Director, Branded Merchandise

Overview

The Director of Branded Merchandise is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of Cambria’s branded merchandise business. They oversee the curation of premium products that serve as touchpoints for employees and trade partners, managing the strategic relationship with primary vendors to ensure the program runs optimally from both operational and sales standpoints.

• Curate a product assortment that reflects Cambria’s luxury aesthetic, focusing on quality, durability, and "American-made" values.
• Regularly review KPI dashboards to identify trending items and retire underperforming stock, keeping the catalog fresh.

• Serve as the lead point of contact for the primary merchandise vendor and secondary specialty suppliers.
• Ensure the primary vendor operates the program optimally, holding them accountable for fulfillment speed, quality control, and inventory accuracy.

• Manage the end-to-end user experience of the branded merchandise e-commerce portal, maintaining a "luxury retail" feel aligned with the Cambria digital ecosystem.
• Establish and maintain a strict approval process to ensure all vendor activity aligns with brand standards and budget.
• Maintain operational metrics and work with vendors to build dashboards measuring KPIs such as sales velocity and product turn rates.

• Partner with department leads to centralize branded merchandise requests, maintaining brand consistency and cost efficiencies.
• Act as bridge between Marketing, Sales, and Operations to align the merchandise roadmap with company initiatives.

• Collaborate with Marketing to design internal promotions that drive employee engagement and pride.
• Work with Events to develop bespoke merchandise strategies for major activations (e.g., KBIS), selecting high-end items for brand recall and lead generation.
• Develop strategies for external promotions and educate partners on leveraging co-branded merchandise.
• Work with Sales leadership to ensure business partners understand how to use merchandise as a closing or relationship-building tool.

• Exceptional relationship builder: proven ability to engage with executives and high-value partners.
• Promoter mentality: natural brand evangelist with drive to grow program reach.
• Accountability: strong track record of holding vendors and stakeholders to high standards and deadlines.
• Digital storefront savvy: experience overseeing e-commerce or B2B portals and ensuring a premium, frictionless user experience.
• Detail-oriented: highly organized with ability to manage complex inventories and multi-layered approval workflows.
• Entrepreneurial mindset: treat the merchandise program as a "business within a business."
• Strategic agility: pivot between long-term brand strategy and immediate operational troubleshooting.
• Analytical proficiency: experience using data/dashboards to drive purchasing and promotional decisions.

• Education:
  
  Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field.
• Experience:
  
  8–12+ years in retail, merchandising, business, or related discipline.
• Systems:
  Proficient with Google or Microsoft Suite.
• Managerial responsibilities:
  None at this time.
• Travel:
  Limited local travel to Eden Prairie, Le Sueur, and Belle Plaine.
• Physical:
  Office position; requires telephone and computer use; occasional lifting to 20 lb; occasional bending, reaching, standing, and prolonged sitting.

• Salary: $135,000-$165,000 (target for new hires; determined by location, experience, education).
• Health and Dental Insurance.
• Paid Time Off and 7 paid holidays.
• 401(k) with matching.
• Discretionary profit sharing.
• Flexible spending account.
• Life, supplemental life, and disability insurance.
• Referral program.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Employee assistance program.
• Employee discount and professional development assistance.

Applicant Rights Right to Work. Cambria participates in E-Verify.