.

Supervision:

The Merchandising Manager is responsible for the leadership and performance of assigned Merchandising employees and works closely with Sales, Human Resources, Delivery, Supply Chain, and other Silver Eagle departments to achieve safety, service, people, and operating objectives.

The manager is expected to maintain sufficient field visibility to understand the work, support employees, and protect service levels while also preserving adequate time for coaching, planning, staffing, communication, and team development.