Senior Merchandiser

Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, Inc.; Woodinville, Northern (WA, KY); Hybrid; USD 105,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

Vacation time

Health insurance

401k

Job summary

BDA is seeking a Senior Merchandiser in Woodinville, WA to independently drive product strategies across client portfolios and mentor direct reports. You'll champion margins, guide sourcing and assortment optimization, and influence cross-functional teams to deliver profitable products that reflect client brands and reach end customers.

Ideal candidates bring 5–7 years in retail buying or ecommerce merchandising, 2–4 years of management, and strong proficiency with PLM/Oracle and MS Office.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent and 5–7 years in retail buying, product development or ecommerce merchandising.
• 2–4 years of management experience.
• Fluency in MS Office including Excel, Word, PowerPoint; knowledge of e-commerce merchandising a plus.
• Experience initiating, recommending, and implementing merchandise strategies.

Responsibilities

• Attend all OTB meetings and provide insight on opportunities.
• Conduct weekly 1:1s with direct reports.
• Define seasonal product strategies identifying future opportunities and trends.
• Negotiate and source profitable product assortments within client portfolios and team portfolios.
• Drive sales and margin through product selection, pricing and ROI; use data to inform line architecture.
• Lead weekly status calls with clients and internal teams; communicate insights to senior leadership.
• Oversee day-to-day activities for product launches/refreshes and ensure compliance and quality metrics.

Skills

Retail buying

Product development

Ecommerce merchandising

Planning experience

Education

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent

Tools

MS Office (Excel/Word/PowerPoint)

PLM/Oracle

Job description

Most companies claim to have the best people. We say to them, "Keep dreaming." Our people are second to none. They set us apart with their entrepreneurial spirit and ambition. They come to us from the likes of Amazon, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Starbucks and the sports world, bringing energy, bold ideas and a willingness to dive into the unfamiliar. It's our people that make BDA the top global Merchandise Agency to work for.

Location

• This role is based in Woodinville, WA and requires you to work onsite 4 days per week , with 1 day remote .
• To be considered, you must live within commuting distance , as regular in-person collaboration is a key part of the role.

JOB SUMMARY

Responsible for independently driving product related aspects of their client portfolio and their direct reports’ client portfolios. Sr. Merchandisers are the champions of their business/business unit and consistently drive for margin growth in product assortments. They influence their teams to make sourcing decisions that drive product sharing, supplier consolidation and increase leveraged buying. The Senior Merchandiser earns the trust of internal and external customers by building assortment strategies that deliver creative and profitable products that represent the clients’ brands and speak to the end customer.

BDA’s ideal Senior Merchandiser demonstrates leadership skills thinking beyond their individual portfolio at their teams portfolios. They think globally and are champions of the business. They are ambitious in nature, detail oriented, comfortable working in cross-functional teams and among Sr. Leadership, organized, adept at delegating and passionate about the retail and ecommerce industry. Senior Merchandiser are viewed as leaders on the team.

At BDA a Senior Merchandiser is a role model; thought of as the go to person and can step up and lead meetings and trainings.

Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of work and experience.
• Minimum 5-7 years of retail buying, product development, ecommerce merchandising and/or planning experience.
• Minimum 2-4 years management experience.
• Fluency in MS Office suite including Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of e-commerce merchandising a plus.
• PLM/Oracle experience preferred.
• Experience initiating, recommending, and implementing merchandise strategies.
• Effectively influence, drive and lead discussions and presentations with external clients, cross functional teams and senior leadership.
• Strong understanding of and ability to apply market intelligence.
• Understanding of retail and the service environment.
• Experience identifying and interpreting product trends.
• Experience analyzing and applying consumer data.
• Track record of building profitable assortment plans.
• Ability to manage, coach and train direct reports.
• Experience working with accounts or retail stores to deliver profitable and relevant assortments.
• Works and communicates effectively with cross divisional leadership.
• Actively demonstrates managerial courage and is an advocate for their teams.
• Consensus building skills - Ability to persuade co-workers of the benefits of positive changes.
• Clear and effective written and verbal communication and strong interpersonal skills.
• Identifies areas of opportunity, is solution focused and appropriately communicates to senior leadership.
• Passionate negotiator and shares knowledge with the team as a coach and mentor.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Attend all OTB meetings within business sector and provide insight on opportunities.
• Conduct weekly 1:1’s with direct reports.
• Define seasonal product strategies that identify future opportunities and trends.
• Ability to take current trends and translate into creative product applicable to client business type.
• Negotiate, build and source strategic and profitable product assortments within their own client portfolio and sign off on their team’s client portfolio.
• Independently drive sales and margin through the selection of product, pricing and return on investment.
• Use current and historical data to evaluate what is working effectively or not and create actionable insights that inform the line architecture.
• Demonstrate analytical and critical thinking and how to apply to the business.
• Run weekly merchandise status calls with clients and internal WIP meetings as needed.
• Use data and influencing skills to gain partnership from internal partners and clients on assortment strategies to ensure profitability.
• Share productivity of assortment with accounts and internal partners.
• Confidence and ability to articulate and sell a concept to a business team.
• Oversee day-to-day activities for product launches/refreshes.
• Responsible for areas including compliance, quality, and operational metrics (metrics including compliance, alliance partners, product margin, etc.)
• Negotiate buying terms with suppliers for their own assortment lines and assist their teams as needed (price, quantity, quality, delivery, etc.).
• Active participant in driving company and merchandising change initiatives.
• Able to step in when Merchandise Manager is unavailable.

Why BDA?

BDA is a place where creativity, partnership, and customer care come together. For more than 40 years, we have helped some of the world’s most recognized brands create memorable experiences through branded merchandise, gifting, and custom programs. We are proud of the work we do, the relationships we build, and the people behind it all. At BDA, you will find a team that values collaboration, innovation, and a “get it done” mindset — while still making space for creativity, growth, and meaningful impact.

We are pleased to share the base salary range for this position is $105,000 to $115,000. If you are hired at BDA, your compensation will be determined based on factors that may include geographic location, skills, education, and experience. In addition to these factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as a part of any offer. In the spirit of pay transparency, the range listed is the full base salary range for the role and hiring at the top of the range would not be typical, in order to allow for future salary growth. The range listed is just one component of BDA’s total compensation and rewards programs, which includes:

• robust PTO
• vacation, a paid volunteer day, holidays and summer Fridays, Benefits
• medical, dental, vision, life, and AD&D insurance, 401k
• tuition reimbursement, mental health and financial wellness programs and professional development opportunities including tuition reimbursement

Certain revenue-generating positions may be eligible for incentive compensation.

BDA is more than a workplace - it’s a family. For more than four decades we’ve promoted a vibrant and welcoming culture that not only accepts but demands you to be different. The quirky, the bold, the creative and the unique make up the foundation of a company that the most iconic brands in the world look to help tell their story through the power of merchandise.

BDA Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Must be 18 years or older to apply.

Why we ask:

We have