Director – Digital Operations and Merchandising

The Director, Digital Operations and Merchandising is responsible for driving the digital strategy, ensuring seamless e-commerce operations, and maximizing product visibility and sales through effective digital merchandising. The Director, Digital Operations and Merchandising demands a deep understanding of consumer goods, online customer behavior, and market trends to deliver exceptional customer experiences and grow online revenue. The Director, Digital Operations and Merchandising will manage day-to-day operations, oversee digital merchandising strategies, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment across marketing, supply chain, and IT.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Digital Strategy and E-commerce Operations:
• Lead the development and execution of the digital operations strategy for the consumer goods business, aligning with broader business objectives.
• Manage the performance of the e-commerce platform, ensuring optimal site speed, functionality, and user experience to drive customer engagement and sales.
• Oversee order management, fulfillment processes, and customer service operations to ensure smooth, timely, and cost-effective delivery of consumer goods.
• Collaborate with IT and technical teams to resolve system issues and integrate new digital tools or functionalities that enhance online operations.
2. Digital Merchandising and Product Management:
• Define and execute digital merchandising strategies to enhance product visibility and drive conversions, focusing on product assortment, pricing, and promotions.
• Utilize consumer insights, market data, and sales analytics to continuously improve product positioning and merchandising strategies.
• Manage product content (descriptions, images, reviews) to ensure accuracy, quality, and consistency across digital platforms.
• Coordinate with inventory and supply chain teams to maintain real-time visibility into stock levels and avoid stockouts or overstock scenarios.
3. Consumer Experience and Engagement:
• Ensure a frictionless customer journey from product discovery to checkout, optimizing for mobile and desktop user experiences.
• Leverage personalization and data-driven insights to deliver targeted product recommendations, cross-selling, and upselling opportunities.
• Partner with customer service teams to resolve online customer inquiries, complaints, and returns efficiently, improving overall customer satisfaction.
• Monitor and improve site search functionalities, category navigation, and filtering options to help customers find products easily.
4. Seasonal Planning and Promotional Strategy:
• Lead the planning and execution of seasonal merchandising strategies, ensuring product launches, promotions, and discounts align with consumer trends and market demand.
• Collaborate with the marketing team to integrate merchandising strategies into broader digital marketing campaigns, including paid search, SEO, email, and social media.
• Develop and execute pricing strategies that align with competitors, market trends, and profit margin targets.
5. Cross-functional Leadership and Team Management:
• Work closely with cross-functional teams such as marketing, supply chain, and finance to ensure product availability, pricing accuracy, and alignment on promotional activities.
• Lead a team of digital merchandisers and e-commerce operations professionals, providing strategic direction and development opportunities.
• Drive collaboration with IT to ensure the proper functioning of digital tools and platforms that support online merchandising and operations.
6. Financial Performance and Analytics:
• Own the P&L for digital operations and merchandising within the consumer goods division, ensuring profitable growth.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as sales, conversion rates, average order value, and cart abandonment rates, and take corrective action as needed.
• Manage budgets related to digital operations and merchandising, including staffing, platform investments, and marketing spend.
• Produce reports and insights for senior leadership on the performance of digital channels, product categories, and merchandising strategies.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Digital Commerce, or a related field; MBA preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in e-commerce, merchandising, or digital operations within the consumer goods industry, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Strong understanding of consumer goods markets, trends, and product life cycles.
• Experience with digital merchandising platforms, e-commerce systems (e.g., Shopify, Salesforce Commerce Cloud), and content management systems.
• Proven track record of driving e-commerce sales through effective digital merchandising and operational management.
• Strong leadership and collaboration skills, with experience managing cross-functional teams in a matrix environment.

Skills:

• E-commerce platform expertise and merchandising tools
• Knowledge of consumer behavior analytics, customer segmentation, and data-driven personalization
• Experience with multi-channel sales strategies (direct-to-consumer, third-party platforms, wholesale, etc.)
• Proficiency in web analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics)
• Knowledge of supply chain logistics and inventory management for consumer goods
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously