VP Merchandising, Collision & Mechanical

CarParts.com

. Own end-to-end assortment strategy for the approximately 80,000-SKU Collision Parts catalog .

Posted 9/22/2026full-timeLong Beach • California • United StatesLeadWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates extensive experience in assortment strategy and category management, with a strong focus on P&L ownership and vendor negotiation. Proficient in data analysis and reporting to drive SKU-level performance and inventory decisions.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Assortment Strategy DevelopmentP&L OwnershipVendor NegotiationData Analysis (Excel/Tableau/SQL)Category Management

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Assortment Logic DefinitionSKU Lifecycle ManagementSeasonality PlanningChannel Performance AnalysisLong-Tail Catalog Management

Soft Skills

Clear CommunicationAnalytical ThinkingTeam LeadershipCollaborationHigh Ownership

Industry Keywords

Automotive AftermarketCollision PartsHardlines AssortmentsVendor ManagementDrop-Ship Model

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

SQLTableau

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Own end-to-end assortment strategy for the approximately 80,000-SKU Collision Parts catalog
Define assortment logic by part type, vehicle coverage, and price tier
Build and maintain the long-tail strategy and evaluate assortment expansion or contraction
Own seasonality planning and translate demand swings into buying and inventory decisions
Own buying decisions, vendor relationships, and negotiations in partnership with sourcing/procurement
Partner with Demand Planning/Inventory on purchase quantities, timing, and replenishment cadence
Partner with Pricing on price-point strategy
Build and use reporting to monitor SKU-level velocity, sell-through, margin, and return rate
Diagnose channel-level performance differences and adjust assortment, pricing, or placement
Drive SKU lifecycle management from introduction through rationalization/exit
Set Mechanical Parts category strategy, commercial targets, and assortment governance
Approve Mechanical assortment additions, exits, and scope changes
Co-own Mechanical business governance and partner performance oversight with the VP of Sourcing
Represent Mechanical and Collision performance in regular reporting to the COO and executive team
Own Collision category P&L, budget, forecast, and inventory health
Own Mechanical category P&L outcomes for top-line growth and margin
Lead daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly performance management cadences
Build, lead, and scale the merchandising team
Recruit, coach, and develop category management talent
Partner with the COO, Finance, Marketing, E-commerce/Marketplace, Demand Planning/Inventory, Pricing, Data Science, Catalog, Sourcing, and the CEO's Technical Advisor
Represent both categories in strategic planning, budgeting, and executive reviews

Requirements

What you’ll need

10+ years of progressive merchandising, category management, or buying leadership experience, with direct responsibility for large, complex, hardlines assortments of 40,000+ SKUs
Automotive aftermarket, collision/body parts, or hard-parts experience highly preferred, but not required
Demonstrated experience managing long-tail catalogs with deep fitment/part-number complexity and low-velocity/high-SKU-count assortments
Proven track record building and executing assortment strategy
Strong vendor negotiation and management background
Experience governing a category or vendor relationship through a third-party, drop-ship, VMI, or fully-funded partner model
Experience factoring seasonality into assortment and buying decisions
Comfortable and effective operating at the SKU level
Experience analyzing and acting on channel-level performance differences
P&L ownership experience for a business unit or category of meaningful scale
Advanced proficiency with data and analytics tools (Excel/Tableau/SQL or similar) sufficient to interrogate SKU-level data directly
Strong analytical and strategic thinking
Clear, structured communication skills for explaining complex dynamics to executives and the board
Ability to build new processes, reporting, and team structure
High ownership and urgency
Collaborative cross-functional operating ability