Director of Merchandising

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: Team Leadership & Performance Lead, coach, and develop a team of buying and sourcing professionals Establish the team's KPI framework — set targets, define measurement methodology, 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 and maintain the 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 and maintain the reporting infrastructure the team runs on: category dashboards, vendor scorecards, sell-through and margin reporting, and cost-savings tracking Translate analysis into recommendations — identify the trend, size the opportunity or risk, and bring a decision-ready point of view to leadership Vendor & Supply Management Identify, negotiate, and onboard new suppliers; maintain a 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 Assortment, Pricing & Inventory 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; escalate 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 Identify where 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 field required 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 record of 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 or purchasing systems (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'll teach the industry mechanics 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 product expertise drives 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 Full-Time Benefits: 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 (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.