Director, Assortment Management

Our values start with our people, join a team that values you!

Bring your talents to Ross, our leading off-price retail chain with over 2,200 stores, and a strong track record of success and growth. Our focus has always been bringing our customers a constant stream of high-quality brands and on-trend merchandise at extraordinary savings. All while providing a fun and exciting treasure hunt experience.

As part of our team, you will experience:

• Success . Our winning team pursues excellence while learning and evolving
• Career growth . We develop industry leading talent because Ross grows when our people grow <
• Teamwork . We work together to solve the hard problems and find the right solution
• Our commitment to Diversity, Equality & Inclusion, and our community. We celebrate the backgrounds, identities, and ideas of those who work and shop with us because our differences make us stronger. We strive to be a positive force in our community.

Our Corporate headquarters are in Dublin, CA, we have 3 buying offices in key markets in New York City, Los Angeles, and Boston, and 8 distribution centers nationwide. With 2023 revenues of $20.4 billion, we are a Fortune 500 company who is committed to providing an inclusive work environment with continuous learning opportunities and development for our teams.

GENERAL PURPOSE

The Director, Assortment Management will oversee the analysis and execution of assortment strategies for their assigned team. They also align with Merchant leaders on the assortment vision to develop an allocation approach that provides the optimal product mix for our customers.  They lead the translation of broad Merchant priorities and guidelines into actions for their Director team and ensure the clear communication of execution levers to internal Allocation partners. The Director, Assortment Management oversees work of their direct reports and holds them accountable for achieving assigned goals.

As a Director, Assortment Management, you will:

• Meet with Merchant and Planning cross-functional partners to drive Product strategies.

• Collaborate with your business partners to give guidance, identify opportunities, and provide potential solutions to improve store assortments.

• Lead Manager teams to translate Merchant business strategies into Allocation levers that can be executed.

• Drive cross department communication to ensure accurate execution of assortment strategies and business objectives.

• Communicate with Merchants, Planning, and other external key business partners to establish and achieve assortment goals.  Ensure VP and business partners stay informed.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Drive Business Product Strategies

• Lead a data-driven team to identify Assortment opportunities and communicate implications to internal/external business partners.
• Work collaboratively to influence stakeholders to adopt plans that optimize sales, margin, and markdowns for assigned products.
• Oversee the execution and analysis of below-class strategies, limited store distribution, style breadth and depth, assessment of region/store assortment needs, and additional assortment related ad hoc analysis.
• Analyze and understand broad implications of assortment strategies on business objectives and communicate implications to your team and internal/external business partners.
• Manage the analysis and assortment activities to support the execution of seasonal strategies, holidays, events and shops.

Communicate Effectively

• Clearly articulate your point of view; comfortable presenting your analysis, insights, and recommendations to Executive Leaders (VP+).
• Negotiate effectively and push back when needed in a diplomatic way.
• Ensure allocation strategies, including business nuances, are clearly communicated to direct reports, internal partners, and other business partners as needed.

Be Adaptable & Innovative

• Recommends alternative approaches to accomplish goals.
• Thrive in a fluid environment, ensuring our work supports an ever-changing business climate.
• Learn from our business experience but have the courage to push the boundaries of our knowledge.
• Think beyond the data and established processes to optimize store assortments and drive increased sales volume.

Develop and Build Effective Teams

• Lead team of Manager/Sr. Managers and indirect Analyst reports.
• Empower team to bring ideas forward.
• Engage in regular career and developmental conversations with direct reports.
• Conduct and manage the performance processes to identify key areas for associate development, ensuring fair and time-bound measurement and assessment of accountabilities throughout focal year.

Project Management

• Drive ad hoc business strategies or special projects as required.

COMPETENCIES

Building Effective Teams

Developing Talent

Collaboration

Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

Leading by Example

Communicates Effectively

Ensures Accountability & Execution

Manages Conflict

Business Acumen

Plans, Aligns & Prioritizes

Organizational Agility

Influence & Negotiation

Strategic Vision

QUALIFICATIONS & SPECIAL SKILLS REQUIRED

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 8-10+ years of Allocation, Planning, Merchandising, or related retail function
• 5+ years of experience leading, building and developing a team
• Demonstrated ability to translate enterprise merchandising strategies into actionable assortment and allocation frameworks
• Strong analytical expertise with ability to leverage data, insights, and financial metrics to influence business decisions and outcomes
• Proven ability to influence and partner with senior leadership (VP+) to shape strategies and drive alignment
• Experience operating in a high-volume, fast-paced retail environment with complex assortments and store variability
• Strong executive communication skills with ability to present complex analyses and recommendations clearly to senior stakeholders
• Advanced proficiency in analytical tools and systems (e.g., Excel, planning/allocation systems, data visualization tools)
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and drive organizational change

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience managing large-scale assortment strategies across regions, clusters, or store tiers
• Experience influencing or supporting enterprise-level merchandise or inventory strategies
• Exposure to test-and-learn environments, predictive analytics, or assortment optimization tools
• Experience leading organizational transformation, process improvement, or capability-building initiatives

#LI-HW1

EDUCATION / CERTIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Merchandising, or related field

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Job requires ability to work in an office environment, primarily on a computer

Requires sitting, standing, walking, hearing, talking on the telephone, attending in-person meetings, typing, and working with paper/files, etc

Consistent timeliness and regular attendance

Vision requirements: Ability to see information in print and/or electronically

This role requires regular in-office presence, including to engage in in-person team interaction, meetings and collaboration, client support, mentoring, coaching, and/or feedback

However, this role can perform duties effectively using a combination of in-office and remote work

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assortment Manager/Sr. Manager

DISCLAIMER

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at management's discretion.

Ross is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. We believe that it is an essential part of the Company's overall commitment to attract, hire and develop a strong, talented and diverse workforce. Ross is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.

The base pay range for this role $119,800.00 to $225,250.00. The base pay range is dependent on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, qualifications, relevant education, certifications, seniority, and location. The range listed is just one component of the total compensation package for employees. Other rewards vary by position and location.