Marketing / Merchandising Manager

Corvest, a leading wholesale supplier to the promotional products and specialty retail markets is in search of a highly organized and detail oriented Merchandising Manager to join their marketing team. The ideal candidate will be a self-directed, creative and analytical thinker with a solid understanding of the promotional products industry as well as strong sales, project management and organizational skills.

Job Description:
The position is responsible for merchandising, product planning and marketing for our specialty retail division. This includes supporting the new product development process from an analytical and tactical level; and working collaboratively with creative services and product management to develop and execute the full range of integrated marketing communication deliverables including: trade advertising, promotional materials, product collateral & catalogs, Web sites, tradeshows, PR and corporate communications.

The top priorities of this position will be as follows:

MARKETING/MERCHANDISING FUNCTIONS:

• Analyze competitive product/service offerings and develop plans to beat competition
• Integrate products into a coherent portfolio focused on addressing market problems
• Support new product launch initiatives by estimating market segment size, expected competitive pressure, growth forecast, selling price, sales volume and profitability; lead training for sales and customer service teams; identify potential sources of supply and negotiate price, rebate, catalog allowance and terms
• Monitor & analyze product sales trends, profitability and lifecycle; work with sales, creative services and purchasing to ensure forecasts, promotions and purchases are based on seasonality and align with merchandising strategy
• Work with IT to measure effectiveness of marketing programs; evaluate monthly spending against plan and recommend changes as needed throughout the year
• Work with creative services to ensure all marketing communication deliverables align with merchandising strategy and are implemented on time and within budget
• Work with marketing coordinator to update marketing calendar / budget tracking spreadsheet, processing invoices for approval and payment as projects are added, deleted or completed

• Ensure internal systems are kept up-to-date when trademark and/or artwork changes are made by licensors.
• Ensure orders are being fulfilled with correct artwork for each license.
• Perform art and product audits on our licensed products.
• Ensure all license agreements are kept up-to-date and all royalty payments are made in a timely fashion

Required experience and knowledge

• Education: BA/BS in related field (Marketing, Business Administration, etc.)
• Experience: 3-5 years marketing or merchandising experience (Promotional Products and/or Collegiate Licensing experience desired, but not required)

Skills:

• Strong sales mechanics and business acumen
• Self starter with a strong sense of commitment; highly motivated, decisive and accountable.
• Project Management: Ability to plan and manage projects from start to finish including coordinating activities across multiple functional groups. Ability to manage and work collaboratively in taskforce teams. Proven ability to manage budget and proactively identify opportunities/issues.
• Analysis: Ability to translate information from disparate sources into program implications and recommendations.
• Consumer Savvy: Proven success translating consumer needs into programs.
• Problem Solving: Proven success in creative thinking and problem solving.
• Computer: Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook); ability to quickly learn and adapt to unfamiliar computer programs / systems to assist in job responsibilities
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills; proven ability to influence cross-functional teams without formal authority

PLEASE SEND RESUME ALONG WITH SALARY REQUIREMENTS TO: jobs@corvest.com.