Sr. Manager, Merchandising & Vendor Strategy
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
Overview
Sr. Manager, Merchandising & Vendor Strategy Job Summary The Sr. Manager, Merchandising & Vendor Strategy leads category planning for the buying team, overseeing vendor coordination and assortment governance across retail product categories. This role translates strategic priorities into structured category plans, ensures consistency across product assortments, and drives cross-functional collaboration with merchandising, inventory planning, marketing, and eCommerce teams. The position reports to the Associate Director of Brand Merchandising & Integrated Commerce. This role is focused on strategic planning, coordination, and governance, rather than transactional buying or independent purchasing authority.
Responsibilities
Lead category planning across all product areas, ensuring all categories have documented seasonal and annual plans aligned with institutional priorities and financial targets
Own assortment governance and SKU strategy, including SKU rationalization, optimized assortment structure, and consistent lifecycle management (new, active, clearance, discontinued)
Establish and manage category frameworks, including pricing guidelines, margin targets (for leadership approval), assortment architecture, and product mix strategies
Oversee vendor and licensing coordination, ensuring vendor performance meets expectations and all licensing and trademark requirements are enforced
Lead cross-functional alignment to ensure merchandising, inventory planning, marketing, and eCommerce teams operate from unified category plans and timelines
Partner with the Manager, Inventory Planning & Analytics to align assortment plans with forecasting and open-to-buy constraints, proactively addressing inventory risks
Direct product development and launch timelines, ensuring cross-functional readiness and early identification and mitigation of risks or delays
Monitor category performance at a portfolio level, reviewing sales, sell-through, and inventory health while identifying trends and recommending adjustments
Lead and develop Category Buyers by setting priorities, coaching on analysis and decision-making, and ensuring consistent use of tools and metrics
Own merchandising process governance by maintaining documented standard operating procedures and ensuring adherence to approved frameworks and workflows
Minimum Qualifications EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT: 1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience (Example: bachelor\'s degree = 4 years of directly related work experience). Manager, Inventory Control Management: Requires a bachelor\'s (or equivalency) + 6 years or a master\'s (or equivalency) + 4 years of directly related work experience.
Preferences
Bachelor\'s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience in merchandising strategy, vendor coordination, or category planning.
Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple categories and cross-functional priorities.
Experience working within institutional, regulated, or policy-driven environments preferred.
Familiarity with ERP systems and merchandising tools (NetSuite preferred).
Special Instructions Requisition Number: PRN44661B
Work Schedule Summary: M-F, 8a-5p, some weekends, holidays and late nights.
Department: 00435 - University Campus Store
Location: Campus
Pay Rate Range: $80,000 - $90,000 DOE
Close Date: 7/6/2026
Open Until Filled
To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/7065728
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Sr. Manager, Merchandising & Vendor Strategy Job Summary The Sr. Manager, Merchandising & Vendor Strategy leads category planning for the buying team, overseeing vendor coordination and assortment governance across retail product categories. This role translates strategic priorities into structured category plans, ensures consistency across product assortments, and drives cross-functional collaboration with merchandising, inventory planning, marketing, and eCommerce teams. The position reports to the Associate Director of Brand Merchandising & Integrated Commerce. This role is focused on strategic planning, coordination, and governance, rather than transactional buying or independent purchasing authority.
Responsibilities
Lead category planning across all product areas, ensuring all categories have documented seasonal and annual plans aligned with institutional priorities and financial targets
Own assortment governance and SKU strategy, including SKU rationalization, optimized assortment structure, and consistent lifecycle management (new, active, clearance, discontinued)
Establish and manage category frameworks, including pricing guidelines, margin targets (for leadership approval), assortment architecture, and product mix strategies
Oversee vendor and licensing coordination, ensuring vendor performance meets expectations and all licensing and trademark requirements are enforced
Lead cross-functional alignment to ensure merchandising, inventory planning, marketing, and eCommerce teams operate from unified category plans and timelines
Partner with the Manager, Inventory Planning & Analytics to align assortment plans with forecasting and open-to-buy constraints, proactively addressing inventory risks
Direct product development and launch timelines, ensuring cross-functional readiness and early identification and mitigation of risks or delays
Monitor category performance at a portfolio level, reviewing sales, sell-through, and inventory health while identifying trends and recommending adjustments
Lead and develop Category Buyers by setting priorities, coaching on analysis and decision-making, and ensuring consistent use of tools and metrics
Own merchandising process governance by maintaining documented standard operating procedures and ensuring adherence to approved frameworks and workflows
Minimum Qualifications EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT: 1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience (Example: bachelor\'s degree = 4 years of directly related work experience). Manager, Inventory Control Management: Requires a bachelor\'s (or equivalency) + 6 years or a master\'s (or equivalency) + 4 years of directly related work experience.
Preferences
Bachelor\'s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience in merchandising strategy, vendor coordination, or category planning.
Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple categories and cross-functional priorities.
Experience working within institutional, regulated, or policy-driven environments preferred.
Familiarity with ERP systems and merchandising tools (NetSuite preferred).
Special Instructions Requisition Number: PRN44661B
Work Schedule Summary: M-F, 8a-5p, some weekends, holidays and late nights.
Department: 00435 - University Campus Store
Location: Campus
Pay Rate Range: $80,000 - $90,000 DOE
Close Date: 7/6/2026
Open Until Filled
To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/7065728
#J-18808-Ljbffr