International Merchant I

About the role

Ace International is looking for a highly motivated, analytical merchant to drive category growth across international markets. The International Merchant I develops and executes assortment, pricing, promotional, vendor and category strategies that deliver profitable growth while meeting the needs of retailers and consumers worldwide. Reporting to the International Department Merchandise Manager, the role combines category management, product selection, vendor development, financial analysis and strategic planning.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and execute annual and multi-year category strategies and growth plans, and establish category objectives tracked against sales, profit, margin and productivity goals.
• Build, localize, launch and optimize product assortments, evaluating brand positioning, assortment breadth and SKU productivity, including private label and global brand opportunities.
• Manage supplier relationships, negotiate product costs, commercial terms, promotional funding, marketing programs and distribution rights, and partner with sourcing and merchandising teams.
• Manage category performance across sales, gross profit, margins, cost of goods, pricing and inventory productivity, and build financial recommendations for promotions, imports and growth initiatives.
• Develop promotional programs and coordinate offers, pricing, merchandising plans, catalogs and sales materials with Marketing, Sales and retailers.
• Work with Inventory and Supply Chain teams on forecasting, service levels, inventory management and product flow, and collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Product Data, Compliance and Customer Service.
• Lead category planning for conventions and trade shows, coordinating vendor participation, product presentations, offers and sponsorships, and capturing retailer insights.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, Merchandising, Marketing, Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in merchandising, buying, category management, sourcing, retail or a related function.
• Experience managing product assortments, vendors, pricing, promotions and business performance.
• Ability to travel approximately 10-25% based on business needs.
• Preferred: international business experience, bilingual English and Spanish, and experience in home improvement, hardware, consumer products or related industries.

Required skills

• Strong analytical and financial skills to evaluate sales, margins, profitability, inventory and SKU productivity.
• Negotiation and vendor relationship management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook.
• Preferred: knowledge of business reporting tools and understanding of category planning, assortment optimization, consumer insights, pricing strategy and retail execution.