At National Business Furniture (NBF), we believe in the power that inspiring spaces can have to help people achieve big things. We have worked with hundreds of thousands of businesses across the country – from startups to Fortune 500 companies – to equip their workspaces with beautiful, comfortable, and functional furniture for nearly 50 years. Named one of the 2023 Top Places to Work in Southeast, WI by Top Workplaces and the Journal Sentinel.
We’re presenting an exciting opportunity for a Vice President of Merchandising, in Milwaukee WI. The Vice President of Merchandising is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive merchandising strategy across all channels, including eCommerce, catalog, and direct sales. The role requires a balance of creative and analytical thinking to build a business that is both trend-right and financially sound. The VP will lead the merchandising team, cultivate strong vendor relationships, and ensure a strategic product assortment that caters to the company’s diverse customer segments.
Here’s a General Overview of What You’ll be Doing:
Merchandising Strategy Development
Develop and implement a well-planned, winning merchandising strategy across all channels (eCommerce, catalog, and direct sales).
Ensure alignment of product assortment and pricing strategy with the overall business objectives and goals.
Utilize market intelligence to stay ahead of trends, changing demographics, and buying patterns.
Lead product curation and product development processes, go-to-market timeline, and new product launches.
Vendor Relationship Management
Build and maintain strong vendor relationships to ensure mutual success.
Develop a core group of vendors committed to providing high-quality products at the best margins.
Work with vendors to focus on brand positioning, competitive positioning, and product positioning.
Ensure compliance with US and EU laws and regulations
Product Assortment and Pricing
Create a focused and coordinated product assortment across categories, reflecting on-trend style and finish options, relevant functionality, brand architecture (private, national), while enabling cross-sells within and between categories.
Develop and manage a "Good/Better/Best" pricing strategy across all categories.
Implement timely markdowns to maximize margin and profit while managing inventory levels.
Expand direct sourcing efforts to mitigate country of origin risks and enable secure and sustainable supply chain
Team Leadership and Development
Lead and inspire the merchandising team to achieve high performance.
Foster continuous learning and improvement within the team.
Communicate the merchandising vision and strategy internally and externally.
Provide relevant and actionable feedback to further develop skillset and learning.
Sales and Promotional Strategy
Collaborate with marketing, sales, and inventory management teams to develop compelling promotions while ensuring competitiveness and customer/seasonal relevance.
Evaluate and adjust product mix and pricing strategies to meet margin and profit goals.
Support sales teams by communicating merchandising decisions and providing training.
Manage and maintain sales enablement aids including showroom, digital tools, and publications.
Financial and Operational Oversight
Apply quantitative and analytical methods to determine the most cost-effective flow of products by channel.
Oversee inventory levels, gross margins, and product profitability through careful analysis and planning.
Provide leadership in creating methodologies for addressing non-performing and discontinued merchandise.
Lead creation and update of analytical tools – plans, dashboards, reports, KPIs.
Create and maintain departmental budget that supports sales and expense plans.
What We’re Looking For:
10+ years of experience in merchandising, with a strong focus on commercial office furniture or hard goods industries. This includes overseeing multi-channel sales strategies (eCommerce, catalog, direct sales).
Proven ability to lead and manage cross-functional teams, driving high performance across departments such as sales, marketing, and product development.
Expertise in managing and negotiating with both domestic and international suppliers.
Demonstrated ability to develop and implement long-term merchandising strategies, including product assortment, pricing, budget and P&L management, and inventory management across multiple sales channels.
Strong proficiency in data analytics, sales forecasting, and market research to make data-driven decisions regarding product selection, pricing, and performance.
Ability to drive product innovation and collaborate with design teams to develop furniture that aligns with market needs and customer demands.
Deep understanding of market dynamics, customer demographics, and the specific needs of commercial office spaces, with the ability to adapt the product line to current and future trends.
Experience managing product assortments and sales strategies across different customer segments and sales channels to maximize reach and profitability.
Skilled at working with internal teams and executives to ensure the merchandising strategy aligns with business goals and is clearly communicated across the company.
Bachelor's degree in merchandising, business, design, or a related field, MBA preferred.
We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.
If you need any assistance seeking a job opportunity at National Business Furniture or if you need reasonable accommodation with the application process, please call (800) 558-1010 or contact us at HR@NBF.com.
