Senior Merchant of Wholesale

Senior Merchant
The Senior Merchant is a senior level consumer goods specialist within a retail or wholesale business environment. This role owns the full commercial and product lifecycle of their own-brand category portfolio — from identifying market opportunity, to briefing new product, to landing it on clip strip, to developing new inline programs, to knowing when to exit it. This role is ~80% own brand and ~20% vendor-sourced, requiring someone who thinks like a product developer and acts like a merchant. Strong product instincts, trend awareness, packaging sensibility, financial acumen and analytical discipline are equally essential. While the majority of this role is focused on own-brands, there will be some interaction with vendors for buys to complement the own – brand line. This position is responsible for optimizing the overall product mix, increasing sales and gross profit margin. In addition to managing account portfolios, providing assortment plans, sales analysis and to support Jacent’s retail partners.
Significant cross-functional partnership is required as this role works hands-on with cross-functional teams in sales, store operations, space and assortment, distribution and inventory management. This position is responsible for developing strategies and solutions to exceed company targets for sales and gross profit margin. Reports to the Director of Merchandise Buying.

Trend Monitoring & Market Intelligence
Continuously monitor category trends across retail, social, and competitive channels; translate signals into specific product opportunities with a clear commercial rationale
Bring the market point of view into every NPD conversation — not just what's trending, but what's winnable for Jacent's brand and price point
New Product Development Partnership & Vendor Management
Review samples for market fit, packaging clarity, and retail readiness; provide commercial feedback on packaging design — ensuring items are shelf-legible, brand-consistent, and priced to perform
Create briefs for the packaging strategy for brand and item clarity on all new items; Determine when to complement the own-brand line with other vendors based on trends and speed to market; Own the clip strip assortment for all categories in the portfolio — what's on the clip, at what price, for which retail accounts
Present assortment performance and recommendations to VP Merchandising in regular business reviews
Identify which own-brand categories and items have inline potential; build the commercial case for new inline programs
Partner with project managent the own-brand inline execution process — bring the product and assortment rationale; Work with Space & Assortment Planning on ranking, adjacency, and space rationale for own-brand inline programs
Partner with VP Merchandising on the go-to-market process — timing, pricing, sell-in strategy, sales support materials and RSM training information
Work directly with Sales to introduce new items and build the retail account sell-in story
Support the VP Merchandising with information to support the exit process for outgoing items — communicate timelines, manage inventory rundown, coordinate with Sales
Assortment & Account Management
Support the management of a portfolio of accounts, representing the product point of view to retailers through collaborative analysis and recommendations
Collaborate and communicate with Customer Development and Visual Space Planning departments on account specific commodity and item opportunities based on analytical observations
Pricing & Financial Management
Recommend retail pricing for the category portfolio; maintain a logical pricing architecture across own-brand tiers
Strong product instincts, merchant intuition and a genuine curiosity about category trends and a track record of turning that curiosity into product decisions that performed commercially.
Analytically sharp — the ability to understand and analyze sales numbers, as well as use logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches ; advanced Excel, retail math fluency, and comfort building category performance models (sell-through analysis, margin bridges). Financial acumen is essential
Candidates should be able to look at packaging and quickly assess brand clarity, item communication, and shelf impact.
Ability to develop and maintain productive working partnerships, both within the company and with outside suppliers
Ability to multi-task and prioritize projects..
Project management and proven leadership skills
Assortment planning

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience

• 8+ years’ experience in consumer products related industries like retail, wholesale buying and/or food market
• Demonstrated experience with own-brand or private label product and direct involvement in product development
• Advanced Excel required; planogram or space planning tools a plus
• Strong computer skills including proficient competence with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• Hardlines or general merchandise experience strongly preferred