WHSmith is a leading global travel retailer with over 1,700 stores across 30 countries worldwide. WH Smith North America, incorporating Marshall Retail Group (MRG) and InMotion, represents over half of the Company's international store estate, with a collection of attractive, successful specialty retail stores located in airports and resorts across North America.
Marshall Retail Group prides itself on creating unique experiences for customers by developing distinctive retail store concepts that feature and highlight the local culture, community, and lifestyle of the cities in which they are located. InMotion Entertainment Group is the largest airport-based electronics retailer in travel locations globally, with access and insight into the latest technologies for business and leisure travelers, InMotion offers lifestyle products and electronics that include a wide breadth of headphones, mobile power, Bluetooth speakers and travel accessories.
Job Summary:
The Senior Merchandise Director - Technology will be accountable for leading the merchandising and category management function for Technology products including Tech Accessories, Audio, Electronics Hardware. As a key member of the WH Smith North America merchandising team, you will be responsible for setting category direction, leading team members, and driving for results.
Core responsibilities will include:
Supporting the annual budgeting and reforecasting process; maintaining continuous process improvement and results within ongoing category and item level forecasting.
Developing and working with data sets to analyze category performance, recognize insights, form hypotheses, and take actions.
Drive the promotional planning process from strategy to execution, working collaboratively with planning, operations, marketing, and visual merchandising teams to produce demand-driving offers and events.
Managing and maximizing vendor relationships including development of annual joint business plans, strategic priorities, and comprehensive supplier health KPIs
Own and constant refinement of pricing strategy, both regular and promotional, in ways stimulate customer demand and conversion and maximize financial results
Be a key contributor in store layout and space optimization by category in support of WH Smith North America's aggressive new store growth. Work with space planning capability to analyze and improve brand/category performance within specified planogram clusters
Craft, using industry, partner, competitive and customer insights, an annual category strategy to win in the marketplace; and that complements your financial business strategy designed to deliver against annual financial targets
Lead the assortment management process - defining optimal brand and item count by category and an effective lifecycle approach to launch new items, maintain top performance, and eventually harvest and exit items optimally.
Identify emerging product, customer and retail trends and build test cases to prove out and scale new opportunities.
Qualifications:
Minimum 8+ years in a merchandising/buying/category management role responsible for sales and profit
Bachelor's Degree strongly preferred
Must possess strong financial acumen with a proven record of creating category strategies leading to meeting exceeding business targets
Must be able to flex between long term strategic thinking, and short-term tactical action planning.
Analytical skills and the ability to interpret financial data to drive decisions.
Previous experience building and delivering a budget
Strong influential and communication skills to negotiate with internal and external stakeholders
Ability to work cross-functionally and represent the department up to the executive level
Proven track record of making an impact and delivering change within previous roles
Strong track record of people management creating a positive work culture and building a team to succeed.
Benefits:
Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
FREE Life Insurance
Short & Long Term Disability Insurance
Pet Insurance
Generous Paid Time Off
401k with company match
Huge Employee Discount at all our stores, so check us out
Amazing training & career path
Competitive pay
And more!
We can't wait to meet you so apply today!
EEO/ADA/DFWP
WHSmith North America is committed to employing a diverse workforce. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin/ancestry, age, gender identity, gender expression, military/veteran status, marital status, disability status or any other basis prohibited by law. At WH Smith North America, it's about each person bringing passion and skills to a dynamic and inclusive workplace!