Divisional Merchandise Manager - Marshall Retail Group

Dynamic and growing retail company is now seeking a Divisional Merchandise Manager!

As the Divisional Merchandise Manager, you will be responsible for leading the merchandise function and managing the assigned categories buying.

Marshall Retail Group/InMotion is North America’s premier award-winning travel retailer in the airport marketplace. For over 65 years, MRG/IMEG has provided clients with a portfolio of attractive, successful brands! We currently operate more than 300 stores across the United States and Canada, and we are always looking for the best in talent.

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• FREE Life Insurance
• Short & Long Term Disability Insurance
• Generous Paid Time Off
• 401k with company match
• Huge Employee Discount at all our stores, so check us out
• Amazing training & career path
• Competitive pay!
• And more!

What you’ll be doing:

• Delivering KPIs – sales, margin and supplier income v plan
• Vendor terms negotiations to structure annual agreements with key vendors to deliver required cost prices, promotional support, markdown funding and supplier income, working with the Marketing team to sell annual advertising and promotional programs
• May coordinate with the Operations, Marketing and Biz Dev Team to assist in develop initiatives to drive sales and gross margins – initiatives would include managing new product launches, new stores, and promotional plans
• Will partner with the Planning Team on Open to Buy, meeting and exceeding plan goals, margins, delivering overall department goals, etc.
• Will set up regular store visits, competitor store visits with team and self to evaluate comps and look for expanding opportunities
• Will coordinate attendance with self and team for multiple trade shows
• Works with team to create overall vision for product strategies and assortments
• Reviewing and signing off the assortment plan
• Will work with team to report and review analysis of sales and margin v Plan, identifying trading gaps and opportunities and developing tactical responses to course correct performance back to Plan providing this feedback and recommendation to the VP Logo
• Using market data to benchmark performance versus market, understanding emerging categorical trends and the opportunities and risks such trends bring to the our model
• Managing all communications between all department heads across all departments, eliminating silos and increasing understanding
• Identifying new and emerging categories to keep us ahead of our competitors
• Supervisory duties; hiring, firing, performance management and coaching of departmental staff.
• To conduct him/herself in the spirit of the MRG/IMEG mission, vision, core values and organizational health
• Other duties may be assigned

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, accounting, or business related field
• 10+ years’ work experience in DMM level management role both buying and divisional merchandise management roles (pref. in grocery, consumables, convenience or multi-faceted retail)
• 2+ years/Significant Private Label experience required; ability to develop and manage a curated assortment of private label and branded product that aligns with customer needs based on national and regional trends and opportunities
• 10+ years’ work experience in buying and merchandise (pref. in grocery, consumables, convenience or multi-faceted retail)
• Strategic merchandise management – able to evidence developing and executing strategies which deliver sustained, long term improvements to sales, margins and supplier incomes
• Evidence of strong trade planning skills to bring together a coherent store execution of the best new products, promotions to deliver value for customers, drive store traffic and trade up
• Proven ability to coach, critique and improve plans put forward by buyers
• Very strong negotiation skills, with experience in planning and successful executing complex negotiations as well as coaching team members to plan and deliver success through their negotiations
• Highly numerate, analytical and with ability to quickly identify root cause of issues and deliver lasting solutions
• Experience in managing teams to develop promotions and product assortments to drive sales and margins, with a key understanding of levers to drive margin volumes, rate and mix
• Advanced computer skills, including strong Excel modeling skills
• Understanding of general finance and budgeting, including profit and loss, balance sheet and cash-flow management
• Ability to build consensus and relationships among managers, partners, and employees
• Travel – in the US and internationally may be required.
• Satisfactory Criminal Background Check and Drug Testing will be required
• Additional Security clearance may be required depending upon location

We can’t wait to meet you so apply today!

WH Smith is a leading global travel retailer with over 1,700 stores across 30 countries worldwide. WH Smith North America, incorporating Marshall Retail Group (MRG) and InMotion, represents over half of the Company’s international store estate, with a collection of attractive, successful specialty retail stores located in airports and resorts across North America.

Marshall Retail Groupprides itself on creating unique experiences for customers by developing distinctive retail store concepts that feature and highlight the local culture, community, and lifestyle of the cities in which they are located. InMotion Entertainment Group is the largest airport-based electronics retailer in travel locations globally, with access and insight into the latest technologies for business and leisure travelers, InMotion offers lifestyle products and electronics that include a wide breadth of headphones, mobile power, Bluetooth speakers and travel accessories.

EEO/ADA/DFWP

WH Smith North America is committed to employing a diverse workforce. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin/ancestry, age, gender identity, gender expression, military/veteran status, marital status, disability status or any other basis prohibited by law. At WH Smith North America, it’s about each person bringing passion and skills to a dynamic and inclusive workplace