Director of Merchandising

Job description

Support Office

6752 Shady Oak Road

Eden Prairie, MN 55344, USA

Support Office

6752 Shady Oak Road

Eden Prairie, MN 55344, USA

The Director of Merchandising owns the end-to-end sourcing and buying strategy — from vendor identification and negotiation through assortment planning, pricing, and inventory performance. This role sits at the intersection of supply, demand, and margin: you help decide what we buy, who we buy it from, what we pay, and how much we carry.

This is a full-time, in-office, player-coach leadership role reporting to the VP of Purchasing. You will manage and develop a team of buying and sourcing professionals, own the category budget and annual plan, build the analytics and KPI framework the team is measured against, and lead cross-functional projects from scope through launch.

The right person is equally comfortable building a cost model in a spreadsheet, negotiating annual terms across the table, running a weekly performance review with a direct report, and presenting a budget variance to the executive team.

Come work with us, not for us!

2nd Swing is a one of a kind, forward thinking, customer-centric golf retail company. Our employees are highly-valued, while working hard in a positive and supportive culture. At 2nd Swing you will find:

Vast Exposure to the Golf Industry

A Commitment to Total Well-Being

Opportunities to Discover Your Fit and Make an Impact

A Collaborative and Flexible Environment

Responsibilities:

Lead, coach, and develop a team of buying and sourcing professionals

Establish the team's KPI framework — set targets, define measurementmethodology, and build the scorecards and dashboards that make performance visible

Budget, Planning & Analytics

Own the annual category budget — revenue, gross margin, inventory investment, and cost-savings targets — and manage performance against it throughout the year

Build andmaintainthe open-to-buy plan by category, aligned to sales forecasts and financial targets; reforecast monthly and quarterly as demand, supply, and cost conditions shift

Design andmaintainthe reporting infrastructure the team runs on: category dashboards, vendor scorecards, sell-through and margin reporting, and cost-savings tracking

Translate analysis into recommendations —identifythe trend,sizethe opportunity or risk, and bring a decision-ready point of view to leadership

Identify, negotiate, and onboard new suppliers;maintaina diversified vendor base that balances cost, quality, lead time, and risk

Monitor supplier performance against scorecard metrics (fill rate, on-time delivery, defect rate, chargebacks) and drive corrective action where needed

Proactively manage supply risk — single-source exposure, tariff and duty changes, capacity constraints, and lead-time volatility

Develop assortment strategy: good/better/best structure, price-point architecture, breadth vs. depth, and exclusive or private-label opportunities

Set pricing, markdown, and clearance strategy with Finance and Merchandising, and execute cost-savings initiatives against target

Analyze sell-through, attach rates, and category trends to inform reorders, expansions, and discontinuations; partner with Merchandising and Marketing on launches and promotional calendars

Manage inventory to balance in-stock service targets against carrying cost and aged-inventory exposure; partner with Distribution and Store Operations on allocation, replenishment, and new-store opening buys

Process & Project Execution

Break complex initiatives into workstreams with named owners, dependencies, and milestone dates; elevate blockers before they become delays

Drive process improvement across the buying function — reduce manual work, tighten cycle times, improve PO accuracy, lead-time reliability, and data integrity at the source

Identifywhere processes and systems are breaking down, then partner with Development and Operations to scope, prioritize, and see fixes through to implementation and adoption

Maintain project documentation and standardized playbooks so repeatable work becomes repeatable, not reinvented

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Merchandising, Finance, or a related fieldrequired

7+ years in buying, sourcing, or category management, including 3+ years managing a team

Demonstrated ownership of a category budget or P&L — annual planning, forecasting, and variance management

Track recordof building KPIs and scorecards and using them to drive accountability and measurable improvement

Success negotiating supplier agreements and delivering measurable cost savings or margin improvement

Strong analytical skills — advanced Excel, comfort with large data sets — and experience with ERP orpurchasingsystems (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Dynamics)

Proven project management capability, leading multi-stakeholder initiatives from scope through delivery

Active, knowledgeable golfer who understands the major OEM brands and what separates one club from another;we'llteachtheindustrymechanics to the right buyer

Preferred Qualifications:

Golf industry experience — buying, merchandising, or fitting at a retailer, OEM, green-grass shop, or distributor

Pre-owned, trade-in, or recommerce sourcing and grading

Retail, e-commerce, or omnichannel background — or another enthusiast hard-goods category where productexpertisedrives the sale

Experience using BI and planning tools

Physical Requirements:

This is a full-time, in-office role — on-site at our corporate office; remote and hybrid arrangements are not available

Regular use of a computer and phone in an office setting

Ability to thrive in a very fast-paced, constantly changing environment where priorities shift and decisions are made with incomplete information

Occasional time in warehouse, distribution center, or retail store environments

Domestic travel up to 25%, including some overnight and weekend travel for trade shows and vendor visits

Employee Programs

Paid Time Off and Holidays

401k with eligible company match

Health Insurance

HSA/FSA options

Discounted Merchandise

Continued Training and Development

Work Life Balance

Compensation:

Annual Salary of $110,000 - $160,000 depending on qualifications

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

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Worksite address

eden prairie, MN, 55344, US

Who can apply

Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.