Sr Merchant (Prepack Food, Bev, Candy, Health & Beauty)

Senior Merchant – Prepackaged Food, Candy, Beverage, Health & Beauty

At Event Network, we partner with world-class hotels, cultural attractions, zoos, aquariums, museums, and iconic destinations to deliver meaningful retail experiences that inspire and delight guests.

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced, results-driven Senior Merchant with expertise in prepackaged food, candy, beverage, and/or HBC categories. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of leading high-performing teams, sourcing innovative products, and achieving business objectives through strategic merchandising. This role is designed for a motivated leader who thrives on creating impactful assortments while driving financial performance. You will collaborate closely with the VP of Purchasing and other cross-functional teams to ensure our offerings meet the unique needs of our partners and exceed guest expectations.

Business Strategy, Financial Performance & KPIs

• Own category performance, ensuring that sales, SKU count, inventory, margin, and profitability goals are consistently met or exceeded.
• Track and analyze sales, inventory turns, markdown performance, and COG's, leveraging insights to make proactive adjustments.
• Drive vendor and broker negotiations to secure competitive terms, pricing, and product quality while maintaining strong, trust-based relationships.
• Provide strategic input into open-to-buy (OTB) planning and financial forecasting to align product strategy with company goals.
• Oversee the full buying cycle, ensuring on-time order placement, vendor follow-up, delivery execution, and issue resolution.
• Continuously monitor key KPIs to identify trends and opportunities, reporting performance updates and actionable insights to senior leadership.

Leadership and Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of buyers and assistants to deliver strong results.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and professional growth.
• Assess team structure and identify opportunities to increase efficiency and drive business impact.
• Act as a strategic partner to leadership, surfacing opportunities, mitigating risks, and aligning category strategy with company objectives.

Soft Skills

• Strategic Thinking & Vision: Ability to develop and execute category strategies aligned with business goals and guest expectations.
• Leadership & Influence: Inspires, mentors, and develops high-performing teams while fostering collaboration and accountability.
• Curiosity & Continuous Learning: Demonstrates a relentless curiosity to explore emerging trends, guest behaviors, and industry innovations. Proactively asks questions, seeks out diverse perspectives, and leverages learning to drive smarter decisions, inspire teams, and uncover new opportunities for growth.
• Analytical Mindset: Able to interpret complex data, anticipate challenges, and make proactive, data-driven decisions.
• Negotiation & Relationship Building: Skilled at cultivating strong partnerships with vendors, internal teams, and stakeholders.
• Communication & Presentation: Clear, confident communicator who can articulate strategy and influence outcomes across all levels of the organization.
• Adaptability & Problem-Solving: Thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with the ability to pivot strategies and overcome challenges effectively.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in retail buying, merchandising, or product development, with at least 5+ years in leadership roles managing exempt employees.
• Extensive experience in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), specifically within food, candy, beverage, health, or beauty categories.
• Proven track record of driving category growth and achieving financial targets.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, forecasting).

Why Join Event Network?

At Event Network, we believe in creating a culture where our team members feel inspired, valued, and supported. Our benefits include:

• Comprehensive Health Plans (medical, dental, vision)
• 401(k) with company match
• Generous PTO and paid holidays
• Employee discounts at partner locations
• Opportunities for professional growth and development
• Inclusive and collaborative company culture

Location

This position is based in San Diego, CA. Some travel may be required to vendor, trade show, or partner locations.

Salary Range: $105,000.00 - $130,000