Quill, Associate Category Merchant

Staples•Framingham, MA

12d

About The Position

Quill is seeking an Associate Category Merchant to help shape and grow assigned product lines. The role manages product-line profit and loss and partners across merchandising, pricing, analytics, marketing, eCommerce, customer relations, and sales to support sales and margin goals. It combines financial analysis, customer insights, vendor collaboration, assortment planning, and promotional execution to create a strong online shopping experience. The Associate Category Merchant develops strategic business plans, manages product lifecycles, supports pricing and promotional strategies, negotiates with vendors, and monitors market trends and financial performance. The role also communicates business insights and provides direction across project teams.

Requirements

At least 3 years of experience in buying-related functions, including merchandising, buying, planning, inventory management, marketing, or sales.
Experience with online merchandising strategies and practices.
Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, including the ability to develop and manipulate spreadsheets.
Knowledge of industry trends, assortment planning, customer buying patterns, inventory management, logistics, and marketing techniques.
Strong data analysis and interpretation skills, with the ability to translate insights into informed business decisions.
Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, negotiation, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Ability to work independently, manage priorities effectively, and stay organized in a detail-oriented environment.
Creative, continuous-improvement mindset with the ability to assess and simplify processes and workflows.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or equivalent work experience.
Experience working in an online retail environment.
Experience with Access, Power BI, Jira, Bloomreach, or related tools.
Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across teams.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute strategic business plans for assigned product lines that align with company objectives.
Manage product lifecycles, including assortment planning, vendor selection, negotiation, financial planning, inventory management, and merchandise presentation.
Partner with merchandising leadership to implement strategies that drive sales, margin, and competitive differentiation.
Collaborate across teams to improve the online shopping experience using customer insights, data, and digital selling tools.
Support promotional go-to-market strategies and plan key product promotions to increase traffic and incremental sales and margin.
Negotiate with vendors to secure cooperative funding and favorable terms.
Monitor market trends, customer buying patterns, and internal financial data to identify opportunities and risks.
Interpret financial reports and communicate insights that support informed product-line decisions.
Develop product-line pricing strategies in partnership with the Pricing team.
Provide clear direction across project teams and share business insights and product knowledge.