Merchant

About the position

Balsam Brands is seeking a passionate and strategic merchandising professional to join as a Merchant. This role involves defining and executing product assortment plans for key merchandising categories, driving sales and margin growth across a multi-channel platform. The Merchant will collaborate with cross-functional teams to shape the product strategy and ensure the delivery of exceptional products that bring joy to customers. This full-time position operates in a hybrid model from the Burlingame and Redwood City offices and reports to the VP of Merchandising for Growth and Strategy.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute product assortment plans for key merchandising categories.
• Monitor competitor assortment offerings and capture emerging trends.
• Brief and execute needs for seasonal product direction and category opportunities.
• Maintain assortment plans and recommend SKU development and growth/decline categories.
• Create assortments recommendations by channel based on customer needs.
• Own key merchandising categories and support financial performance.
• Monitor multi-channel performance with rigorous analytics.
• Partner with Inventory Planning to optimize profitability.
• Provide seasonal assortment plans maximizing sales, profits, and budget (OTB).
• Travel to trade shows and vendors to source products and identify opportunities.
• Build constructive relationships across departments and ensure processes are followed.

Requirements

• 5+ years of buying/merchandising experience in home or seasonal décor preferred.
• Strong understanding of catalog, web-based consumer behavior, and omnichannel retail principles.
• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Experience in private label development and brand positioning.
• Proven track record in buying, team collaboration, and project management.
• Strong retail math and analytical skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
• Deadline-driven and results-oriented.
• Flexible/adaptable with a 'startup' mindset.
• Strong business ownership and decision-making skills.
• Ability to build effective relationships across departments.
• Creative problem-solving capabilities.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation, including a cash-based incentive plan.
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage, with 100% of monthly premiums covered for team members.
• Up to $2,000 annual funding toward HSA accounts.
• Generous parental leave program and flexible return options.
• Company-paid life and AD&D insurance.
• Company-paid short and long-term disability insurance.
• 401(k) with dollar-for-dollar company match up to $4,000 per calendar year.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and other mental health and wellness perks.
• Paid holidays, annual shutdown week, PTO, and volunteer time-off (VTO) packages.
• Paid 5-week sabbatical leave after 10 years of employment.
• Annual continuous learning benefit up to $1,000 per person, per fiscal year.
• Up to $300 flexible reimbursement to support setup of new team member's work-from-home environment.
• Generous team member merchandise discount.