NEW JOB OPENING
SENIOR MERCHANDISE MANAGER (RETAIL MERCHANDISING AND CATEGORY MANAGEMENT)
IN Newark, NJ, USA!

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field.



Qualifications/Skills/Experience:

• 5+ years of experience in retail buying, merchandising, or product category management, preferably within specialty retail, branded consumer goods, or entertainment/licensing environments.

• Portfolio Management: Proven track record of managing and growing a multi-million dollar product portfolio (experience with hardlines, accessories, or novelty goods is highly desirable).

• Retail Math & Financial Acumen: Strong proficiency in Open-to-Buy (OTB), inventory turns, gross margin return on investment (GMROI), and master assortment planning.

• Analytical Skills: Advanced capability in Excel and retail analytical tools to translate raw sales data into actionable commercial strategies.

• Collaborative Influence: Exceptional cross-functional communication skills with the ability to influence vendors, creative product developers, rigid quality controllers, and senior leadership.

• PML experience or as a Brand Manager with Advanced Excel experience

• System Knowledge: Prior experience with product lifecycle management (PLM) systems, retail ERPs (e.g., SAP, Cannon-like environments), and digital customization platforms is a plus.





The Merchandising Manager (Merchant) is responsible for developing and executing a highly engaging, brand-led global merchandise assortment strategy for the client's Retail stores. This role has full commercial ownership product portfolio across key departments, including Apparel, Convenience, Accessories, Home, and Stationery. By leveraging deep consumer insights, financial metrics, and robust sales analysis, the Merchandising Manager collaborates across cross-functional boundaries—including Product Development, Planning, Quality, Visual Merchandising, and the broader Clients team—to launch innovative products and bring the Client's brand to life across global channels and regions. The Merchandising Manager operates in a fast-paced, high-visibility specialty retail environment. The role requires a unique balance of creative brand storytelling and rigorous quantitative analytical skills. Managing a global product footprint requires navigating cultural market differences (US, UK, China) and maintaining strong relationships with international franchise partners, commercial sourcing groups, and licensing teams.



Key Responsibilities:



Assortment Strategy & Portfolio Ownership

• Strategic Assortment Development: Define and execute the merchandise assortment strategy by department, ensuring close alignment with the overarching Clients Retail Group (MRG) strategy across all global retail channels and regions.

• P&L Portfolio Ownership: Take full end-to-end accountability for the financial performance, hindsighting, and data analysis of the relevant departments.

• Financial & Demand Planning Integration: Partner with Planning and Allocation teams to build out a global assortment based on key financial metrics. Reconcile item-level plans against strategic assortment plans to balance depth, breadth, and productivity.



Product Development, Brand Integrity & Vendor Management

• Vendor Concepting Partnership: Proactively collaborate with external vendor partners to brainstorm and concept new product ideas that fit seamlessly into the assortment strategy.

• Product Development & Execution: Work hand-in-hand with the Product Developer to design, iterate, and bring brand-new product concepts to market on time and on budget.

• Brand & Character Stewardship: Partner closely with G&G (Global Brand & Licensing) to ensure all developed products protect and represent the M&M'S brand integrity, character guidelines, intellectual property (IP), and registered trademarks.

• Commercial & Quality Compliance: Collaborate with the Commercial (Procurement) and Quality teams to negotiate the best possible costs while guaranteeing that all products comply with strict Clients quality and safety guidelines.



Integrated Business Planning & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Leadership Alignment & Milestone Meetings: Lead the creation of data-driven business reviews utilizing Master Assortment Plans (MAP) and sales reports. Build and present compelling strategic decks to the Leadership Team during official Milestone Meetings.

• Clients Wrigley (MW) Team Integration: Proactively connect with the broader MW team to secure seasonal launch roadmaps, receive Integrated Commercial Plans (ICP) from Finance, and identify available licensed products suitable for global retail store environments.

• In-Store Activations & Visual Merchandising: Select and champion the right product mixes for high-profile in-store activations. Partner closely with Visual Merchandising and Planning to ensure stores have the exact spatial capacity and inventory levels to maximize activation impact.

• Governance & Business Alignment: Participate actively in weekly/monthly business governance, including Open-to-Buy (OTB) reviews, Product Updates, Retail Activity Management, Merchandising alignments, and cross-functional chocolate division meetings.



Financial Analysis & Business Intelligence

• Weekly Business Tracking: Conduct rigorous weekly sales and margin analyses to identify emerging trends, mitigate inventory risks, and swiftly pivot assortment plans to capture upside opportunities.

• Post-Season Hindsight: Translate historical sales data and customer feedback into highly actionable insights to guide future seasonal buys and core replenishment strategies.

• **Only those lawfully authorized to work in the designated country associated with the position will be considered.**

• **Please note that all Position start dates and duration are estimates and may be reduced or lengthened based upon a client’s business needs and requirements.**