VP, Merchandising

New York, NY

WHO WE’RE SNIFFING FOR

The VP Merchandising is responsible for delivering happiness to millions of pups and pup parents every day. In this senior role, you will manage Merchandising teams who are responsible for; (1) working closely with cross functional teams to develop and streamline a product portfolio to support omni-channel sales that will continue to engage and delight our customers, (2) curate product strategies and lead strategic initiatives to support quality, safety, customer experience, and revenue goals, (3) have a deep understanding of the demand forecasts across all sales channels and be accountable for the decisions made from that forecast, (4) work closely with creative and design teams to develop and execute new products, concepts, events, and strategies that will exceed customer expectations of our customers, (5) responsible for al product financial performance.

In this role, you will lead and develop a team of experts who are analytical, responsible for the development of product portfolios across multiple categories, report sales trends at SKU or service level, and make decisions quickly based on accurate data. In this role, you will also partner with Human Resources to attract, hire, and develop talent to build a strong organization and culture that align with the BARK values. To be successful in this role, you must obsess over strategy, leadership, and products that excite customers, while being ready to challenge business plans, operations, and partners. You are an analytical person who thrives operating in a fast-paced, goals-oriented company where everyone is responsible for delivering results. And you like dogs. A lot.

KEY DUTIES

Define and maintain the vision for the merchandising team, Lead team in developing new product assortment and concepts that will surprise and delight customers in our own BARK way, while ensuring resources are allocated efficiently and effectively.
Develop strategic short and long-term business plans to meet or exceed BARK company goals. Accountable for delivering on demand, margin %, and margin dollars.
Support fiscal discipline through adherence to and reconciliation of Merchandise Financial Plans; pricing effectively for in-season inventory management and pre-season guardrails
Analyze assortment health, identifying sales opportunities and diagnose inventory liabilities partnering with Planning and Inventory Management teams
Lead development of division specific event calendar to optimize division demand and margin, ensure new, fresh styles and events on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis..
Lead and develop direct reports through one-on-one and staff meetings to address developmental opportunities and provide direction on open initiatives. Motivate, coach, and inspire to drive for results both within the team and cross-functionally by connecting how each team’s work ties to organizational goals.
Have a strong executive presence, and should be able to represent merchandising at BARK Leadership meetings, as well as external forums

EXPERIENCE

Minimum 15 years buying or retail merchandising experience in the merchandising industry; with 10 years at the management level
eCommerce and Retail Merchandising experience with managing and supporting a high-sales volume category (high SKU count, heavy seasonality, high revenue ($500M+)) preferred
Experience negotiating buying terms with vendors (price, quantity, delivery/ payment terms)
Experience in Planning, purchasing and financial accountability preferred

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

Strong understanding of merchandising financials and the ability to manage profitability
Proficient in MS Excel, and good analytical skills, with statistical background preferred

This position is a full-time salaried, exempt position. It is located on-site at our office in New York City. We offer health insurance for both you and your pup, 401k, wonderful team lunches, cold brew on tap, and a dog to pet anytime you wish.

Please Note: BARK requires all employees or guests entering our space to provide proof of up to date covid-19 vaccinations. Exemption and/or accommodation requests will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

FOR NJ/NY BASED APPLICANTS:

The base salary range for this position is $201,000- $250,000
This position is eligible for equity
This role is eligible to participate in the Management Incentive Plan
To learn more about the perks and benefits offered with this position, please check out our Benefits page here

This compensation range is based on BARKs good faith estimate as of the date of this posting and may be modified in the future. Actual pay for this position will depend on a variety of variables including location, travel, internal equity, experience, education, skills and expertise.