Sr. Manager - Merchandising Operations

About the role

The Senior Manager, Merchandising Operations is responsible for strengthening the operating discipline, process governance, and executional effectiveness of TestEquity’s merchandising organization. This role manages key operational workstreams across supplier agreements, long‑tail supplier and SKU administration, and domestic sourcing activity. It establishes proactive and consistent processes for capturing supplier‑funded value—including rebates, marketing development funds (MDF), payment terms, and other commercial commitments—while overseeing the long‑tail supplier and SKU portfolio to improve governance, simplify execution, and align with merchandising priorities. The role also leads domestic sourcing and builds the process foundation for potential future international sourcing, partnering closely with Merchandising, Product Information, Pricing, Finance, Legal, Sales, Operations, and Supply Chain to improve accountability, portfolio scalability, margin performance, working capital outcomes, and speed of execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead merchandising operations workstreams related to supplier agreements, documentation, contract tracking, commercial commitments, and cross‑functional execution.
• Establish a more proactive operating cadence for capturing supplier‑funded rebates, marketing development funds (MDF), improved payment terms, freight or operational support, and other value‑creation opportunities.
• Track contract milestones, renewal dates, supplier commitments, funding agreements, and performance obligations; coordinate with Finance, Legal, and Merchandising leaders to ensure timely follow‑through and compliance.
• Oversee the administration and governance of long‑tail supplier relationships and associated SKUs, ensuring clear ownership, consistent communication, and disciplined execution across lower‑volume or lower‑priority supplier segments.
• Evaluate long‑tail supplier and SKU performance to identify opportunities for rationalization, consolidation, margin improvement, supplier transition, or operational simplification, and recommend actions to merchandising leadership.
• Lead domestic sourcing activities to identify, evaluate, onboard, and transition suppliers that improve product availability, margin, service levels, quality, lead times, or category coverage.
• Build repeatable merchandising operations and sourcing processes, supplier evaluation criteria, documentation standards, and decision frameworks that can support future expansion into international sourcing responsibilities.
• Partner with Product Information, Pricing, Category Management, Sales, Operations, and Supply Chain teams to ensure suppliers and long‑tail SKUs are properly set up, governed, priced, communicated, and measured.
• Maintain operational dashboards, reporting routines, and action plans that provide visibility to contract status, supplier‑funded commitments, long‑tail portfolio performance, sourcing pipeline activity, and execution risks.
• Identify merchandising process gaps, supplier compliance issues, workflow inefficiencies, and execution risks; recommend improvements that increase accountability, scalability, profitability, and speed of execution.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management to support the business.

Span and Scope

• Direct Reports: Sourcing Specialists, Supplier Contract Administration resources, Merchandising Operations Analysts, or Merchandising Coordinators as the function scales.
• Leadership Responsibility: Lead merchandising operations processes across supplier agreement administration, long‑tail supplier and SKU governance, domestic sourcing execution, reporting, and cross‑functional follow‑through.
• Decision‑Making Authority: Recommend operating process improvements, supplier commercial terms, rebate and MDF targets, payment term improvements, sourcing priorities, long‑tail supplier actions, SKU rationalization opportunities, and supplier transition plans; partner with senior leadership, Finance, Legal, and category teams on approval and execution.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Merchandising, Finance, Operations, or related field preferred; equivalent experience may be considered.
• 5‑7 years of experience in merchandising operations, supplier management, sourcing, procurement, supply chain, category management, or related commercial operations roles.
• Experience supporting supplier agreements, rebates, MDF, payment terms, sourcing activity, SKU governance, or related merchandising operations processes strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage operational processes, analyze SKU or portfolio data, lead cross‑functional projects, and build scalable governance routines.

Physical Requirements

Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards.

Work Authorization

This position requires applicants to be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship; the company does not sponsor work visas.