Sr Merchandise Specialist

Staples•Framingham, MA

About The Position

The Merchandising team drives category performance by partnering across the business to deliver profitable growth, exceptional customer experiences, and operational excellence. It works closely with Marketing, Promotional Planning, Inventory Management, Planograms (POG), eCommerce, and supplier partners to bring products and programs to market, optimize the online customer experience, identify opportunities, solve business challenges, and support strategic initiatives that enhance Staples' competitive position. The Sr. Merchandise Specialist helps drive category performance through project management, data analysis, operational execution, and cross-functional collaboration. The role coordinates across business partners to turn business objectives into actionable plans that improve sales, profitability, inventory performance, customer experience, and online merchandising effectiveness across Staples.com. It involves managing multiple initiatives, identifying opportunities through data, and bringing teams together to execute strategic initiatives. The position offers exposure to Staples.com's merchandising operation and opportunities to develop expertise in digital merchandising, eCommerce strategy, category management, and retail analytics.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree.
Minimum 2 years of experience in merchandising, project management, data analytics, category management, retail operations, eCommerce, or a related field.
Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, reporting, analysis, and data interpretation.
Experience managing projects, timelines, deliverables, and cross-functional initiatives.
Proven ability to analyze data and make business recommendations.
Experience working with multiple stakeholders in a fast-paced business environment.
Strong analytical mindset and ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.
Excellent project management and organizational skills, including managing multiple priorities simultaneously.
Ability to build partnerships and collaborate effectively across cross-functional teams and external partners.
Strong communication and presentation skills, with confidence influencing stakeholders.
Curiosity and a continuous improvement mindset focused on identifying opportunities and solving problems.
Ability to balance strategic thinking with detailed execution.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
Customer-focused approach and understanding of how merchandising decisions affect business performance and customer experience.
Interest in digital commerce and understanding of how online merchandising influences customer engagement, conversion, and sales performance.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting merchandising, retail, category management, inventory planning, promotional planning, marketing, eCommerce, or digital merchandising functions.
Strong business acumen and understanding of retail performance drivers.
Experience conducting market research, competitive analysis, and trend monitoring.
Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority.
Creative and innovative problem-solving skills.
Experience using data to identify opportunities and improve business performance.
Familiarity with website analytics, online merchandising strategies, customer journey optimization, or digital marketing concepts.
Experience supporting online retail businesses, digital merchandising initiatives, or eCommerce platforms.

Responsibilities

Monitor category and initiative performance using sales, margin, inventory, inventory turns, website performance, and online customer engagement metrics.
Develop and execute action plans to mitigate risks, address performance gaps, and capitalize on business opportunities.
Partner with Merchandising, Marketing, Inventory, Promotional Planning, Planograms (POG), eCommerce, and supplier teams to support go-to-market initiatives.
Manage cross-functional projects from planning through execution, ensuring milestones, deliverables, and timelines are achieved.
Identify and recommend strategic initiatives based on business insights, analytics, market trends, customer behavior, and website performance data.
Influence stakeholders and business partners to execute recommended strategies and process improvements.
Conduct competitive analysis, market research, and trend evaluations to inform category and product decisions.
Support weekly category reporting, ad hoc analysis, and business performance tracking.
Review competitor in-store and online experiences to identify opportunities in assortment, pricing, promotions, digital merchandising, and customer experience.
Assist with product selection decisions through industry research, trend analysis, and competitive insights.
Maintain merchandising systems, product information, SKU management, vendor setup, and ongoing maintenance activities.
Partner with eCommerce teams to support product visibility, content accuracy, assortment optimization, and the online customer experience.
Support digital merchandising initiatives by ensuring product content, imagery, pricing, attributes, and promotional messaging are accurately represented across Staples.com.
Review website metrics, online conversion trends, and customer behavior insights to identify opportunities for growth and optimization.
Proof and validate content across digital and print marketing vehicles, including product information, imagery, pricing, and copy accuracy.
Evaluate completed initiatives and recommend best practices and process improvements for future execution.