Pet Retail Inventory & Merchandising Leader

Strategic Franchising Systems; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Strategic Franchising Systems is seeking an Inventory and Merchandise Manager to lead standardized inventory programs for a nationwide franchise system. You will own product assortment strategy, vendor relationships, SKU governance, forecasting, and franchise inventory support.

Partner with Operations, Marketing, Nutrition, and Technology to strengthen unit economics and franchisee success, while driving profitability and a consistent brand experience.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of multi-unit retail operations experience (franchise or corporate retail strongly preferred).
• Prior pet industry and/or pet retail experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a standardized core product assortment across franchise locations.
• Build and manage forecasting models to optimize availability and minimize overstock.
• Evaluate new products and discontinue in partnership with Operations and Marketing.
• Support store openings with initial assortments and inventory planning.
• Own relationships with vendors, distributors, and manufacturers.
• Negotiate pricing, terms, shipping, rebates, and discounts.
• Monitor vendor performance on cost, fulfillment, quality, and service.
• Create scalable processes for SKU management and catalog maintenance.
• Partner with Tech/POS teams to ensure reporting accuracy and margin visibility.
• Guide franchise owners on inventory best practices and turnover.
• Develop training materials and webinars to support execution.

Skills

Merchandising

Inventory management

Forecasting

Vendor management

Franchise operations

Training materials

Job description

Strategic Franchising Systems is seeking an Inventory and Merchandise Manager to lead standardized inventory programs for a nationwide franchise system. You will own product assortment strategy, vendor relationships, SKU governance, forecasting, and franchise inventory support.

Partner with Operations, Marketing, Nutrition, and Technology to strengthen unit economics and franchisee success, while driving profitability and a consistent brand experience.