Director, Merchandising

Circuit of The Americas (COTA) is a 365-entertainment destination for world-class events located in Austin, TX. The sports and entertainment portfolio at COTA is unmatched in the country with Formula 1 US Grand Prix, NASCAR and MotoGP attracting global fans during championship races on the famed Circuit and Live Nation producing over 30 headline concerts every year at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater. Opening in 2025, COTA’s amusement park is a 20-acre theme park featuring two first of their kind Roller Coasters and over three dozen rides.

Job Description:

The Director of Merchandising is responsible for leading the merchandising strategy and execution to drive sales, profitability, and brand positioning. This role oversees product selection, inventory management, pricing strategies, and vendor relationships to ensure a compelling product assortment that meets customer demands. The ideal candidate understands market trends, consumer behavior, and best merchandising practices.

Requirements & Essential Functions:

• Develop and implement merchandising strategies aligned with company goals and market trends.
• Oversee product assortment planning and category management to maximize sales.
• Collaborate with teams to enhance product visibility and customer experience.
• Analyze sales data, market trends, and customer insights to make informed decisions.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with vendors and suppliers
• Negotiate favorable terms and pricing on products with vendors and suppliers
• Lead pricing and promotional strategies to optimize profitability and competitive rates
• Monitor inventory levels, ensuring proper stock allocation and minimizing excess inventory
• Drive innovation in merchandising through emerging trends and customer engagement strategies.
• Develop and manage a budget, including forecasting and financial planning.
• Experience with e-commerce and digital merchandising.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong interpersonal skills; can effectively communicate and relate to all levels within and outside the organization; create and build positive and productive relationships.
• Hires outstanding candidates; has sound judgment in identifying strengths and weaknesses of others.
• Drives the team and the organization for results in order to improve bottom line performance; able to make timely or planned decisions appropriate to the circumstances or situation.
• Ability to make tough decisions, gains input from others and moves decisions forward in the organization.
• Responds quickly and effectively to changing trends and circumstances; embraces change and welcomes fresh perspectives; learns from past mistakes and adjusts accordingly.
• Ability to manage appropriate steps to get projects completed; has strong abilities to organize people and processes; can create a plan for resourceful workflow.
• Can be trusted to act in a manner that is truthful and values direct, honest communication at all levels of the organization.
• Experience with e-commerce and digital merchandising.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, or a related field preferred but not required
• 7 years of experience in merchandising, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Proven track record of driving sales growth and profitability through strategic merchandising initiatives.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in data-driven decision-making and financial planning.
• Excellent leadership and team management abilities.
• Strong negotiation and vendor management skills.
• Experience working with retail strategies
• Proficiency in merchandising software
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.

Physical Demand & Work Environments:

• Ability to stand, sit, use of hands to handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms.
• Ability to lift and/ or move up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to squat, bend, twist, push/pull.
• Ability to stand/walk for long periods.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and distance vision.
• Work in extreme environments outdoors throughout the year.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but can be loud during events.

Salary commensurate with experience.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

COTA strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.