Director of Merchandising & Product Development; Earthwise

Director of Merchandising & Product Development (Earthwise)

Join to apply for the Director of Merchandising & Product Development (Earthwise) role at Bunzl Distribution NA.

As the Director of Merchandising, you will lead the development and execution of merchandising strategies for Earthwise’s reusable bag portfolio. In this role, you will ensure alignment with customer brand objectives, market trends, and sustainability goals while driving profitability and growth. You will also support and lead the product and merchandising teams.

This role will be hybrid, with the expectation to work in the Glendale office at least 3 days per week.

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership
- Lead and mentor product and merchandising teams, fostering collaboration and continuous improvement.
- Process Improvement:
Streamline merchandising workflows and tools to enhance efficiency, reduce sales team workload, and improve speed‑to‑market.
- Drive cross‑functional alignment with operations, marketing, and supply chain teams.

• Strategic Merchandising Leadership
- Develop and implement merchandising strategies for private label reusable bags across multiple retail partners.
- Analyze market trends, consumer insights, and competitive data to inform product assortment and pricing strategies.

• Customer Collaboration
- Partner with retail clients to design custom bag programs that align with their brand and sustainability initiatives.
- Customer Line Planning:
Collaborate with sales and customers to develop tailored product assortments that align with brand strategies and market trends.
- Product Development Liaison:
Translate customer insights into actionable product briefs, working closely with design and sourcing teams to bring new products to market.

• Product Development & Innovation
- Identify white space opportunities and guide the end‑to‑end development of new products—from concept to commercialization—ensuring alignment with customer requirements and business objectives.
- Work closely with design and sourcing teams to create innovative, cost‑effective, and sustainable bag solutions.
- Oversee packaging, branding, and in‑store presentation standards for private label programs.

• Financial Management
- Partner with the Director of Sales to develop budget forecasts by customer.
- Build investment and ROI plan by customer to meet annual forecast goals.
- Monitor sales performance and implement strategies to maximize margin and reduce waste.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, merchandising, product development, marketing, or related field; MBA preferred.

• 8+ years of merchandising experience, ideally in consumer goods or retail private‑label programs.

• Strong understanding of sustainability trends and retail operations.

• Proven ability to manage complex customer relationships and deliver tailored solutions.

• Excellent analytical, negotiation, and communication skills.

About Bunzl

Bunzl is a global leader in the Cleaning & Hygiene, Food Processing, Grocery, Health Care, Non‑Food Retail, and Safety industries. With over $10 billion in sales, Bunzl North America is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, and operates more than 100 warehouses across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, and parts of the Caribbean and Mexico. We employ over 5,000 people and supply 400,000+ products.

Bunzl target salary range: $150,000–$175,000 + bonus, based on experience, education, and geographic location.

Bunzl Distribution offers competitive salaries, a comfortable work environment, and a full range of benefits including a 401k with company match.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

Equal opportunity employer. Bunzl Distribution has a tradition of commitment to equal employment opportunity. The policy is to attract and retain the best qualified people without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex/gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status as provided by law.

#JLjbffr