WGU Store Strategist
About The Position
Bring together creativity, e-commerce, and business strategy to shape how WGU’s brand comes to life through merchandise. As the WGU Store Strategist, you will oversee a highly visible branded merchandise program that serves employees, students, and alumni through internal, external, pop-up, and custom-order channels. This individual contributor role offers the opportunity to refresh WGU’s merchandise assortment, improve product availability, and create engaging experiences that build loyalty and brand affinity. You will join a growing team, gain exposure across the organization, and help develop how the team collaborates and operates.
Requirements
- 4 years of experience in branded merchandise, e-commerce, or retail buying.
- A bachelor’s degree, or relevant professional experience in lieu of a degree.
- Strong financial acumen, including experience with budgeting, forecasting, and performance reporting.
- Demonstrated project management, inventory planning, and organizational skills.
- A creative eye and the ability to evaluate merchandise for design quality and brand alignment.
- Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- A detail-oriented, low-ego approach with a strong sense of urgency and the ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Nice To Haves
- Experience supporting marketing communications campaigns.
- Familiarity with e-commerce platforms, ERP systems, project management software, or technology integrations.
- Experience supporting branded merchandise programs for major events or distributed organizations.
Responsibilities
- Own the strategic direction, product selection, and day-to-day merchandising operations for WGU’s internal, external, pop-up, and custom-order store channels.
- Develop proactive inventory and assortment plans that improve product availability, introduce fresh designs, and support enterprise merchandise needs.
- Manage vendor relationships and fulfillment operations, including forecasting, reordering, product quality, order accuracy, and on-time delivery.
- Review SKU performance and determine when products should be reordered, marked down, discontinued, refreshed, or replaced.
- Oversee the custom merchandise ordering process and collaborate with partners across the organization, including Procurement, Finance, Communications, HR, Student Services, Events, Academics, and Marketing.
- Lead merchandise strategy and execution for commencements, summits, town halls, and other major activations.
- Manage program reporting and budget oversight while ensuring merchandise meets WGU’s brand and visual identity standards.
Benefits
- bonuses
- medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare
- health savings account and flexible spending account
- basic and voluntary life insurance
- disability coverage
- accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages
- legal and identity theft coverage
- retirement savings plan
- wellbeing program
- discounted WGU tuition
- flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual
- flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual
- 11 paid holidays
- other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Associate degree
