Senior Director, Merchandising

Sally Beauty

. Provide senior leadership for merchant teams and set direction across category strategies, business priorities, and financial goals .

Posted 9/30/2026full-timePlano • Texas • United StatesSeniorWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates strong leadership in retail merchandising, with a focus on developing teams and driving category strategies that align with financial goals. Proficient in managing business performance through data analysis, vendor partnerships, and cross-functional collaboration.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Leadership ExperienceRetail MerchandisingCategory Strategy DevelopmentFinancial AcumenCross-Functional Collaboration

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Assortment PlanningOpen-To-Buy ManagementInventory ProductivitySales AnalysisProduct Lifecycle Management

Soft Skills

Communication SkillsInfluencing SkillsTeam Development

Tools & Technologies

Microsoft OfficeExcelPIMSmartsheetMerchandising Systems

Industry Keywords

Retail Buying ProcessesCategory ManagementVendor PartnershipsBranded DevelopmentPrivate Label Development

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Provide senior leadership for merchant teams and set direction across category strategies, business priorities, and financial goals
Develop merchant leaders, strengthen team capability, remove barriers, and build a high-performing culture
Set strategic direction for customer-focused assortments and category plans across assigned areas
Translate customer needs, market trends, competitive insights, financial targets, and growth opportunities into differentiated assortments
Lead cross-functional alignment with Planning & Allocation, Marketing, Ecommerce, Store Operations, Merch Finance, Product Development, Visual Merchandising, and vendors
Manage business performance across sales, margin, inventory health, turns, open-to-buy, and SKU productivity
Identify emerging trends, customer needs, assortment white space, and growth opportunities
Guide vendor and brand partnerships supporting innovation, exclusivity, cost and margin improvement, supply continuity, education, and promotional support
Partner with Merch Finance and Planning & Allocation on open-to-buy, receipt planning, budgeting, forecasting, and financial deliverables
Lead process improvements and special projects that strengthen execution and simplify ways of working

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor's degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, Supply Chain, or related field preferred
2+ years of progressive experience in retail merchandising, buying, category management, product development, or related retail environment preferred
7+ years of leadership experience, including leading merchant teams and developing merchant leaders
Proven ability to set assortment and category strategy across a broad scope of business, with accountability for sales, margin, inventory productivity, open-to-buy, and category growth
Strong understanding of retail buying processes, including assortment planning, open-to-buy, receipt planning, pricing, promotions, product lifecycle management, vendor partnerships, and branded/private label development
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, process improvements, and special projects
Strong financial acumen and ability to use data, customer insights, and performance trends to guide business decisions
Strong leadership, communication, and influencing skills
Proficient in Microsoft Office with strong Excel skills
Experience with PIM, Smartsheet, open-to-buy tools, and merchandising systems preferred

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Life insurance
Paid vacation days
Paid sick days
Paid holidays
Tuition reimbursement
401(k) with company match
In-house salon with complimentary services
Varied selection of food options at the corporate campus
Sally Beauty and CosmoProf Professional onsite stores
Great merchandise discount