Skills & Competencies for Merchandising Director

Merchandising Director job profile

Book a Demo and Receive a Sample Job Profile

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
BOOK A DEMO

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)
Describes the application of upselling, cross-selling, and closing sales techniques in retail operations.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Conducts research on current and upcoming distribution channels tailored to a specific product category.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Analyzes consumer buying patterns and trends to predict product and service demands.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Creates and leverages KPIs to assess the effectiveness of retail sales strategies and promotional methods.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Designs and executes customer segmentation and personalization techniques to deliver tailored marketing promotions.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
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)
Discusses the controllable and uncontrollable variables involved in managing retail strategy.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Collects sales data and patterns to support the management in creating retail strategies to promote sales.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Analyzes customer needs and preferences to align and manage existing retail strategies and programs.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates the success and management of the current retail strategy based on established metrics and sales patterns.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Adopts digital tools and automation to speed up the analysis and management of retail strategies and channels.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
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)
Explains the benefits, limitations, and applications of search engine optimization (SEO).
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in identifying factors that can drive customer traffic, increase engagement, and generate sales.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Calculates and confirms the available budget for digital marketing activities.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Analyzes return on investment (ROI) for paid digital marketing initiatives.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Considers the long-term impact of digital marketing activities on brand visibility and overall business growth.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
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)
Describes the key concepts and components of marketing operations.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists the management in coordinating marketing and operations activities.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Executes data-driven initiatives to maximize the efficiency of marketing campaigns.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates performance metrics to measure the performance of our marketing campaigns and strategies.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Compiles a list of the advantages and disadvantages of marketing strategy.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
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 how our business makes money and our key business objectives.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in designing business models and operating plans.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Applies technical expertise, business sense, and product knowledge to manage the product lifecycle effectively.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Coordinates technical and business teams to solve complex and diverse customer problems.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Builds strong business partnerships internally and externally to drive "win-win" business successes.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
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.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Enters performance-related data into the performance management dashboard.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Deploys business performance management solutions across the entire organization.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates the performance of staff and departments to make strategic decisions about production modifications.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Designs applications and systems that house performance data.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
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.

It's Easy to Get Started

Get the precision you need to assess, hire, and develop top talent with skills and competencies – see how with a personalized demo.