Director of Merchandising, Hardlines

Wilco•Mount Angel, OR

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Merchandising, Hardlines leads strategy and execution across merchandise planning, product development, sourcing, pricing, promotions, and vendor partnerships. The role is accountable for sales, margin, and inventory performance across Wilco’s Pet, Animal Health, Fencing and Livestock, and Hardware & Auto categories in both stores and eCommerce. The Director builds and develops a high-performing merchandising team and partners closely with the Director of Merchandising, Softlines, and cross-functional leaders to deliver business results. The Director develops merchandise plans and sourcing strategies, leads product and assortment decisions, builds vendor plans, owns promotional and pricing strategy, and supports inventory and supply chain performance. The position delivers weekly business reporting and analysis, manages and develops the hardlines merchandising team, and ensures plans align with company-wide goals. The position reports to the VP of Merchandising and supervises Product Merchants and Merchandising Assistants. The role requires working on-site at Wilco’s headquarters in Mt. Angel, Oregon, two to three days per week. Remote work requires an ergonomic, distraction-free workspace. Occasional travel to stores and vendor meetings is required, as is attendance at trade shows, with overnight travel expected approximately once per quarter.

Requirements

10+ years in senior retail merchandising roles of increasing scope, complexity, and leadership responsibility.
10+ years of direct product sourcing experience, including hardlines categories such as pet, farm, and hardware and auto, with national-brand and import vendors.
5+ years in a leadership role at a retail company with 10+ locations and $100 million or more in sales.
Experience in sourcing models including Direct, through Distribution, and through Channel Buying Groups.
Proven record of delivering all budgeted metrics in a high-SKU-count environment.
Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field.
Strong retail finance background, with solid understanding of gross margin components, advanced retail math, and data-based decision-making.
Expertise in product sourcing in a dynamic retail environment.
Business planning, project management, problem-solving, negotiation, and financial analysis skills.
Proven ability to influence and inspire team members.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills, including partnering with the Softlines Director and Director of Merchandise Planning and Allocation.
Strong attention to detail, deadline focus, and high motivation.
Ability to work on-site at headquarters in Mt. Angel, Oregon, two to three days per week.
Willingness and ability to attend trade shows, with overnight travel expected approximately once per quarter.

Nice To Haves

Experience in regulated or compliance-sensitive categories, such as animal health.

Responsibilities

Lead development of merchandise plans by category for stores and eCommerce, covering sales and all components of margin, including IMU, freight, markdowns, and shrink.
Partner with the VP of Merchandising to develop strategic merchandising plans, including a sourcing strategy for each SKU.
Deliver annual sales, margin, and inventory plans through categories purchased directly and through product merchants.
Develop, manage, and collaborate on product strategies for in-store and eCommerce products in a high-SKU-count environment.
Apply market information and brand filtering to product strategy, including trends in Animal Health, Fencing, Livestock, Pet, Hardware, and Auto.
Lead SKU optimization and rationalization during regular business cycles, focusing on in-stock performance in replenishment-driven categories.
Manage slow-moving product reviews and strategies, including discontinuation and discounted pricing.
Work with vendors and internal partners to meet regulatory and compliance requirements, particularly for animal health and other regulated products.
Lead and support Product Merchants in building effective vendor partnerships.
Participate in vendor strategy sessions and meetings with key vendors, including national brands and ongoing vendor programs.
Set vendor plans with revenue, margin, and inventory targets, as well as advertising support and co-op funds.
Lead pricing strategy to maximize sales and margin targets by department.
Own the end-to-end promotional strategy for hardlines categories, from selection and sourcing through direction to store operations, including post-promotion analysis and reporting.
Monitor and oversee competitor pricing strategies for hardlines, including response execution and price elasticity review.
Support hardlines inventory management in partnership with the Director of Merchandise Planning and Allocation.
Support supply chain departments on strategies that deliver service and working capital targets.
Deliver weekly business reports and forecasts with fact-based summaries of past performance and profitability to support decision-making.
Evaluate and analyze sales and profitability performance across all hardlines categories.
Manage and develop the hardlines merchandising team, using relevant metrics to support performance, productivity, and growth.
Build organizational capacity through improved programs, policies, and systems.
Apply process discipline and technology systems to drive efficiency.
Ensure plans align with company-wide goals and reconcile them regularly.
Perform other duties and tasks as assigned by the VP of Merchandising.