Director of Merchandising, Softlines

JOB PURPOSE:

TO DELIVER ON THE MISSION OF WILCO, DRIVING MERCHANDISING SALES, MARGIN, AND INVENTORY PERFORMANCE.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Director of Merchandising, Softlines provides strategic leadership and hands-on execution across merchandise planning, product development, sourcing, pricing, promotions, and vendor partnerships. Reporting to the VP of Merchandising, this role is accountable for sales, margin, and inventory performance across Wilco’s Clothing, Seasonal & Holiday, Footwear, Impulse, Closeout, and Lawn & Garden categories in stores and eCommerce. The Director builds and develops a high-performing team and partners closely with the Director of Merchandising, Hardlines, and cross-functional leaders to deliver business results.

• Lead development of merchandise plans by category, for stores and for eCommerce, covering sales and every component of margin: IMU, freight, markdowns, and shrink.
• Partner with the VP of Merchandising to develop strategic merchandising plans, including a sourcing strategy for each SKU and seasonal buy windows.
• Deliver annual sales, margin, and inventory plans through categories purchased directly and through product merchants.

• Develop, manage, and collaborate on product strategies for in-store and eCommerce products in a high-SKU-count environment.
• Apply trend forecasts and influence product strategy during development, using both market information and brand filtering, across Clothing, Seasonal & Holiday, Footwear, Impulse, Closeout, and Lawn and Garden categories.
• Lead size, color, and style assortment strategy, including SKU optimization and rationalization during regular business cycles.
• Plan seasonal and holiday product flow, from lead-time and import timelines through in-season chase, end-of-season clearance, and carryover.
• Manage slow-moving product reviews and strategies, including the discontinuation process and discounted pricing, with markdown timing set to the season.

• Lead and support Product Merchants in building effective vendor partnerships.
• Participate directly in vendor strategy sessions and meetings with key vendors, including private-label and import programs.
• Set vendor plans that include revenue, margin, and inventory targets and advertising and co-op funds.

• Lead pricing strategy to maximize sales and margin targets by department.
• Own the end-to-end promotional strategy for softlines categories, from selection and sourcing through direction to store operations, including post-promotion analysis and reporting.
• Monitor and oversee competitor pricing strategies for softlines, including response execution and price elasticity review.

• Support inventory management for softlines in partnership with the Director of Inventory and Planning, with attention to seasonal receipt flow and sell-through.
• Support supply chain departments on strategies that deliver service and working capital targets.

• Deliver weekly business reports and forecasts that give fact-based summaries of past performance and profitability to support decision-making.
• Evaluate and analyze sales and profitability performance across all softlines categories.

• Manage and develop the softlines merchandising team, using relevant metrics to ensure performance, productivity, and growth.

• Build organizational capacity through improved programs, policies, and systems.
• Apply strong process discipline and technology systems to drive efficiency.
• Ensure plans align with company-wide goals, and reconcile them regularly.
• Perform other duties and tasks as assigned by the VP of Merchandising.

• Retail Finance
  : strong financial retail background, with a solid grasp of the components of gross margin, advanced retail math, and a competency in making data-based decisions.
• Sourcing
  : expert in product sourcing in a dynamic retail environment, including import and long-lead-time programs.
• Business Acumen
  : effective business planning, project management, problem solving, negotiation, and financial analysis.
• Trend & Seasonal Planning
  : ability to read trends and plan seasonal flow, size and color assortments, and markdown timing.
• Leadership
  : proven ability to influence and inspire team members.
• Communication
  : excellent communication and…