Director of Merchandising - Home

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Company Background:

Gilt Groupe provides invitation-only access to high-end fashion and luxury brands at highly discounted prices. The company currently works with a roster of nearly 400 up-and-coming and established brands in the women's, men's, children's, beauty, and home fashion categories.

Gilt Groupe was founded by an experienced team with proven track records at successful luxury fashion companies. Gilt Groupe is a fully funded company and is currently based in the vibrant Chelsea neighborhood in New York City.

 

Job Description: 

Gilt Groupe is looking for a seasoned, results-driven Director of Merchandising to lead the Home product sourcing team and drive the expansion of the Home business.

The Director will bring an entrepreneurial spirit to develop and drive a new, high revenue growth business. The Director will leverage experience and established relationships in the Home industry to aggressively expand the business, initiate vendor relationships, negotiate contracts, develop sales, and actively monitor industry trends.

Reporting to the Vice President & GM of Home, the Director of Merchandising will be responsible for the day-to-day management and the direction of the Home merchandising department. Using his/her experience in assortment planning, pricing, promotion, and inventory management, the Director will be responsible for sales, margin, and inventory goals.

The successful candidate will be a collaborative leader, leading by example and encouraging buyers to take risks while driving accountability. He/she will be a thoughtful, high-energy self-starter with strong business & merchandising acumen, acute analytical skills, and the demonstrated ability to use creative thinking and innovation to solve complex problems. This individual will thrive in a fast-paced, data-driven environment, and will have a track record of successful negotiation and vendor relationship management.

 

Responsibilities:

  • Aggressively expand high-revenue, rapidly growing business by driving and implementing strategic initiatives to reach company’s financial goals.

  • Develop financial plan (profitability targets, markup and receipt flow) and manage to sales targets

  • Manage and develop team of buyers representing multiple Home categories, fostering a high-energy, collaborative environment that promotes professional development of individual buyers and their respective categories.  

  • Partner with planning department to forecast & to meet sales, margin, and inventory goals.

  • Strengthen buying team’s vendor relationships and foster understanding of market trends; identify competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, and strategies.

  • Troubleshoot and resolve conflicts and issues with vendors.

  • Collaborate with departments across the organization including: Finance, Marketing, Operations, CS and Technology.  Facilitate and promote timely cross-department communication.


Qualifications:

  • 7-10+ years experience in retail and/or e-commerce environment. Experience in luxury branded goods a plus.

  • Strong understanding of merchandising financials and the ability to manage profitability

  • Demonstrated ability to take ownership of and drive business performance.

  • Demonstrated ability to successfully lead a buying organization through process of merchandise planning and acquisition. Knowledge of Open-to-Buy process.

  • Comprehensive understanding of buying process from product acquisition to customer sale with the ability to understand and influence merchandising process.

  • Experience managing a team of buyers representing multiple categories.

  • Proven negotiation skills and experience with vendor management.

  • Fashion-forward sensibility and ability to identify and capitalize on current trends.

  • Comprehensive knowledge of the Home market and established relationships with vendors that comprise this market.

  • Ability to identify key items in product inventory and execute a successful promotion strategy for these items.

  • Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines and handle multiple projects.

  • Strong analytical aptitude.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

  • Technical aptitude with web-based tools and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If interested, please send your resume to careers@gilt.com