Merchandise Manager

MerchandisingCity of Industry,California The Merchandising Manager/Director will play a pivotal role in defining Torrid's product identity and driving business growth. This position demands a keen eye for trends, an in-depth understanding of our customer, and a strategic mindset. We’re looking for someone with a start‑up mentality who is resourceful, and highly adaptable—with proven experience scaling a department or business. The ideal candidate will work closely with cross‑functional teams to develop a compelling product assortment that captivates our target audience, boosts sales, and strengthens brand loyalty. Success in this role requires a blend of creativity and data‑driven decision‑making to shape product selection, pricing strategies, and presentation, all with a focus on enhancing the customer experience and maximizing sales. What You’ll Do: Product Strategy and Assortment Develop and drive the Omni-channel product strategy, assortment testing, and financial performance goals for multiple departments or product categories. Partner with merchant teams to ensure line plans and departmental strategies align with company goals and strategic initiatives. Identify growth opportunities in product categories and work with Planners to identify growth and risk. Develop compelling Omni-Channel marketing/visual strategies to drive product assortment and KPIs. Ensure a balanced assortment across departments, identifying duplication, cannibalization, and pricing opportunities. Identify opportunities to create and enhance operational efficiencies in calendar, team, and process. Partner with Planning and allocation teams to manage inventory levels throughout the season. Ensure product execution meets design aesthetic and quality standards. Business Acumen and Strategy Develop a customer-focused merchandise assortment plan/strategy that optimizes sales and margin opportunities. React quickly and decisively to business trends to maintain positive sales growth and increased margin or minimize downside when trends shift. Understand, monitor, and track customer trends, and conduct store visits and competitive shopping. Value individuality and diverse talents of the team. Lead the team by communicating expectations, providing guidance, delivering feedback, and empowering team members. What You’ll need: Start‑up mindset with a proven ability to scale teams or departments; excels at bringing structure and strategy to ambiguous or rapidly evolving business environments. Proven track record of delivering results with a thorough understanding of buying, operations, and merchandising in specialty retail. Experience in business planning, assortment optimization, and line development. Strong analytical, critical thinking, and decision‑making abilities, with attention to detail. Excellent verbal and written communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills. Ability to build strong internal and external partnerships, adapt to changing business strategies, and interact professionally with diverse groups, including executives and managers. Highly organized self‑starter with strong time management skills; adept at juggling multiple priorities and driving projects forward in dynamic, fast‑paced environments. Proactive problem‑solving approach and ability to provide constructive feedback. Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) and experience with data analysis, interpretation, and reporting. Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Business, or a related field preferred, or equivalent experience. Eight or more years of progressive retail buying experience in fashion categories. What You'll Get: A culture where people are accepted and encouraged to be who they are. Competitive compensation, 401k with company matching contribution, plus potential to earn company performance‑based bonuses. Comprehensive wellness package including, medical, dental, vision, and Flexible Spending Account Generous 50% employee discount and access to employee‑only sales. Support the causes you’re passionate about. We pay you up to 32 hours annually for volunteering your time in the community. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - Aimed at helping employees address a variety of personal and family issues including legal financial consultations, mental health services and more. Discounts on cell phones, and computer purchases, entertainment tickets and more. Pet insurance for your fur babies. Work and learn alongside industry‑leading executives while making huge strides in impacting the lives of women. You’ll be challenged and grow. Opportunity for upward mobility is available at all levels of the organization. Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates willing to relocate. Salary: $166,936 – $210,390 / year Our company participates in E-Verify . E-Verify is a program that electronically confirms a candidate’s eligibility to work in the United States after completing the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9). The information provided on the Form I-9 is compared to the records contained in the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases. This helps employers verify the identity and employment eligibility of newly hired employees. E-Verify Poster: Eligibility to Work Poster (English): Eligibility to Work Poster (Spanish): California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA): EEO Poster: #J-18808-Ljbffr