Commercial Lead, Operations Manager, Business Development

Overview

The Commercial Lead is responsible for driving strong supplier collaboration, optimizing product availability, and ensuring that assortment strategies are effectively executed across all channels. This role manages ongoing supplier communication, including SKU availability monitoring, open stock confirmation, and purchase order adjustments, to support forecasted inventory levels on SKUs managed on John Galt replenishment by the Demand Planners. This position provides visibility to the Demand Planners and TCS Commercial leadership into supplier constraints, supplier shipping forecasts, and supplier inventory commitments to support business continuity.

The manager also leads the translation of the company’s commercial and assortment strategies into actionable product flows—analyzing SKU and store‑level performance, recommending new product introductions, target exit dates for discontinued product, and supporting strategic resets and seasonal assortments. In collaboration with Visual Merchandising and Field Leadership, the role informs planogram updates and ensures the right product breadth and depth are available to meet customer demand and financial goals.

This is a full‑time, salaried, exempt position.

Commercial Manager or Sr. Commercial Manager

Established in 1978, The Container Store has grown to be the leading specialty retailer of storage and organization products in the United States and the only national retailer solely devoted to the category. We provide creative, multifunctional, customizable storage and organization solutions that help our customers save time, save space and improve the quality of their lives. We foster a culture built around our Foundation Principles, which define how we approach our relationships with our employees, vendors, customers and communities and influence every aspect of our business.

• Manage supplier relationships to ensure consistent communication, performance alignment, and proactive issue resolution.
• Monitor SKU availability across suppliers, confirming open stock assumptions and identifying constrained items that may impact replenishment.
• Partner with S&OP to provide supplier forecasts and inventory commitments that support 99% service levels on SKUs that are actively managed on replenishment.
• Communicate all TCS‑initiated purchase order adjustments—including quantity and delivery date changes—to suppliers in a timely and accurate manner.
• Translate the company’s commercial and assortment strategies into actionable product flows and execution plans across categories and stores.
• Develop and maintain an existing product store/SKU matrix that defines recommended assortment breadth by location, pending financial review.
• Recommend new product introductions and flow strategies from existing suppliers based on assortment gaps and performance insights.
• Support the planning and execution of strategic product sets, resets, and seasonal transitions in partnership with Merchandising, S&OP, and Visual teams.
• Conduct SKU and store‑level analysis to inform assortment breadth, depth, and financial performance, partnering with Location planner on strategies to ensure alignment and execution with company goals.
• Collaborate with Visual Merchandising and Field Leadership to recommend planogram updates that reflect assortment changes and enhance in‑store presentation.

• College degree, preferred
• 3+ years of experience in vendor management, store planning, forecasting, inventory management, supply chain, or related field
• Demonstrated proficiency in statistics, forecasting, and forecasting methods with an understanding of their financial and operational impacts.
• Demonstrated proficiency using root cause analysis to improve forecast accuracy and demand planning processes.
• Ability to independently identify and resolve problems or take advantage of opportunities.
• Strong analytical, organizational, decision‑making, and presentation skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to effectively interact with all teams, areas, and levels of business affecting the…