Merchandising Manager

Continental Services; Sterling Heights (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Coverage – Medical, Dental and

401(k) with company match

Paid Time Off

Wellness Programs

Referral bonus

Additional Perks

Job summary

Continental Services is seeking a Merchandising Manager in Sterling Heights to lead merchandising programs, replenishment strategies, route optimization, and planogram compliance across assigned vending and micro-market locations. You will translate standards into field execution to improve product availability, sales, inventory productivity, and spoilage control.

Reporting to the Director of Merchandising, you will guide Merchandising Specialists, collaborate with Operations, Category

Qualifications

• Degree in Business, Supply Chain, Merchandising, Retail Management, Analytics preferred.
• Strong leadership and team development experience.
• Experience with merchandising standards, replenishment, and planogram execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead execution of merchandising programs, assortment changes, seasonal initiatives, and promotions across vending and micro-market locations.
• Oversee planogram compliance and vendor-directed merchandising processes.
• Monitor performance to improve sales, availability, and spoilage; adjust strategies accordingly.
• Manage replenishment and route optimization to maximize efficiency and minimize waste.
• Provide feedback to leadership on opportunities and challenges in execution.

Skills

Merchandising

Leadership

Analytics

Planogram

Excel

Communication

Route optimization

Education

Degree in Business, Supply Chain, Merchandising, Retail Management, Analytics

Tools

MS Excel

MS Office

Job description

Merchandising Manager

Department: Analytic Support 105604

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Sterling Heights

Reporting To: Audrey Brown

Description

A Taste of Who We Are:

Backed by a tireless commitment to high quality, innovative culinary offerings and unparalleled client and guest services, Continental consistently ranks among the top contract dining and refreshment providers in the nation according to Food Management Magazine, the industry’s source for food service news and trends.

Our Mission

Delight our guest. Every meal. Every day. Our Core Values

Exceptional – We recruit and retain phenomenal people who consistently go the extra mile to deliver results that lead the industry.

Hospitality – We are tirelessly committed to providing the highest quality food, beverages, and service by anticipating our guests' needs so they can count on memorable experiences every time.

Collaboration – We prioritize working together with a shared vision and effective & transparent communication, we unite as one team to achieve remarkable experiences.

Responsibility – we hold ourselves accountable to be there for our team and clients, to deliver what we say we will, when we say we will and check in on progress along the way.

Innovation – We are forward-thinkers always looking for new processes, technologies, and techniques to increase efficiencies and scalability to improve our services.

The Experience You’ll Create:

The Merchandising Manager reports to the Director of Merchandising and is responsible for leading the execution of merchandising programs, replenishment strategies, route optimization, planogram compliance, and merchandising support activities across an assigned region of vending and micro-market locations. This role translates merchandising standards and priorities into consistent field execution that improves product availability, sales performance, inventory productivity, and spoilage control.

The Merchandising Manager directly leads Merchandising Specialists and works closely with Operations, Category Management, Marketing, and other cross-functional partners to support merchandising performance, maintain service standards, and drive continuous improvement. This position serves as the primary point of accountability for merchandising execution, KPI performance, and team development within the assigned region.

Merchandising Execution & Performance Management

• Lead execution of approved merchandising programs, assortment changes, seasonal initiatives, promotional activations, and remerchandising projects across assigned vending and micro-market locations.
• Ensure merchandising standards, planograms, and operational merchandising processes are consistently executed throughout the region.
• Monitor merchandising performance and identify opportunities to improve sales, product availability, inventory productivity, and customer experience.
• Evaluate merchandising effectiveness and recommend improvements based on performance trends, field observations, and operational feedback.
• Support implementation of merchandising pilots, process improvements, and new merchandising initiatives.

Replenishment, Inventory & Route Optimization

• Lead replenishment management activities to support appropriate product availability while minimizing spoilage and inventory inefficiencies.
• Review inventory performance, product velocity, sales trends, stockout risks, and spoilage trends across the assigned region.
• Oversee route scheduling processes to ensure vending machines and micro-markets receive service at appropriate frequencies.
• Recommend adjustments to route composition, service schedules, replenishment parameters, and merchandising settings to improve route efficiency, inventory productivity, and service performance.
• Partner with Operations leadership to address service gaps, inventory issues, and execution challenges impacting merchandising performance.

Planograms, Assortments & Merchandising Standards

• Ensure approved planograms, assortments, merchandising layouts, and space allocation standards are properly implemented and maintained.
• Oversee execution of merchandising resets, product transitions, assortment updates, seasonal changes, and new business installations.
• Validate planogram compliance and identify opportunities to improve merchandising presentation, product visibility, and sales performance.
• Provide feedback to Merchandising leadership regarding assortment performance, merchandising opportunities, and execution challenges.
• Support continuous improvement of merchandising standards, tools, and execution processes.

Merchandising System Administration & Operational Support

• Ensure merchandising system data, replenishment parameters, service frequencies, asset information, and merchandising attributes are maintained accurately.
• Monitor merchandising-related operational requests and ensure timely resolution of issues affecting merchandising execution.
• Partner with Operations, Technology, and Merchandising leadership to address system issues, process gaps, and data integrity concerns.
• Support implementation, testing, and adoption of merchandising systems, reporting tools, and process enhancements.
• Utilize reporting and analytics tools to monitor performance and identify actionable opportunities.

Cross Functional Partnership & Business Support

• Partner with Operations leadership to support service execution, inventory management, and merchandising compliance.
• Collaborate with Category Management to provide field insights regarding product performance, customer preferences, assortment opportunities, and merchandising effectiveness.
• Support new business openings, market expansions, client transitions and major merchandising initiatives.
• Partner with Sales and Operations teams to ensure merchandising programs align with customer expectations and operational capabilities.
• Participate in post-installation and grand opening reviews while communicating optimization opportunities.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, develop, and support a team of Merchandising Specialists while providing clear performance expectations and accountability.
• Establish priorities, workload allocation, and project assignments to ensure effective execution of merchandising responsibilities.
• Monitor team performance against established KPIs and provide regular coaching, feedback, and development planning.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, training, and retention of merchandising team members.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, responsiveness, and operational excellence.

Key Performance Indicators

• Gross Profit Margin Percentage
• Stockout Percentage
• Sales Performance
• Units Per Visit
• Spoilage %
• Reset Completion Rate
• Planogram Compliance %
• Route Efficiency
• Missed Service %

Ingredients for Thriving:

• Degree in Business, Supply Chain, Merchandising, Retail Management, Analytics, or a related field (preferred).
• 5+ years of experience in merchandising, replenishment, inventory management, route operations, retail operations, food service, convenience retail, vending, micro-markets, or a related field.
• Prior leadership, supervisory, or team leadership experience.
• Strong understanding of merchandising principles, replenishment processes, inventory management, route optimization, and planogram execution.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret performance data and identify actionable opportunities.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to work effectively across multiple departments.

Leadership Profile

• Execution-oriented and results driven, with a focus on accomplishing goals through disciplined follow-through.
• Possesses strong operational judgment and understands how merchandising decisions impact field execution.
• Data-informed and analytical, using performance trends and business insights to drive decisions.
• Collaborative and responsive, building effective partnerships across merchandising, operations, category management, sales, and support teams.
• Organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Effective coach and people-focused leader who develops talent and creates accountability.
• Committed to continuous improvement, innovation, and operational excellence.

Savor the Benefits:

We offer a range of benefits for eligibles team members, including:

• Health Coverage – Medical, Dental and Vision
• Voluntary Life/AD&D, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Critical Illness, Parental Leave
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid Time Off
• Wellness Programs
• Referral bonus
• Additional Perks

To see a summary of current benefits, please visit https://www.continentalserves.com/work-at-continental/#benefits. #LI-KR1