Director of Merchandising

Overview

We are seeking a strategic and commercially savvy Director of Merchandising to establish and lead the merchandising function at Halo as our brand and omnichannel presence rapidly grow. This newly created leadership role is responsible for shaping Halo's long-term assortment strategy by identifying opportunities to expand our product line, enhance our brand identity, and drive incremental business growth. The role emphasizes focus in selecting the right products, categories, partnerships, and channel innovations rather than managing large seasonal assortments.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop Halo's comprehensive omnichannel assortment and merchandising strategy informed by consumer insights, market trends, competitive analysis, and performance data.
• Uncover white space opportunities across new products, categories, accessory lines, services, and related areas.
• Create a concentrated product roadmap where every item addresses a clear consumer need with defined channel roles and commercial objectives.
• Build robust business cases and merchandising briefs for new product and category development.
• Lead merchandising efforts in the Product Development pod from concept through commercialization, collaborating with Product, Operations, Finance, Marketing, Sales, and external partners.
• Manage product life cycles by advising on expansions, updates, repositioning, or discontinuations.
• Drive licensing, collaboration, and partnership initiatives to enhance brand relevance, consumer engagement, and revenue growth.
• Develop exclusive products, unique bundles, special editions, and differentiated assortments for key retail accounts.
• Shape merchandising approaches across direct-to-consumer (DTC), marketplaces, wholesale, and future channels to provide a consistent brand experience.
• Own in-store merchandising strategies such as retail standards, toolkits, point-of-sale materials, and storytelling in partnership with Creative and Brand Marketing teams.
• Analyze sell-through, margins, inventory levels, customer feedback, and market data to uncover opportunities and risks, delivering actionable insights to leadership and stakeholders.
• Coordinate with Demand Planning and Finance on forecasting, financial opportunities, and product launch plans.
• Contribute merchandising insights to pricing and promotions.
• Implement a structured test-and-learn methodology for new products, bundles, exclusives, and retail concepts.
• Lead merchandising activities in go-to-market planning and represent merchandising perspectives in leadership forums.
• Manage and develop the merchandising team and associated processes, tools, and calendars to support scalability.
• Foster a culture emphasizing curiosity, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Over seven years’ experience in merchandising, product strategy, product development, category management, or related commercial roles.
• Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising, Business, Marketing, Product Development, or equivalent practical experience preferred.
• At least two years in team leadership and development.
• Demonstrated success launching and commercializing new products or business divisions.
• Robust omnichannel experience including direct-to-consumer, e-commerce, marketplaces, and wholesale channels.
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally with Product Development, Design, Sourcing, Operations, and external suppliers.
• Strong intuition for product trends, consumer needs, analytical skills, and financial understanding.
• Capability to convert data, market research, and consumer insights into clear, practical action plans.
• Excellent leadership, project management, communication, and presentation skills with ability to navigate multiple organizational levels.
• Proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets, PowerPoint/Google Slides; BI tools such as Looker or Tableau are advantageous.
• Experience in licensing, exclusive collaborations, or customized assortments is highly desirable.
• Background in developing in-store merchandising and retail presentation programs preferred.
• Ability to independently build new processes and systems.
• Personal affinity for dogs is a plus.

Perks and Benefits

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans.
• Company-funded Long-Term Disability coverage.
• 401(k) plan with company matching.
• Generous Paid Time Off.
• Complimentary Halo merchandise and product testing opportunities.
• Flexible remote work from anywhere within the United States.
• Engagement in a mission-driven, dog-loving organizational culture.

Compensation

This position offers a competitive remuneration package including base salary, bonuses, and comprehensive benefits. The base salary range is between $140,000 and $150,000 annually, with final salary determined by experience, skills, and qualifications.

Equal Opportunity and Hiring Policies

Halo Collar promotes equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability. Resumes submitted by third parties or agencies without prior agreement will not be accepted or compensated. Some applications may be screened through automated tools to assess alignment with job criteria, but final decisions are made exclusively by company personnel.