Manager, Brand Merchandising

GEICO•Bethesda, MD

3d•$109,675 - $172,200•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, Brand Merchandising owns and leads GEICO's merchandise program, in partnership with API, our GEICO Store platform partner. This role involves setting the strategic direction for the core collection, managing the full lifecycle of special collections from intake through distribution, and partnering with Hospitality, Supplier Management, and Associate Experience for location-specific store pop-ups. Additionally, this role partners with Real Estate & Facilities Management (REFM) on the creative and brand execution of GEICO's offices and sites, extending brand standards into signage, wayfinding, and other brand moments in physical space. The role owns the assortment, vendor relationships, brand standards, and the operating infrastructure for these programs. This position is ideal for someone who brings both strategic thinking and operational discipline, capable of shaping program direction and ensuring effective execution. It offers an opportunity to own work that is visibly present across GEICO's culture, events, and physical spaces.

Requirements

Owned a branded merchandise or corporate store program — not just supported one — and can point to the assortment decisions, vendor relationships, and program outcomes you drove.
Bring both strategic and operational instincts: you can shape what a program should be and execute it well.
Can manage a complex portfolio of concurrent work — a catalog refresh, special collections at different stages, a pop-up in planning, and a site branding project — without anything slipping.
Are comfortable serving a wide range of internal clients — from Events and Hospitality to HR, L&D, Onboarding, and Real Estate & Facilities — and can translate very different requests into a consistent, well-managed process.
Are comfortable extending brand standards beyond print and product into physical space — signage, office environments, and site-specific branding — and can partner effectively with Real Estate and Facilities teams to get it right.
Have a strong eye for brand quality and know how to give clear, useful feedback to vendors and creative partners.
Are energized by work that shows up visibly in culture: you'll see your work at events, in offices, on-site, and in the hands of people across the company.
5–7 years in branded merchandise, marketing operations, procurement, or a related field, with demonstrated ownership of a merchandise catalog, corporate store, or comparable program.
Proven experience owning a merchandise or gifting program end to end — including assortment strategy, vendor management, and production.
Direct experience managing vendor relationships through the full production cycle: scoping, sampling, quality review, and delivery.
Track record managing intake, timelines, and approvals across a wide range of internal stakeholders in a matrixed environment.
Comfort translating brand standards into physical environments — signage, wayfinding, office branding — and partnering with Real Estate or Facilities teams to execute it.
Comfort owning budget tracking, purchase orders, invoicing, and cost-quality tradeoffs at the program level.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook); experience with procurement or inventory platforms a plus.
Bachelor's degree in marketing, business, communications, hospitality, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience with a company store, branded swag platform, or e-commerce gifting tool (e.g., Cimpress/Vistaprint Corporate, HALO, 4imprint, or similar).
Experience planning and executing event or pop-up activations with a merchandise component.
Experience with environmental branding, signage systems, or office/workplace design projects.
Familiarity with brand standards and design approval workflows, with enough visual sensibility to give clear feedback on product quality.
Experience working inside a large, matrixed organization where multiple teams share ownership of related programs.

Responsibilities

Own the GEICO Store merchandise catalog, setting assortment strategy and maintaining quality and brand standards in partnership with API.
Lead catalog reviews to assess relevance, identify gaps, and make decisions on additions, removals, and updates.
Partner with Supplier Management on inventory management, platform accuracy, and replenishment; proactively resolve stock issues.
Work with Brand & Creative on design approvals and refreshes to ensure all catalog items meet GEICO's visual and brand standards.
Own the intake process for merchandise requests from across the organization, including event- and milestone-specific collections, People Group programs, and internal needs.
Lead the full lifecycle of special collection projects: scoping, pricing, design coordination, production timelines, sampling, quality review, and distribution.
Partner with Associate Experience and Supplier Management on production, vendor selection, and fulfillment.
Build and maintain a scalable intake infrastructure (trackers, playbooks, workflows) for merchandise requests.
Lead planning and execution of location-specific GEICO Store pop-up experiences at offices and events, in partnership with Hospitality, REFM, and Associate Experience.
Own logistics for pop-ups end to end: inventory coordination, fulfillment, on-site setup, and post-event reconciliation.
Maintain brand consistency and presentation standards across all pop-up activations.
Partner with REFM on the creative and brand execution of GEICO's offices and sites, including signage, wayfinding, and other brand elements in physical space.
Ensure brand standards are applied consistently as sites are built out, renovated, or refreshed, working with Brand & Creative on design direction and approvals.
Serve as the brand point of contact for REFM on site and facilities projects, translating brand standards into practical creative direction for physical spaces.
Own the day-to-day vendor relationship with API — driving performance, resolving issues, and ensuring the partnership delivers against program needs.
Partner with Supplier Management on vendor contracting, compliance, and sourcing for special collection production.
Review estimates, negotiate pricing, and make cost-quality tradeoff decisions across merchandise programs.
Own program reporting and financial tracking — working with API and Supplier Management to monitor catalog usage, fulfillment volumes, special collection outcomes, and pop-up activity.