Sr Merchant

Ulta Beauty, Inc.•Bolingbrook, IL

About The Position

Discover greater levels of performance. With over 1,300 stores throughout the U.S. and an innovative omni-channel ecosystem, Ulta Beauty is revolutionizing the beauty retail experience. Ulta Beauty is expanding its digital capabilities, opening new stores on a continual basis and re-designing existing locations with the latest design and technological advancements for heightened guest experiences. We’re not just growing, we’re thriving through consistent innovation and a bold commitment to re-imagination. If you want the opportunity to build something strategic, to take ownership of your career trajectory, to apply your passion to operational excellence, Ulta Beauty provides the kind of stability and support few organizations can match. So be curious. Be flexible. Be more than you thought possible. The future is yours at Ulta Beauty. THE IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE As a Senior Merchant, Brand Building, this role provides enterprise leadership for Ulta’ Beauty’s emerging brand and brand building ecosystem. This role serves as the strategic owner of Ulta Beauty’s brand-building platforms including the MUSE Accelerator, Sparked, and Brand Building. They act as a trusted advisor to merchants, cross-functional partners and brand founders. The Senior Merchant leads teams, influences senior stakeholders, and represents Ulta Beauty externally as a leader in building innovative, founder-led brands.

Requirements

Seasoned merchandising expertise with 8+ years of professional retail experience with increasing scope and responsibility with a minimum of 2+ years of experience as a Merchant/Buyer
2+ years of demonstrated experience leading a team in a high-performance culture
Strong expertise in managing cross-functional relationships
High emotional intelligence/IQ and strong relationship management skills
Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and creative problem solver
Capability to lead brand meetings and presentations
Ability to set competitive and breakthrough merchandising strategies and demonstrated experience leading through execution
Displays organizational savviness and executive presence while anticipating and balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders
Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
Effective planning and prioritizing skills and ability to stay organized in a fast-moving business
Value creation mindset, thinks like a business owner
Models and encourages the expression of diverse ideas and opinions
Some travel required

Responsibilities

Owns the end-to-end strategy, vision, and execution of the MUSE Accelerator, Ulta Beauty’s retail readiness accelerator for emerging brands
Leads annual program planning including curriculum design, mentor selection, speaker strategy, budget management, timelines, contracts and event execution
Evaluates applications, ensuring strategic alignment with Ulta Beauty’s growth priorities, and selects cohort brands in partnership with senior stakeholders
Partners with internal and external leaders to position MUSE as a best-in-class accelerator across the beauty industry
Serves as a senior Ulta Beauty representative to founders, providing strategic guidance, market insight and retail expertise
Leads and participates in accelerator programming including check ins, curriculum sessions, fireside chats, and milestone moments
Coaches and mentors team members, fostering accountability, development, and high performance
Provides strategic oversight for SPARKED, Ulta Beauty’s emerging brand merchandising platform
Partners with the Assistant Brand Manager and merchants to curate brand selection across stores, the Mag, and digital platforms
Monitors performance and establishes benchmarks, expectations, and success metrics for participating brands
Partners with merchandising teams to communicate outcomes, risks, and opportunities, informing future brand decisions
Defines and evolves Ulta Beauty’s enterprise brand-building strategy to support emerging and early-growth brands
Acts as a strategic partner to merchants, supporting brands through launch, scale, and optimization
Reviews and analyzes qualitative and quantitative data to identify growth opportunities, performance gaps, and operational needs
Leads the development and operationalization of repeatable processes, tools, and frameworks to support brand growth and readiness
Owns and manages budgets tied to brand-building and strategic initiatives, ensuring disciplined investment and measurable impact
Maintains budget tracking for strategic initiatives, provides reporting on spend, related to Brand Building and Emerging brands
Partners with Education team to develop brand education content, including quarterly videos and in-store learning tied to key moments
Collaborates with Marketing and Stores to activate brands across heritage months, merchandising moments, events, and campaigns
Be ahead of the curve on trends, consumer behavior and competitive activity
Acts as a liaison for key non-profit partners in supporting emerging brands and founders
Builds and sustains a results-driven, inclusive team culture aligned with Ulta Beauty’s values, mission, and vision
Demonstrates strong executive presence and serves as a thought leader for brand building internally and externally

Benefits

Full-time positions are eligible for paid time off, health, dental, vision, life and disability benefits.
Part-time positions are eligible for dental, vision, life, and disability benefits.

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