Entrepreneurial merchant strategist responsible for the direction and implementation of the buying strategy for divisional product categories. Establishes and sustains strong interactive relationships with external vendors and contacts to expand the vendor network. Mentors and trains internal team to build capabilities and vendor relationships. Responsible for developing, growing, and buying existing and new categories to support the divisional strategies.

1.    Develops strategic direction for divisional product categories, addressing our core customer needs while sourcing and negotiating merchandise that maximizes sales and profit and increases market share for the company.
2.    Establish Big Lots as the preferred choice for retailers, manufacturers, and consumer product companies seeking a strategic and respected partner for inventory monetization at scale.
3.    Establishes and sustains positive and proactive relationships with external vendors and contacts to result in favorable networks to support the current and future goals of the organization.
4.    Collaborates with the vendor community on emerging trends, assortments, and business strategy.
5.    Identifies opportunities to exploit sales and margin in close partnership with Planning and Allocation to develop open to buy (OTB) and deploy execution tactics that meet or exceed the sales, margin and turn objectives.
6.    Partners with Marketing to ensure product assortment is effectively marketed and advertised.
7.    Manages vendor alliances, forecasts, buying plans and budgets. Ensures vendor negotiations result in the best product that achieves or exceeds sales, margin and inventory turn goals.
8.    Builds, trains, and strengthens internal team capabilities and relationships while managing the staffing, training, development, performance assessment, and disciplinary actions within areas of responsibility.

Entrepreneurial merchant strategist responsible for the direction and implementation of the buying strategy for divisional product categories. Establishes and sustains strong interactive relationships with external vendors and contacts to expand the vendor network. Mentors and trains internal team to build capabilities and vendor relationships. Responsible for developing, growing, and buying existing and new categories to support the divisional strategies.

1.    Develops strategic direction for divisional product categories, addressing our core customer needs while sourcing and negotiating merchandise that maximizes sales and profit and increases market share for the company.
2.    Establish Big Lots as the preferred choice for retailers, manufacturers, and consumer product companies seeking a strategic and respected partner for inventory monetization at scale.
3.    Establishes and sustains positive and proactive relationships with external vendors and contacts to result in favorable networks to support the current and future goals of the organization.
4.    Collaborates with the vendor community on emerging trends, assortments, and business strategy.
5.    Identifies opportunities to exploit sales and margin in close partnership with Planning and Allocation to develop open to buy (OTB) and deploy execution tactics that meet or exceed the sales, margin and turn objectives.
6.    Partners with Marketing to ensure product assortment is effectively marketed and advertised.
7.    Manages vendor alliances, forecasts, buying plans and budgets. Ensures vendor negotiations result in the best product that achieves or exceeds sales, margin and inventory turn goals.
8.    Builds, trains, and strengthens internal team capabilities and relationships while managing the staffing, training, development, performance assessment, and disciplinary actions within areas of responsibility.

1.    Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or merchandising or equivalent relevant work experience and training required.
2.    Minimum of 15 years total merchandising experience with a minimum of 10 years of relevant merchandising strategy experience.
3.    Deep understanding of merchandising, marketing, and planning processes and interrelationships of buying, marketing, in-store presentation and selling functions required. Experience across a variety of merchandise categories from both the full-price and off-price sectors preferred.
4.    Exceptional leadership, interpersonal and collaboration skills with the ability to work across the organization.
5.    Strong analytical, critical, and strategic thinking skills with the ability to effectively develop and refine strategy.
6.    Exceptional negotiation and marketing skills.
7.    Strong verbal, written communication, and presentation skills.
8.    Ability to travel by air and overnight to domestic and international destinations for trade shows, market visits, vendor meetings, and to research industry trends and products.

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws.

1.    Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or merchandising or equivalent relevant work experience and training required.
2.    Minimum of 15 years total merchandising experience with a minimum of 10 years of relevant merchandising strategy experience.
3.    Deep understanding of merchandising, marketing, and planning processes and interrelationships of buying, marketing, in-store presentation and selling functions required. Experience across a variety of merchandise categories from both the full-price and off-price sectors preferred.
4.    Exceptional leadership, interpersonal and collaboration skills with the ability to work across the organization.
5.    Strong analytical, critical, and strategic thinking skills with the ability to effectively develop and refine strategy.
6.    Exceptional negotiation and marketing skills.
7.    Strong verbal, written communication, and presentation skills.
8.    Ability to travel by air and overnight to domestic and international destinations for trade shows, market visits, vendor meetings, and to research industry trends and products.

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws.