Skills & Competencies for Merchandising Senior Director

Merchandising Senior Director job profile

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JOB SUMMARY for Merchandising Senior Director

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

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for Merchandising Senior 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 Senior Director SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$273,829
TOTAL 50%
$324,539
Job Level
M05
Job Code
SM15000477
Education/Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Reports To
Top Management

Merchandising Senior 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 Senior Director skill and competencie below to view definitions.
INDUSTRY COMPETENCIES JOB FAMILY COMPETENCIES CORE COMPETENCIES
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5 hard skills or competencies (industry competencies) for Merchandising Senior 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)
Identifies and explains the characteristics and key features of various retail business models.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Identifies and explains major operational issues and considerations.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements promotional activities to communicate the features and benefits of new products.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Monitors and optimizes retail operations to enhance productivity and cost-effectiveness.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Explores the historical and future positioning of the organization in light of prevailing retail trends.
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2 Industry Competency – Retail Strategy Management
Proficiency Level -3
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)
Lists the advantages and disadvantages of managing retail strategy, including sales, growth, and customer retention.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Supports the advertising team in aligning their campaigns with our overall retail strategies.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Reviews the existing retail strategies to make necessary adjustments based on market dynamics.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Oversees retail marketing and strategic planning and management to reach the target customers.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the effectiveness and management of the retail strategy.
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3 Merchandising Senior Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandising Senior Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandising Senior Director
Proficiency Level - 5

5 general skills or competencies (Job family competencies) for Merchandising Senior 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)
Outlines the key steps in conducting market research to identify target audiences and competitors.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Researches the preferences, behaviors, and trends of the target market.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Identifies internal and external factors that may impact digital marketing activities.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Recommends actionable plan for digital marketing based on comprehensive reviews.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Identifies and embraces new and emerging digital marketing trends and technologies to enhance marketing effectiveness.
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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)
Identifies the techniques used in optimizing our business's marketing operations.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Conducts basic research to support the deployment of our marketing projects.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Partners with other teams in establishing and maintaining marketing operations standards.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Oversees all aspects of marketing operations to ensure increased efficiencies and conversion rates.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops and executes innovative strategies to optimize the costs of our marketing activities.
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3 Merchandising Senior Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandising Senior Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandising Senior Director
Proficiency Level - 5

12 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for Merchandising Senior 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)
Explains our key business strategies and priorities.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Reports and communicates market and competitor status regularly to the management team.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Evaluates supply chain efficiency with an eye toward improving shortcomings.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Leverages the latest technologies and tools that enhance business analytics.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Designs and implements feedback loops to identify and promptly address business problems.
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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)
Lists the key elements of a strategic business performance management system.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Keeps a clear idea of work responsibilities and the standards of work expected of own business unit.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Handles past performance review, business practices evaluation, and potential solutions research.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Monitors a business performance system to manage all financial processes.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Measures the efficiency and success of initiatives by monitoring reports, analytics, and KPIs.
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3 Merchandising Senior Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandising Senior Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandising Senior Director
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of Merchandising Senior Director skills and competencies

There are 5 hard skills for Merchandising Senior Director, Retail Industry, Retail Strategy Management, Merchandising, etc.
5 general skills for Merchandising Senior Director, Digital Marketing Strategy, Marketing Operations, Promotion, etc.
12 soft skills for Merchandising Senior Director, Business Acumen, Business Performance Management, Budgeting, etc.
While the list totals 22 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 Senior 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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