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WLA Director/Sr Director, Merchandising

Overland Park, Kansas Retail

Ace Retail Group (ARG), is a division of Ace Hardware Corporation that owns and operates several Ace brands, including Westlake Ace, Great Lakes Ace, Buikema's Ace, Outer Banks Ace, Dennis Company, and Breed & Company. ARG is one of the largest hardware retailers in the United States and has two headquarters located in Lenexa, KS and Farmington Hills, MI. ARG's origins date back over a century and operates over 250 neighborhood stores located throughout the United States. Great people make ARG stand out in our industry, and we are looking for individuals who strive for personal and professional growth, and who want to work with a company founded on (and still led by) our solid Core Values of: Winning, Excellence, Love, Integrity, Gratitude, Humility and Teamwork.

Job Title: Director/Senior Director, Merchandising Department: Merchandising Reports To: VP, Merchandising & Marketing Exemption Status: Exempt (Salaried)

Ace Retail Group is seeking a strategic merchandising leader who is ready to operate at the center of the businessowning category performance, driving growth, and shaping the customer value proposition across 250+ stores nationwide. The Company is in an acceleration phaseexpanding stores, modernizing assortments, and strengthening competitive positioning. This role offers high visibility, executive exposure, and direct influence on company performance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Merchandising Strategy & Category Leadership

• Develop and execute merchandising strategies that support company sales, gross margin, inventory turn, and profitability objectives.
• Lead category management efforts, including assortment optimization, product lifecycle management, and category growth initiatives.
• Analyze market trends, consumer insights, competitive activity, and emerging product opportunities.

Vendor & Supplier Management

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with key vendors and suppliers.
• Negotiate product costs, rebates, promotional funding, and other financial agreements.
• Lead vendor review meetings and annual line reviews.

Pricing, Promotions & Inventory Management

• Oversee pricing strategies to ensure competitive positioning while maximizing margin performance.
• Direct promotional planning and execution in partnership with Marketing and Operations teams.
• Monitor inventory productivity and replenishment effectiveness.

Financial Performance & Reporting

• Develop annual sales, margin, inventory, and promotional plans.
• Monitor category performance against budget and forecast targets.
• Present business reviews and strategic recommendations to executive leadership.

Team Leadership & Development

• Recruit, develop, coach, and retain high-performing merchandising professionals.
• Establish clear performance expectations and accountability measures.
• Support succession planning and professional development initiatives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Operations, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Finance teams to ensure successful execution of merchandising initiatives.

Minimum Skills, Requirements and Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Merchandising, Retail Management, or related field required; MBA preferred. 812+ years of progressive merchandising experience. 5+ years of leadership experience managing merchandising teams. Strong analytical, negotiation, communication, and leadership skills. Ability to apply commonsense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, customers, and the general public. Proficiency in MS Office: Word, PowerPoint and Outlook. Standing, walking, lifting (up to 25lbs.) and climbing.

Compensation Details

$160000 - $225000 per year