Skills & Competencies for Merchandising Director

Merchandising Director job profile

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JOB SUMMARY for Merchandising Director

Directs and develops merchandising plans and operational systems to achieve financial objectives.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for Merchandising Director

Utilizes sales, research, and trend analytics to develop strategies for merchandise categories and optimize product assortments. Develops merchandise plans and pricing that support key strategic initiatives, launches, top sellers, seasonal campaigns, and trends. Partners across functions to manage vendor relationships, identify new vendors, and negotiate favorable contract terms.

Merchandising Director SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$194,249
TOTAL 50%
$225,382
Job Level
M04
Job Code
SM15000256
Education/Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Reports To
Top Management

Merchandising Director Skills and Competencies List

Proficiency Levels and Behavioural Indicators
Salary.com identifies five increasing levels of proficiency for each skill/competency. Some jobs require only a relatively low level of proficiency in each skill/competency, while other jobs will require a more advanced level of proficiency in the same skill/competency. These levels rate the degree of proficiency (skill level, expertise) we expect the incumbent to perform in the given skill/competency for the given job. Note that we intentionally do not associate timeframes or years of experience in performing the skill/competency because that can be misleading. Proficiency levels identify what the incumbent knows and can do rather than how long they have been doing it. Also, note that the proficiency levels are cumulative, e.g., a level 4 proficiency implies the ability to perform all the behaviors at the lower levels.
Check each Merchandising Director skill and competencie below to view definitions.
INDUSTRY COMPETENCIES JOB FAMILY COMPETENCIES CORE COMPETENCIES
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6 hard skills or competencies (industry competencies) for Merchandising Director

1 Industry Competency – Retail Industry
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Applying comprehensive knowledge of retail principles, inventory management, pricing strategies, and consumer behavior to effectively manage and operate retail businesses.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Names commonly used tools and systems for processing transactions and managing retail inventory levels.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Supports the implementation of standard procedures and store protocols to ensure smooth retail operations.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Works closely with merchandising teams to create visually appealing displays and maximize product visibility.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Supervises the team in conducting market analysis and competitor research to gain a competitive advantage.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Promotes the use of e-commerce platforms and retail channels to drive online sales and customer engagement.
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2 Industry Competency – Retail Strategy Management
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Developing and implementing retail strategies, to support the strategic decisions and actions that effectively enhance the sales and growth of an organization.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains how managing retail strategy correctly can improve brand awareness and increase sales.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Documents insights of retail campaigns for strategists to manage and analyze.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Communicates the retail and promotional strategies to store staff to promote the correct visual merchandising.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Leverages online platforms to manage and improve our retail operations and optimize our online presence.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Builds scalable and manageable retail strategies and platforms to compete with online giants.
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3 Merchandising Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandising Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandising Director
Proficiency Level - 5

5 general skills or competencies (Job family competencies) for Merchandising Director

1 Job Family Competencies – Digital Marketing Strategy
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Researching, planning, implementing, and evaluating digital marketing activities to reach target audiences and achieve business goals.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Identifies market segmentation techniques, such as demographic and psychographic segmentation.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Develops compelling and engaging content for various distribution channels.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Communicates the digital marketing plan, including roles, responsibilities and expectations, to relevant personnel.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Closely monitors and assesses customer traffic and conversion rates.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Defines and sets clear and measurable goals for the digital marketing strategy.
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2 Job Family Competencies – Marketing Operations
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Designing, executing, and optimizing systems, tools, and processes to ensure the smooth and efficient operations of marketing activities.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Discusses different types of marketing operations within an organization.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Compiles questionnaires, polls, surveys, and other data collection resources.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Manages analytics dashboards to measure the performance of our marketing channels.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Formulates innovative solutions to address needs across key marketing operations initiatives.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Creates marketing plans to ensure campaigns meet standard processes and quality standards.
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3 Merchandising Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandising Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandising Director
Proficiency Level - 5

13 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for Merchandising Director

1 Core Competencies – Business Acumen
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Insight into our organization's business, goals, and values. Ability to design and implement initiatives that facilitate successful outcomes.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Describes the market conditions that impact the business.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Collects and compiles competitor information for competitive analysis.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Communicates financial insights that positively influence the business plan development process.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates and explains the financial aspects of a business initiative to different teams.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Champions organizational change and digital transformation to drive higher business performance.
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2 Core Competencies – Business Performance Management
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Applying business intelligence to monitor and manage overall business performance towards goals.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Cites the processes involved in business performance management.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Enters performance-related data into the performance management dashboard.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Deploys business performance management solutions across the entire organization.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates the performance of staff and departments to make strategic decisions about production modifications.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Designs applications and systems that house performance data.
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3 Merchandising Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandising Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandising Director
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of Merchandising Director skills and competencies

There are 6 hard skills for Merchandising Director, Retail Industry, Retail Strategy Management, Merchandising, etc.
5 general skills for Merchandising Director, Digital Marketing Strategy, Marketing Operations, Promotion, etc.
13 soft skills for Merchandising Director, Business Acumen, Business Performance Management, Budgeting, etc.
While the list totals 24 distinct skills, it's important to note that not all are required to be mastered to the same degree. Some skills may only need a basic understanding, whereas others demand a higher level of expertise.
For instance, as a Merchandising Director, he or she needs to be skilled in Business Acumen, be skilled in Business Performance Management, and be skilled in Budgeting.

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