Merchandising Manager - Birch Lane

About the role

The Merchandising Manager will lead the Upholstery & Outdoor vertical for Birch Lane within Wayfair’s Specialty Retail Brands (SRBs). This role owns the strategy, performance, and team for two of Birch Lane’s highest-visibility categories, reporting into the Birch Lane Head Merchant and partnering closely with peers across AllModern and Joss & Main.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the multi-season strategy for Birch Lane Upholstery & Outdoor, including assortment, shelf-space, and pricing / promo plans that deliver sales, margin, and share goals.
• Decide what “earns the shelf” for Birch Lane across onsite and marketing placements (homepages, emails, shops, etc.), using data and customer insights to identify tomorrow’s best sellers and fill assortment gaps.
• Lead relationships with a focused set of strategic suppliers, negotiating terms, aligning on joint business plans, and driving MAP/WSC, availability, and newness outcomes that are durable for the business.
• Act as the Upholstery & Outdoor point person for Category Management, WGS Sourcing, Pricing, Promotions, Brand, Creative, and Retail—framing problems, driving alignment, and ensuring clean execution against your strategy.
• Manage and develop a team of two merchants, providing clear direction, coaching, and structure so the team can operate confidently at the respective bar.
• Represent Birch Lane at key markets and supplier summits; drive sample review, pipeline prioritization, and follow-through so market work shows up clearly in the business.

Requirements

• Experienced merchant / buyer: Typically 4–6+ years in merchandising, buying, category management, or a similar commercial role with increasing P&L scope; upholstery/outdoor or furniture experience is a plus but not required.
• P&L and data fluent: Comfortable owning a sizeable book of business; you use data to size opportunities, pressure-test plans, and make clear trade-offs across topline, margin, and inventory.
• Structured leader: You can independently define the plan from a broad objective, keep multiple complex workstreams moving, and give your team and partners clear priorities and expectations.
• Strong relationship builder: You’re effective with suppliers and cross-functional partners, can navigate contention, and influence senior stakeholders with clear, concise communication.
• SRB-minded: Excited about brand-led merchandising, have an opinion on the Birch Lane customer and aesthetic, and are energized by partnering across AllModern and Joss & Main to build total-SRB strategies.
• Travel: Willing to travel periodically (4-6x/year) for trade shows, sourcing trips (Asia/international), supplier visits, and store / market walks.

Qualifications

• Experience in merchandising, buying, category management, or a similar commercial role with increasing P&L scope.
• Typically 4–6+ years of relevant experience.
• Comfortable owning a sizeable book of business and using data to size opportunities, pressure-test plans, and make clear trade-offs across topline, margin, and inventory.
• Ability to independently define the plan from a broad objective, keep multiple complex workstreams moving, and give your team and partners clear priorities and expectations.
• Effective with suppliers and cross-functional partners, can navigate contention, and influence senior stakeholders with clear, concise communication.
• Excited about brand-led merchandising, have an opinion on the Birch Lane customer and aesthetic, and are energized by partnering across AllModern and Joss & Main to build total-SRB strategies.
• Willing to travel periodically (4-6x/year) for trade shows, sourcing trips (Asia/international), supplier visits, and store / market walks.

Skills

• Category strategy & P&L
• Assortment curation
• Supplier relationships
• Cross-functional leadership
• People leadership
• Trade shows & market

Benefits & Perks

• Full health benefits available (Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA/FSA) on day one for eligible employees.
• No-cost access to 2nd.MD, a virtual expert medical consultation and navigation service.
• Global Traveler Health Insurance through GeoBlue.
• 24/7 access to mental, financial, physical and emotional wellbeing support, plus an enhanced offering of therapy and coaching.
• Automatic enrollment into Basic Life and Accidental Death & Disability Insurance.
• 401(k) matching with immediate vesting.
• Paid Parental Leave, Surrogacy & Adoption Reimbursement and Caregiver Services.
• Tuition Reimbursement.
• Wayfair Employee Discount.
• Gym/Fitness Discounts (Wellhub and varying regional memberships).
• Exclusive access to thousands of perks & discounts through BenefitHub.
• Yearly match up to $500 for personal donations made by employees to registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

Pay

Salary Range: $99,000 - $110,000 per year

Schedule

This is a hybrid in-office role that works out of our Boston office (Monday-Thursday will be working in office and Friday is work from home). This is not a virtual / remote position.