Senior Digital Merchant

Horizon Hobby; Champaign (IL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

HSA/FSA

Short-Term Disability

Long-Term Disability

Life Insurance

401(k) Match

Paid Time Off

Paid Holidays

Internal Rewards

Product Discounts

Additional Insurance

Job summary

Horizon Hobby in Champaign, IL is seeking a Senior Merchant to lead the eCommerce strategy and customer experience for our direct-to-consumer business. You will own digital merchandising, category growth, loyalty programs, and customer journeys across Horizon Hobby's online storefront.

This on-site role leads a team of Digital Category merchants responsible for major product ecosystems and drives growth, engagement, and long-term loyalty among hobbyists.

Qualifications

• Senior-level eCommerce merchandising leadership for direct-to-consumer business.
• Experience defining digital retail vision across merchandising, loyalty, and education.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive growth and loyalty.
• Willingness to work on-site in Champaign, IL.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Digital Business and senior merchandising efforts for Horizon Hobby's direct-to-consumer channel.
• Define how customers discover products, learn about the hobby, and navigate categories.
• Own site performance metrics: revenue growth, conversion rate, acquisition, loyalty.
• Build category strategies and merchandising standards for major product ecosystems.

Skills

Senior Merchant

eCommerce leadership

Merchandising strategy

Customer journey optimization

Job description

At Horizon Hobby, we inspire dreams and help build memories! Our company is the leader in the global Radio Control industry, celebrating 40 years in 2025! We offer tremendous opportunities for growth and development and a full array of benefits including discounts on our products! We are currently hiring a Senior Merchant for our eCommerce department!

This is a full-time, on-site position at our Champaign, Illinois location. Working hours are Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.

Typical pay for this position is $80,000-$90,000 annually. The final offer for this position will be based on the unique experience and qualifications of the candidate selected. This position may also be eligible for a bonus not included in the base pay range.

Shape the Storefront. Champion the Customer. Grow the Hobby.

At Horizon Hobby, we believe great retail experiences do more than sell products. They help people discover a passion, build confidence, develop new skills, and stay engaged for years to come. We are looking for a skilled Senior Merchant to lead the eCommerce commercial strategy and customer experience for Horizon Hobby's direct-to-consumer business. This leader will own the digital retail vision across product merchandising, category growth, educational experiences, loyalty programs, account engagement, promotions, and customer journeys.

This is a highly visible leadership role responsible for transforming HorizonHobby.com into the best destination in the hobby industry, not simply the largest. This Senior Merchant will lead a team of Digital Category merchants responsible for Aircraft, Surface, Radios & Electronics, Parts & Accessories, and emerging categories. They will create a customer-first retail strategy that drives both immediate performance and long-term loyalty.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the Digital Business

Serve as Horizon Hobby's senior merchandising leader, responsible for the performance and evolution of our direct-to-consumer experience.

You will define how customers discover products, learn about the hobby, navigate categories, engage with programs, and ultimately build deeper relationships with the Horizon Hobby ecosystem.

Drive Commercial Performance

Own the site's most important business and engagement metrics, including:

• Revenue growth
• Conversion rate
• Customer acquisition and retention
• Product discovery and engagement
• Category performance
• Loyalty participation
• Account creation and utilization
• Cross-category purchasing and customer progression

You will use customer insights, behavioral data, and retail instincts to identify growth opportunities and prioritize investments that create measurable results.

Lead Category Merchandising

Build and lead a high-performing team of digital merchants responsible for Horizon Hobby's major product ecosystems.

You will establish category strategies, growth plans, promotional priorities, assortment recommendations, and merchandising standards that position each category to outperform the market while delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Create the Industry's Best Hobby Retail Experience

The future of eCommerce is more than products and promotions. You will lead efforts that help customers:

• Select the right products
• Understand what they need to get started
• Progress deeper into the hobby
• Discover complementary products
• Stay engaged over time

You understand that confidence drives conversion, education drives loyalty, and engagement drives lifetime customer value.

Grow Loyalty and Customer Relationships

Lead the strategy behind programs and experiences that strengthen customer engagement beyond individual transactions.

This includes loyalty initiatives, account experiences, personalized customer journeys, educational programs, and other value-added experiences that help customers get more from the hobby and their relationship with Horizon Hobby.

Leadership & Partnership

This role works closely with the Director of eCommerce and Director of Community to deliver a connected customer experience.

The Director of eCommerce leads site capabilities, UX/UI excellence, execution, and platform roadmaps. The Director of Community represents the interests of hobbyists and helps ensure the customer experience creates meaningful value beyond the transaction.

As Senior Merchant, eCommerce, you bring these elements together through a customer-led commercial strategy that drives growth, engagement, and loyalty.

The Ideal Candidate:

Think like a merchant, act like an owner, and advocate like a customer.

Know how to build demand, grow categories, inspire teams, and create experiences that convert shoppers into lifelong enthusiasts.

Understand that great retail isn't simply about selling products.

It's about helping customers succeed.And when customers succeed, the business grows.

Physical Requirements

• Occasional lifting of office supplies and materials, up to 20 pounds.
• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while working on a computer.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Benefits & Other Perks

• HSA and FSA options
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance and Supplemental Life Insurance
• 401(k) with a company match
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Internal Rewards
• Discounts on Products
• Additional Coverage such as accident, critical, hospital and pet insurance

Horizon Hobby is a progressive, innovative company and, as such, is constantly reevaluating and reinventing the processes and procedures associated with each job. The essential duties and responsibilities of this position may change at any time. In addition, employees may be asked to work on special projects or to assist with other work necessary or important to the operation of Horizon. Your cooperation and assistance in performing such additional work is expected and appreciated.

Horizon Hobby, LLC is an equal opportunity and E-Verify employer

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.