Senior Director, Merchandising – UMG Stores

How We LEAD

Universal Music Group is seeking a strategic and commercially driven Senior Director of Merchandising to lead product strategy and assortment planning for UMG Stores. This role will define and execute a cohesive merchandising vision that aligns with Universal’s global priorities, label initiatives, and artist activity, including album releases and tour cycles.

Mission

The Senior Director will be responsible for curating compelling, profitable assortments that reflect both artist brand integrity and the preferences of the New York consumer. This role requires a strong balance of strategic planning, creative merchandising, and financial discipline, with a focus on driving retail performance while delivering a best-in-class fan experience.

Responsibilities

• Establish a clear merchandising strategy for UMG Stores that aligns with global priorities while resonating with local consumers.
• Translate artist moments, label priorities, and cultural trends into commercially successful in-store assortments.
• Drive profitable growth through disciplined assortment planning, pricing strategy, and inventory management.
• Build strong partnerships across labels, Famehouse, and internal teams to ensure seamless product integration and execution.

Artist & Label Integration

• Partner closely with labels and artist teams to align merchandising plans with release calendars and marketing priorities.
• Work with Famehouse to identify and integrate relevant products from existing artist merchandise lines into store assortments.
• Identify opportunities for exclusive or localized product offerings that enhance the in-store experience.

Financial Performance & Planning

• Own revenue, margin, and inventory performance for UMG Stores.
• Establish pricing strategies and assortment frameworks that balance accessibility, premium offerings, and profitability.
• Partner with planning and finance teams to forecast demand, manage inventory levels, and optimize sell-through.
• Monitor performance and adjust assortments based on sales trends and consumer insights.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Execution

• Partner with Retail Operations, Marketing, Creative, and Visual Merchandising teams to deliver cohesive in-store experiences.
• Ensure product storytelling and visual presentation align with merchandising strategy and artist narratives.
• Drive execution of product launches, in-store activations, and key retail moments.

Market & Consumer Insight

• Leverage sales data, consumer insights, and market trends to inform merchandising decisions.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the NYC retail landscape, including competitive positioning and consumer behavior.
• Continuously evolve assortment strategies to reflect emerging trends and fan preferences.

Qualifications

• 10–15+ years of experience in merchandising, buying, or retail strategy within music, fashion, lifestyle, or consumer products.
• Proven ability to develop and execute retail merchandising strategies that drive revenue and profitability.
• Strong understanding of assortment planning, pricing strategy, and inventory management.
• Experience working with artist brands, entertainment properties, or culturally driven products preferred.
• Strong financial acumen and analytical skills.
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills.
• Deep understanding of consumer trends, particularly within urban and tourism-driven retail environments.

Perks

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Including 100% coverage for out-patient in-network mental health services.
• Fertility coverage for eligible medical plan participants.
• Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel, and so much more (up to $720/year).
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement.
• 401(k) with 100% immediate vesting on the first 5% of your contributions, plus an additional UMG contribution.
• A variety of ways to prioritize much-needed time away from work including: Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees, 3-weeks PTO for non-exempt employees, 2-weeks paid Winter Break, 10 Company Holidays (including Juneteenth and Wellbeing Day), Summer Fridays (between Memorial Day and Labor Day).

Disclaimer

This job description only provides an overview of job responsibilities that are subject to change. Universal Music Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are an E-Verify employer in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah. Please note, UMG is not enrolled in E-Verify in California and New York, and cannot support employment of candidates whose employer must enroll in E-Verify, for example candidates on STEM-OPT. For more information, please click on the following links.

E-Verify Participation Poster

English / Spanish

E-Verify Right to Work Poster

English | Spanish