Director, Branded Merchandise

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Job Description: The Director of Branded Merchandise is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of Cambria's branded merchandise business. They will oversee the curation of premium products that serve as touchpoints for employees and trade partners. They will manage the strategic relationship with the primary vendors to ensure the merchandise program runs optimally from both an operational and sales standpoint. The ideal candidate is a high-energy "promoter" who can balance executive-level relationship management with the rigorous detail required to maintain a luxury brand's standards. Roles & Responsibilities Product Curation & Brand Integrity Merchandise Selection: Curate a product assortment that reflects Cambria's luxury aesthetic, focusing on quality, durability, and "American-made" values. Performance Analysis: Regularly review KPI dashboards to identify trending items and retire underperforming stock, ensuring the catalog remains fresh and relevant. Vendor & Operations Management Primary Liaison: Serve as the lead point of contact for the primary merchandise vendor and secondary specialty suppliers. Operational Excellence: Ensure the primary vendor is running the program optimally, holding them accountable for fulfillment speed, quality control, and inventory accuracy. Digital Experience & UX Oversight: Manage the end-to-end user experience of the branded merchandise e-commerce portal. Ensure the interface is intuitive for both internal employees and external partners, maintaining a "luxury retail" feel and experience that aligns with the Cambria digital ecosystem. Approval Governance: Establish and maintain a strict approval process to ensure all vendor activity aligns with Cambria's brand standards and budget. Data Oversight: Maintain a firm grasp on operational metrics and work with vendors to build comprehensive dashboards measuring KPIs, such as sales velocity and product turn rates. Strategic Internal Leadership Gatekeeping & Centralization: Partner with Cambria department leads to ensure all branded merchandise requests are centralized through this role to maintain brand consistency and cost-efficiencies. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as the bridge between Marketing, Sales, and Operations to ensure the merchandise roadmap supports broader company initiatives. Lean Execution: Balance high-level strategic planning with hands-on execution, thriving in an environment where you are both the architect and the builder of the program. Sales & Promotion Strategy Internal Advocacy: Collaborate with the Marketing team to design and execute internal promotions that drive employee engagement and pride through merchandise. Event & Trade Show Integration: Collaborate with the Events team to develop bespoke merchandise strategies for major industry activations (e.g., KBIS). Ensure the high-end "swag" or "gift-with-purchase" items used at events are strategically selected to maximize brand recall and support lead generation. B2B Co-Branding: Develop strategies for external promotions, educating business partners on how they can leverage co-branded Cambria merchandise for their own showrooms and clients. Sales Enablement: Work directly with Sales leadership to ensure key business partners are aware of the program and understand how to utilize it as a closing or relationship-building tool. Qualifications & Skills Exceptional Relationship Builder: Proven ability to engage with and influence executives and high-value external partners. Promoter Mentality: A natural "brand evangelist" personality with a drive to constantly grow the program's reach. Accountability Expert: Strong track record of holding vendors and internal stakeholders to high standards and deadlines. Digital Storefront Savvy: Experience overseeing e-commerce or B2B portals, with a keen eye for user experience (UX) and the ability to ensure a digital shopping journey feels premium and frictionless, while also driving sales. Detail-Oriented: Highly organized with the ability to manage complex inventories and multi-layered approval workflows. Entrepreneurial Mindset: Ability to treat the merchandise program as a "business within a business." Strategic Agility: Capable of pivoting between long-term brand strategy and immediate operational troubleshooting. Analytical Proficiency: Experience using data/dashboards to drive purchasing and promotional decisions. Minimum Requirements: Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or related field Experience: 8- 12+ years of experience in retail, merchandising, business, or a related discipline Systems: P roficient with Google or Microsoft Suite Additional Requirements: Managerial Responsibilities: None at this time Travel Requirements: Limited travel locally (Eden Prairie, Le Sueur, and Belle Plaine) Physical Requirements: Office position requiring telephone and computer use. Able to lift to 20 pounds occasionally / sparingly (office supplies, packages,