Dir Mdse Execution & Strategy – Westchester, IL

position Overview

Follett Higher education is a leading educational service provider and omnichannel retailer, providing students, faculty, staff, parents, and fans with the course materials, learning tools, and retail services needed to successfully support the collegiate journey. Follett Higher Education supports over 6 million students through its 1,100 physical and 1,750 eCommerce campus stores across North America.

The Director of Merchandise, Execution, and Strategy plays a critical role in leveraging data to drive merchandising decisions, optimize inventory, and enhance customer experiences for our top 75 schools. This role is responsible for developing and executing data-driven strategies to improve merchandising performance, pricing optimization, and inventory management. This role requires strong analytical skills, leadership, and collaboration across multiple departments.

Responsibilities

• Data Strategy Development – Define and implement analytics frameworks to optimize merchandising performance.
• Market Trend Analysis – Monitor industry trends and consumer behavior to refine product assortments.
• Inventory Optimization – Use predictive analytics to improve stock levels and reduce overstock or shortages.
• Pricing and Promotion Strategy – Develop data-backed pricing models and promotional strategies to maximize revenue.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration – Work with buying, marketing, and sales teams to align data insights with business goals.
• Technology and Tools Management – Oversee the implementation of business intelligence tools and data governance practices.
• Performance Metrics and Reporting – Establish KPIs and dashboards to track merchandising effectiveness.
• Customer Insights and Personalization – Leverage data to enhance customer experience and drive loyalty.

• A bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent.
• 5+ years of related experience.
• Experience using data tools (ie: Power BI, SQL, Python, Tableau) strongly preferred.
• Ability to extract data, analyze information, and take appropriate actions.
• Understanding of pricing models, assortment planning, and inventory optimization.
• Ability to interpret customer behavior and industry trends.
• Strong leadership skills to guide cross-functional teams.
• Familiarity with AI-driven analytics and automation tools.
• Ability to manage budgets, forecast sales, and optimize profitability.
• Clear communication skills to work with marketing, supply chain, and executive teams.
• Capacity to develop creative solutions for merchandising challenges.