Senior Director Merchandising

Staples is on a multi-year transformation to lead the future of work, learning, and small business solutions. The Senior Director of Merchandising, Omni‑Channel Office Supplies & Pack‑and‑Ship plays a pivotal leadership role in this evolution—owning the end‑to‑end merchandising strategy and financial performance of a core, high‑visibility business while reimagining how these categories show up for customers across stores, digital, and integrated omni experiences. This role is designed for a challenge‑motivated leader who thrives in complexity and change, with the vision and resilience to modernize a mature category while unlocking new sources of growth. The Senior Director will lead through transformation—balancing near‑term performance delivery with longer‑term innovation in assortment strategy, services, sourcing, vendor partnerships, and customer experience. This role is a P&L‑critical leadership position, responsible for driving traffic, sales, margin, inventory productivity, and customer relevance through data‑driven assortment strategies, best‑in‑class vendor partnerships, and seamless omni execution. Reporting to the VP/GMM, the Senior Director will lead and develop a high‑performing team of category merchants and product specialists while serving as a key thought partner to cross‑functional leaders in Marketing, Supply Chain, Stores, Digital, Inventory Management, and Planning. Success in this role requires intellectual curiosity, a strong point of view on the future of the category, and a relentless drive to innovate—leveraging customer insight, data, and cross‑functional collaboration to create differentiated, omni‑channel solutions that fuel Staples’ next chapter of growth. Our people are the heart of our success, and we believe in collaboration, curiosity, and continuous learning in all that we think, create and do. We are investing in our people and our stores, empowering our people to learn, grow and deliver. Come be a part of a team that's leading the way in a new era of working and living. Key Responsibilities Customer‑Led Strategy & Growth Own and articulate a clear, compelling Omni merchandising vision grounded in deep customer insight, shopping behavior, and category and market trends across B2C and Small Business segments. Translate customer needs into market‑leading merchandising strategies across assortment, pricing, promotion, presentation, and associate engagement. Drive relevance in a mature and evolving category by identifying adjacent growth opportunities, innovation, and service‑led differentiation (e.g., Pack & Ship solutions). Financial Ownership & Business Planning Develop and lead seasonal and annual business plans that deliver against sales, margin, inventory turns, and total cost‑to‑serve targets. Proactively identify risks and opportunities; rapidly adapt strategies in response to performance trends, competitive dynamics, and supply chain constraints. Develop and approve forecasts, assortment plans, lifecycle management, and liquidation strategies in partnership with Planning and Inventory teams. Ensure disciplined execution that consistently delivers revenue, adjusted margin, cash flow, and inventory productivity. Assortment, Vendor & Negotiation Leadership Own assortment architecture and vendor strategy across owned brands and national brands. Lead expert‑level negotiations to improve total delivered cost, rebates, allowances, funding, and long‑term partnership value. Drive supplier accountability while fostering innovation, supply chain optimization, and shared growth initiatives. Champion product and program innovation that enhances customer experience and profitability. Omni‑Channel & Digital Excellence Develop and execute an inspiring and frictionless Omni channel shopping experience to drive conversion, average order value, and customer satisfaction. Ensure assortments, content, and programs are optimized for store, online, and omni‑fulfillment models. Partner with Digital and Marketing teams to leverage site merchandising, search, conversion, and traffic insights to improve performance. Build category strategies that seamlessly integrate physical and digital shopping journeys. Cross‑Functional Leadership & Influence Serve as a senior thought partner across Marketing, Promotions, Stores, Supply Chain, Digital, Inventory Management, and Finance. Communicate category strategies and performance with clarity and confidence to executive leadership. Identify process gaps, champion best practices, and lead change to improve speed, quality, and scalability of merchandising execution. Talent Leadership & Team Development Lead, coach, and develop a team of Product Specialists and Category Merchants at all levels. Build bench strength through mentoring, performance management, and succession planning. Foster a culture of accountability, curiosity, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Qualifications Required Bachelor’s degree in Business or similar field required. 12+ years of progressive merchandising leadership experience, including buying, category management, planning, and inventory management. Proven success owning complex categories with significant P&L responsibility. Demonstrated experience leading and developing high‑performing merchandising teams. Strong financial acumen; expert in forecasting, margin management, and inventory productivity. Advanced negotiation skills with senior‑level vendor partners. Omni‑channel merchandising experience (store + digital). Preferred Experience in Office Supplies, Services, Hardlines, or Adjacent Consumable Categories. Deep understanding of site merchandising, digital KPIs, and omni‑fulfillment models. Track record of leading transformation, modernization, or turnaround initiatives. Executive presence with the ability to influence at the highest levels. Expert knowledge of industry trends, completion, assortment planning, planograms, customer buying patterns, inventory management, logistics and marketing techniques. #J-18808-Ljbffr Staples, Inc.