Strategic Category Merchant Lead

Clark Associates; Lancaster (Lancaster County); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Dental

PTO

Paid Maternity Leave

Paid Parental Leave

Life Insurance

Disability

Dependent Care FSA

401(k) matching

Employee Assistance Program

Wellness Incentives

Company Discounts

AT&T & Verizon Discount

Bonus Opportunities

Accident Insurance

Critical Illness Insurance

Adoption Assistance

Job summary

Clark Associates, a Lancaster-based multidepartment company, seeks a Senior Merchant to lead strategic direction and performance across a major product category. You will own vendor partnerships, negotiate programs, and guide pricing, assortment, and product quality to sustain growth and profitability.

You will mentor teams, drive cross-functional collaboration, and leverage analytics to improve category health and customer value. The role emphasizes strategic leadership and market insight.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in a Category Manager role with mastery of responsibilities.
• Strong negotiation and vendor management experience across multiple suppliers.
• Advanced analytic skills to drive pricing, assortment, and category improvements.

Responsibilities

• Owns development and management of strategic vendor partnerships and programs.
• Sets goals for key category performance metrics and guides pricing/positioning.
• Leads cross-functional efforts for product/category/vendor maintenance and launches.
• Negotiates and signs vendor programs and leads complex negotiations.
• Sources new products and designs product launch strategies.

Skills

Category management

Vendor negotiations

Pricing strategy

Leadership

Analytics

Cross-functional collaboration

Mentorship

Strategic thinking

Job description

Clark Associates, a Lancaster-based multidepartment company, seeks a Senior Merchant to lead strategic direction and performance across a major product category. You will own vendor partnerships, negotiate programs, and guide pricing, assortment, and product quality to sustain growth and profitability.

You will mentor teams, drive cross-functional collaboration, and leverage analytics to improve category health and customer value. The role emphasizes strategic leadership and market insight.