Senior Merchant (Senior Category Manager)

Clark Associates, Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Clark Associates is seeking a Senior Merchant to lead the strategic direction and performance of a major product category, developing category strategies to drive sales growth and profitability.

You will own vendor partnerships, negotiate programs, guide cross-functional teams, and leverage analytics to optimize pricing, assortment, and product quality in line with enterprise goals.

Responsibilities

• Owns strategic vendor partnerships and vendor program management.
• Develops and sets goals for key category performance metrics.
• Cross-functional go-to for product, category, and vendor maintenance.
• Negotiates and signs vendor programs and leads complex negotiations.

Job description

Job Summary

The Senior Merchant is responsible for leading the strategic direction and overall performance of a product segment or major category. Building upon the Merchant role, this position drives the development and execution of comprehensive category strategies that deliver sustained sales growth, profitability, and competitive advantage.

The Senior Merchant owns high-impact vendor partnerships, leading complex negotiations and shaping supplier strategies that align with both category and broader organizational objectives. This role plays a key part in product development and category assortment planning ensuring the category remains competitive and responsive to market trends and customer needs.

In addition to category ownership, the Senior Merchant provides leadership and mentorship to team members, guiding execution and fostering a high-performance culture. By leveraging advanced analytics and strategic insight, this role identifies opportunities for large-scale improvements across pricing packages, category management processes, and product/portfolio quality, ensuring alignment with enterprise goals and delivering enhanced value to customers.

Responsibilities

• Owns development and management of strategic vendor partnerships, including discontinuing misaligned vendors
• Develops and sets goals for key category performance metrics
• Is a go-to cross-functionally for all aspects of product/category/vendor maintenance
• Negotiates and signs vendor programs and leads complex negotiations