Director of Merchandising

About the role

The Thuma team is seeking a Director of Merchandising to lead merchandising strategy and business performance across assigned product categories. This role serves as the General Manager of their categories, responsible for identifying growth opportunities, developing category strategies, building assortments, driving financial performance, and ensuring Thuma continues to deliver a best-in-class customer experience across all channels.

Responsibilities

• Own the overall business performance for assigned product categories, including revenue, margin, inventory productivity, and growth.
• Act as the General Manager of assigned categories, developing and executing strategies that align with company objectives and long-term brand vision.
• Identify market opportunities, customer needs, competitive gaps, and emerging trends to drive category expansion and growth.
• Establish annual, quarterly, and seasonal business plans with clear financial objectives and growth initiatives.
• Analyze category performance and customer behavior to identify opportunities, risks, and areas for optimization.
• Build and manage category assortments that balance newness, productivity, profitability, and brand storytelling.
• Develop assortment architecture, pricing strategies, product segmentation, and category expansion plans.
• Partner with leadership to prioritize investments and resources across categories.
• Develop long-range product roadmaps informed by customer insights, market trends, and business opportunities.
• Partner with Finance to develop forecasting, inventory plans, open-to-buy strategies, and investment recommendations.
• Drive inventory productivity through effective lifecycle management, replenishment strategies, and exit planning.
• Evaluate category performance through key metrics including sales, margin, inventory turns, conversion, attachment rates, and productivity.
• Make data-driven recommendations regarding inventory investments, category expansion, and product lifecycle decisions.
• Translate business opportunities into actionable product briefs and category requirements.
• Partner with Retail, Creative, and Marketing teams to ensure products are effectively represented across stores, digital experiences, catalogs, and marketing channels.
• Influence visual merchandising strategies that improve customer engagement and category productivity.
• Ensure category storytelling is consistent across all customer touchpoints.
• Support go-to-market strategies, partnerships, collaborations, and limited-edition launches.
• Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing merchandising organization.
• Establish merchandising processes, reporting frameworks, and business review cadences.
• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, curiosity, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• 10+ years of merchandising or category management experience, with significant experience in furniture and retail required.
• 5+ years of people leadership experience, including building, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams.
• Proven ownership of category performance, including revenue, margin, inventory productivity, and growth.
• Strong experience developing category strategies, assortments, pricing architectures, and product roadmaps.
• Exceptional analytical and financial acumen with the ability to translate data into actionable business decisions.
• Deep understanding of forecasting, inventory planning, lifecycle management, and key retail/ecommerce performance metrics.
• Demonstrated success identifying customer needs, market trends, competitive opportunities, and whitespace for category expansion.
• Proven ability to influence and partner cross-functionally with Product Development, Design, Sourcing, Finance, Retail, and Marketing teams.
• Strong communication and executive presentation skills with experience partnering with senior leadership.
• Direct-to-consumer and omnichannel retail experience required.
• Experience with luxury, premium, and design-led brands preferred.
• Willingness to travel as needed.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Supply Chain Management, or related field.
• Professional Certifications: Certified Merchandiser (CM), Certified Retail Professional (CRP), or similar certifications preferred.

Skills

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop and implement strategic plans that drive category growth and profitability.
• Financial Acumen: Strong understanding of financial metrics and the ability to analyze and interpret financial data.
• Market Analysis: Proficiency in conducting market research and analyzing consumer trends.
• Team Leadership: Experience leading and developing a high-performing merchandising team.
• Collaboration: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Customer Focus: Understanding of customer needs and the ability to tailor products and services to meet those needs.
• Technology Savvy: Familiarity with retail technology tools and systems.

Benefits

Thuma offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• 401(k) with company matching up to 6% of your contributions.
• Benefits*: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with generous employer contributions, 100% paid parental leave, and company-sponsored One Medical and WellHub memberships.
• Equity: Participation in employee stock option plan.
• Flexible by Design: We operate with a high-performance mindset, paired with thoughtful flexibility—flexible hours, flexible PTO, and a hybrid approach that supports both focus and balance.
• Time to Recharge: Enjoy 13 company holidays each year to rest, reset, and celebrate what matters most.
• Employee Discount**: 40% off almost all Thuma products.
• Cell Phone Stipend: $100 per month to support work-related phone use.
• Commute Reimbursement: Up to $150 per month for commuting to our office.
• Room Upgrade: A complimentary product credit upon joining, valued at up to $3,000. Some exclusions may apply.

Pay

$160,000 - $200,000 a year

Schedule

Full-time position with flexible working arrangements.