Director Merchandising, Brand Building & Strategic Platforms

Director Merchandising, Brand Building & Strategic Platforms

Join to apply for the Director Merchandising, Brand Building & Strategic Platforms role at Ulta Beauty

Director Merchandising, Brand Building & Strategic Platforms

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Join to apply for the Director Merchandising, Brand Building & Strategic Platforms role at Ulta Beauty

Discover greater levels of performance. With over 1,300 stores throughout the U.S. and an innovative omni-channel ecosystem, Ulta Beauty is revolutionizing the beauty retail experience. Ulta Beauty is expanding its digital capabilities, opening new stores on a continual basis and re-designing existing locations with the latest design and technological advancements for heightened guest experiences. We’re not just growing, we’re thriving through consistent innovation and a bold commitment to re-imagination. If you want the opportunity to build something strategic, to take ownership of your career trajectory, to apply your passion to operational excellence, Ulta Beauty provides the kind of stability and support few organizations can match. So be curious. Be flexible. Be more than you thought possible. The future is yours at Ulta Beauty.

THE IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE:

The Director, Brand Building and Strategic Platforms is responsible for leading innovation within our merchandise assortments and driving key enterprise strategic initiatives. This leader is very influential and owns a strong voice of Ulta Beauty in the industry as they interact with brands and investor communities, identifying emerging trends and/or brands and on-boarding new brand partners to Ulta Beauty. This leader partners with Brand CEOs/Brand Founders to continue early-stage brand growth, including brand building, product innovation and retail readiness. This leader will also have an impact on Ulta Beauty’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commitments through the curation of diverse assortments, amplifying and growing BIPOC owned and founded brands and leading the MUSE Accelerator Program.

The Director, Brand Building and Strategic Platforms will continue to evolve our Brand Building work (Sparked, Project Ignite), DE&I strategies and create processes to on-board, develop and incubate brands across all core merchandising categories, continuing to differentiate our assortment. This leader will partner with Merchandising Leadership to create a strategy and approach that identifies, selects, and supports brands that ladder up to our strategic pillars and delight our guests. This role requires a high involvement and collaboration with the Chief Merchandising Officer, Merchandising Leadership Team, Marketing, Digital, Corporate Strategy and Legal, ensuring priorities are integrated and aligned with the goals of Ulta Beauty. This role will lead a team focused on partnering with the core merchandising teams in developing a pipeline of brands which will be integrated into a core category at a point in time.

CORE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leads overall strategy for two strategic merchandising initiatives; new and emerging brand-building efforts; and any other cross-category special projects; all in collaboration and alignment with broader Merchandising leadership, Chief Merchandising Officer, Corporate Strategy, Legal and Investors. Key responsibilities include:

• Sparked Strategy: Set the overall Sparked Strategy, continuing to differentiate our assortment for guests. Lead a team dedicated to scouting, onboarding, and launching new brands across all major channels at Ulta Beauty
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Set the overall vision of growth for black owned + founded brands, ensuring inclusive assortments, and providing supportive ecosystems to BIPOC partners as we grow our BIPOC owned and founded brands towards the 15% Pledge. Lead Muse Accelerator Program, a 10-week dedicated program focused on early-stage BIPOC brands
• New Brand Identification and Onboarding: Leads team accountable for scouting and securing new brands that offer distinct points of differentiation or capitalization on emerging trends. Partners with Brand Founders/Brand CEO’s and internal merchandising, marketing, and digital partners to navigate operating processes for a successful launch and partnership across all major channels (in-store, digital, omni)
• Brand Building, Incubation and Education: Get in the kitchen with high potential, emerging brands to drive growth for their brand and Ulta Beauty; cultivates a culture of brand building through inspiring and educating core-category merchandising team
• Core-Category Merchandising Partnership: Collaborates with core category merchandising team, providing education on trends/newness, and identifying key assortment gaps. Prepares newly launched brands for migration into core categories. Also leads Beauty Finds and Special Projects such as Project Candy Store
• Ulta Beauty Voice (to Industry): Represent Ulta Beauty on panels, in media and as needed for mentorship/judging various brand accelerators
• Financial Success: Accountable for driving YOY financial improvement of Ulta brand launches creating long term sales relationships, measure and establish success standards
• Marketing: Develop unique marketing strategies to grow awareness that supports both strategic merchandising platforms and priority brands with an emphasis on digital and email
• Trends and Analysis: Keeps current with cultural, technological and market trends to inform strategic and creative direction; proactively assesses and monitors the competitive landscape and marketplace to determine potential opportunities or threats and develop strategies to address
• Negotiation: Develop launch strategies and assist team with new business and brand opportunities to support Ulta's profit growth and competitive edge
• Lead your Team: Lead, coach and develop their direct and cross-functional team to achieve financial objectives and prepare them for success and broader responsibilities
• Collaborate with Stakeholders: Balance competing interests and needs across the organization to arrive at a clear vision, communicating effectively and aligning various partners.

THE ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESS:

• Minimum of 12+ years of progressive merchandising experience; demonstrated success of combining creative and strategic initiatives with well-grounded operational practices, delivering financial results across a large, multi-classification/multi-brand business
• Credible merchant leader in the industry with a track-record of managing successful vendor relationships, initiating new brand launches (including exclusivity, marketing and promotion), building powerful brand relationships and driving customer loyalty
• Subject Matter Expert (SME) with a well-developed understanding of beauty brands, assortments, and trends across all core categories (haircare, skincare, makeup, fragrance, bath and body, etc.)
• Proven experience with negotiation, demonstrated success in strong communication, interpersonal skills, problem solving and decision-making ability to quickly influence, establish relationships, gain credibility, trust and senior executives and brand partners
• Minimum of 5+ years leading a team with a strong focus on team member growth and development that reinforces company culture and long-term growth
• Passion for the beauty industry and innovation, and ability to lead team and cross-functional partners through continuous improvement and change management
• High emotional intelligence and ability to style-flex your approach based on the needs of the brands, internal and external stakeholders
• Financially savvy and analytical, ability to gather, understand and analyze data and performance metrics essential to building a business/category within the growing and constantly changing beauty landscape
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office. Knowledge of SAP and SAP Hana a plus

ABOUT

At Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA), the possibilities are beautiful . Ulta Beauty is the largest North American beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services. We bring possibilities to life through the power of beauty each and every day in our stores and online with more than 25,000 products from approximately 500 well-established and emerging beauty brands across all categories and price points, including Ulta Beauty’s own private label. Ulta Beauty also offers a full-service salon in every store featuring—hair, skin, brow, and make-up services.

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest records, conviction records, or other criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of any applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York City Fair Chance Act.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Strategy/Planning and Business Development

• Industries

  Retail and Consumer Services

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Chicago, IL $180,000.00-$210,000.00 1 week ago