DIRECTOR OF MERCHANDISING

Rush & Company; New York (NY); Presencial; USD 120.000 - 160.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Rush & Company in New York City seeks a Senior Merchant for National Brands to own the end-to-end product development process, from concept to market execution, driving brand growth and profitability.

You will lead market analysis, pricing strategy, line planning, and cross-functional collaboration across design, sourcing, sales, and operations with a focus on bedding/textiles and national brands. In-office Mon-Thu; references required.

Formación

• 5+ years in brand management, merchandising, or retail.
• Experience in bedding/textiles is a strong plus.
• Merchant-led environment experience.
• Strong market insight and competitive awareness.

Responsabilidades

• Market Awareness & Strategic Response: stay informed on trends, economics, and competition to keep brands market-leading.
• Brand Ownership & Leadership: own all aspects of national brands, define strategies, elevate value, and coordinate with internal teams.
• Competitive Pricing & Market Analysis: analyze pricing strategies and benchmark against competitors.
• Pricing Strategy Formulation: develop good–better–best pricing aligned with internal goals and market pressures.
• Line Plan and Assortment Development: create slot plans by category and guide design on fabrication and color.
• Product Development & Timelines: own product calendar and ensure on-time delivery for seasonal goals.
• Global Sourcing & Assortment Development: identify partners and coordinate cross-country sourcing.
• Vendor Negotiations & Costing: negotiate costs with vendors balancing margins and pricing challenges.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: coordinate across design, sourcing, sales, operations, and supply chain.
• Brand Performance Monitoring: track performance with regular updates to leadership.
• Licensor Relationships & Communications: maintain open communication with licensors and provide updates.
• Retail Communication & Market Launches: support collection launches at market events with retailers.

Conocimientos

Brand management

Merchandising

Retail experience

Excel

PowerPoint

Communication

Negotiation

Independent

Descripción del empleo

As a premier, vertically integrated global leader in home textiles, we control our entire process from field to market. This end-to-end mastery allows us to deliver exceptional craftsmanship in bed sheets, fashion bedding, utility items, and institutional linens. Trusted by the world's top retail, hospitality, and fashion brands, our operations span multiple continents, driven by a 25-year legacy of sustainable growth, innovative consumer research, and cutting-edge technology.

We are actively expanding our North American footprint, offering a rare intersection of established global security and fresh, local entrepreneurship:

• A Culture of Innovation: From our high-profile design studio and corporate headquarters in the heart of New York City to our massive logistics hub and state-of-the-art manufacturing plants in North Carolina, we embrace the latest green-workplace innovations and modern tech stacks
• True Career Mobility: We are expanding rapidly. Our recent $15 million investment into a cutting-edge greenfield facility in North Carolina has created hundreds of new roles, opening fast-tracked avenues for professional advancement in operations, engineering, sales, and supply chain management
• Values You Can Stand Behind: We manage with an agile, flexible mindset. Our corporate philosophy is anchored strictly in honesty, complete transparency, and mutual respect for everyone we work with

We are a merchant-led organization that places the utmost importance on our merchandising team to drive product innovation, brand strategy, and customer‑centric growth. As the Senior Merchant for National Brands, you will have ownership over the end‑to‑end product development process, from initial concept to market execution.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Market Awareness & Strategic Response: Stay consistently informed on external trends, economic shifts, and competitive conditions that affect our brands. Use this insight to make timely, strategic decisions that ensure our product offerings remain market‑leading and aligned with changing customer demands
• Brand Ownership & Leadership: Take ownership of all aspects of the national brands you manage. This includes defining brand strategies, elevating their perceived value, and working closely with internal teams to enhance their market positioning and visibility. You’ll be the driving force behind brand development, ensuring each brand meets or exceeds business objectives of sales, margin and profitability goals
• Competitive Pricing & Market Analysis: Perform in-depth market analysis to understand pricing strategies within the competitive landscape. Collect market data, utilize third‑party research, and conduct field visits to benchmark pricing for similar brands and products. Work closely with sales team members to validate pricing recommendations. Present strategic insights to leadership to guide pricing decisions
• Pricing Strategy Formulation: Take ownership of pricing structure development, creating a “good‑better‑best” pricing strategy that aligns with internal goals while being sensitive to external market pressures. Work closely with sales to validate, and with management to review and approve pricing and margins, ensuring consistency with company goals
• Line Plan and Assortment Development: Create slot plans by product category based on customer strategies and present to design with fabrication, color, and aesthetic guidance based on customer and market knowledge. Collaborate on development of the brand assortments across all categories
• Product Development & Timelines: Take ownership of the product development line calendar. Ensure all products are developed on time to meet seasonal goals and market timelines. Proactively manage any risks to delivery and collaborate with teams to resolve any issues quickly
• Global Sourcing and Assortment Development: Pursue product development across countries and suppliers based on supplier matrix and COO strengths. Understand strengths of each country and identify key partners within each country
• Vendor Negotiations & Costing: Partner with global sourcing team members to manage and negotiate first costs with vendors while balancing margin requirements and external pricing challenges. Ensure costing and margin structures are aligned with business objectives
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: As a merchant‑led organization, you’ll be at the forefront of coordinating product development across multiple departments. Work closely with design, sourcing, sales, operations, and supply chain teams to ensure timely product development, manufacturing, and delivery
• Brand Performance Monitoring: Regularly evaluate the success of each national brand, providing actionable insights to the VP of Merchandising. Use bi‑weekly updates to track design development, costing issues, and future line progress, ensuring every brand is positioned for long‑term success
• Licensor Relationships & Communications: Maintain a strong and collaborative relationship with relevant licensors, offering monthly updates on brand performance, design development, and strategic direction. Ensure open and transparent communication to support continued brand growth
• Retail Communication & Market Launches: Support the launch of new collections to the retail community during ICG’s market launch weeks. Present new collections to retailers, ensuring strong product visibility and alignment with retailer expectations

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Experience: A minimum of 5 years in brand management, merchandising, or retail, with a proven ability to drive product development and manage national brands. Experience in bedding/textiles is a strong plus
• Merchant‑Led Expertise: Strong experience in a merchant‑led environment where you have owned the product development process from start to finish. You will be expected to take full responsibility for the brand’s success, both strategically and operationally
• Market Insight: Expertise in understanding market dynamics, identifying trends, and developing products that align with both consumer demand and competitive positioning
• Technical & Analytical Skills:
  • Excel: proficiency
  • PowerPoint: High‑level skills in PowerPoint to create compelling presentations for internal teams, senior management, and external stakeholders
  • Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to present clearly to all levels of the organization and engage with external partners, vendors, and licensors in a professional and effective manner
  • Negotiation & Relationship Management: Strong negotiation skills, particularly when working with vendors and partners to align on cost structures and product development terms
  • Independent & Driven: A self‑motivated individual capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment. Ability to adapt plans as needed and resolve issues with a proactive mindset

In Office Mon-Thur

All Candidates must be able to provide work related references.