Sr Merchandiser Omnichannel Category

Academy Sports and Outdoors; Katy (TX); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Academy Sports + Outdoors is seeking a senior online merchandising professional to lead category strategy for our digital marketplace. You’ll optimize product listings, manage ranking, and collaborate with Buyers, Marketing, and Digital Product teams to drive online growth.

Ideal candidate has 5–7 years in retail merchandising with strong analytics, SEO awareness, and experience with ecommerce tools such as Commercetools and web analytics platforms.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent required; Bachelor’s degree preferred in Business, Marketing, Merchandising or related field.
• 5–7 years of experience in retail merchandising or ecommerce merchandising with focus on online merchandising or category management.

Responsibilities

• Execute the defined online merchandising strategy for the category to achieve sales, profit, and inventory turn goals.
• Provide data‑driven input to Buyers regarding which products and brands should be featured online.
• Continuously evaluate and maintain category navigation and filtering on the website.
• Build, update, and test category hierarchy and facets to ensure intuitive customer experience.
• Curate and optimize product listing pages and visual merchandising.
• Define and apply product ranking rules and use searchandising tactics to surface priority products and maximize conversion and AOV.
• Ensure product content is accurate and compelling.
• Plan and execute category components of seasonal campaigns and promotions online.
• Collaborate with Marketing to integrate category stories and stand up dedicated landing pages or curated collections.
• Coordinate with Merchandising and Marketing for consistency between online and in-store merchandising.
• Monitor sales, web analytics, and customer behavior; adjust placement/content to improve metrics.
• Work with SEO and content teams to optimize category pages for organic traffic.
• Support site feature enhancements through collaboration with Digital Product Management.
• Develop understanding of Academy policies and safety rules.

Skills

Merchandising strategy

Data analysis

Web analytics

SEO basics

Cross-functional collaboration

Product ranking

Communication

Category management

A/B testing

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Merchandising or relevant field

Tools

Commercetools

Adobe Analytics

Quantum Metric

Excel

Job description

Who We Are At Academy Sports + Outdoors our vision is to be the best sports + outdoors retailer in the country — but what truly sets us apart is our people. We’re a passionate, purpose-driven team that’s as committed to each other as we are to our customers. We’ve spent over 80 years building a culture that puts people first. We believe in creating opportunities for growth, fostering meaningful connections, and supporting every Team Member’s journey. What fuels us? Our belief in the power of fun. Here, you won’t just help customers gear up for their next adventure — you’ll launch one of your own. Whether you're starting out or leveling up, Academy is a place where fun can’t lose!

Education

High School diploma or equivalent required Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Merchandising or relevant field of study preferred

Work Experiences

5 to 7 years of experience in retail merchandising or e-commerce merchandising, with a primary focus on online merchandising or category management.

Skills

• Strong understanding of merchandising principles (e.g., product assortment, visual merchandising, pricing, and promotion) and proven ability to translate these principles to the digital space (e.g., using product ranking, badging, and "shop the look" features)
• Familiar with “searchandising” concepts
• Highly analytical and comfortable working with data
• Proficient in web analytics tools (e.g., Adobe Analytics, Quantum Metric) to evaluate category performance and customer behavior.
• Advanced skills in Excel for sales analysis, and experience interpreting A/B test results to make informed decisions.
• Hands‑on experience with e-commerce content management or merchandising systems (e.g., Commercetools)
• Deep awareness of how customers shop online and best practices for reducing purchase barriers (e.g., size/fit information, clear navigation)
• Knowledge of retail trends and the competitive landscape, including key experiences like BOPIS and digital content
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• Able to work effectively with Buyers, Marketers, Digital Product Management, and Developers
• Experience in influencing cross‑functional partners to achieve category objectives
• Strong organizational skills to manage complex seasonal calendars and multiple initiatives.
• Able to execute project plans for site updates and coordinate with partners to meet deadline
• Comfortable and agile in a fast‑paced environment, able to re‑prioritize tasks based on new data or business needs
• Familiarity with SEO concepts (e.g., metadata, headings) and knowledge of inventory/Order Management System processes related to omnichannel fulfillment

Responsibilities

• Execute the defined online merchandising strategy for the category to achieve sales, profit, and inventory turn goals
• Provide data‑driven input to Buyers regarding which products and brands should be featured online
• Continuously evaluate and maintain the category navigation and filtering system on the website.
• Build, update, and test the category hierarchy and facets (size, color, price filters) to ensure an intuitive and logical customer experience
• Curate and optimize product listing pages and visual merchandising
• Define and apply product ranking rules and utilize “searchandising” tactics to strategically surface priority products to maximize conversion and AOV (e.g., suggesting coordinating items).
• Ensure product content (imagery, descriptions, badging) is accurate and compelling
• Plan and execute category components of seasonal campaigns and promotions on the site.
• Work with Marketing to integrate category stories and support the creation of dedicated landing pages or curated collections for key events
• Collaborate closely with Merchandising and Marketing teams to ensure consistency between online and in‑store merchandising efforts, maintaining aligned messaging, visual themes, and promotions
• Analyze sales performance, web analytics, and customer behavior within the category.
• Monitor key metrics (e.g., conversion rate, click‑through rate, filter usage) to identify opportunities and take direct action (e.g., adjusting placement, improving content)
• Partner with Ecomm Content, Design, and SEO teams to ensure category pages and product pages have rich, relevant content and are optimized for organic traffic.
• Work with the On‑Site Search team to manage search tuning for category‑specific queries
• Partner with the Digital Product Management team to advocate for and test site feature enhancements that impact merchandising (e.g., new filtering options, product recommendations)
• Support the execution of special projects with major brand partners, including coordinating the launch of brand shops or special collections, ensuring brand guidelines are met while optimizing for e‑commerce
• Develop a thorough understanding of Academy’s policies, procedures and safety rules
• Duties may change; team members may be required to perform other duties as assigned
• Physical Requirements & Attendance: Acceptable level of hearing and vision to perform job duties Adhere to company work hours, policies, procedures and rules governing professional staff behavior Regular office attendance is required

Equal Employment Opportunity Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate with regard to employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law. Academy® Sports + Outdoors is one of the nation’s largest sporting goods and outdoor retailers. It’s no surprise that we not only know how to create experiences for our customers, but for our team members as well. Understanding our people and the things that matter to them the most has been at the core of the Academy® culture for over 80 years. With more than 22,000 team members, we take pride in creating a workplace environment that values hard work, commitment, and growth.