Director, Branded Merchandise

USA (On-site)

Salary Not AvailableDirector/Executive5+ years expFull time

Posted 2 months ago

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Job Summary

Own and scale the merchandising operations and enterprise client leadership function, driving cross functional of a 5 person team and NetSuite workflow optimization for high touch, high value programs.

  • Own end to end operations across sales, account management, production and fulfillment to deliver premium service for enterprise clients.
  • Lead hiring, onboarding and development to create a scalable, consistent department with strong client impact.
  • Leverage growth discovery, proactive planning, and trend-ready recommendations to uncover opportunities and improve ROI for major accounts.

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Manage and mentor a 5-person team overseeing production coordinators and account managers.
  • Lead hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, and team development efforts while creating operational structure and consistency across the department.
  • Partner closely with Sales, Account Management, Production, and Leadership teams to elevate client relationships beyond transactional order fulfillment.
  • Help Teams Uncover Growth Opportunities Through: stronger discovery and intake conversations; proactive account planning; more thoughtful recommendation development; improved client communication; trend-forward idea generation; stronger understanding of client goals, audience personas, event objectives, and ROI.
  • Support retention and expansion of key enterprise accounts through white-glove service, proactive communication, operational excellence, and innovative thinking.
  • Serve as the NetSuite Power User for the department while helping evaluate and improve broader project management workflows, operational visibility, and cross-functional communication processes.
  • Create Scalable Operational Systems That Improve: project visibility; accountability; timeline management; workflow consistency; proactive client service; communication between sales, account management, production, fulfillment, and warehouse teams.
  • Lead ongoing updates and optimization efforts across NetSuite, Sage, Canva, company store platforms, SOPs, and internal workflow documentation.
  • Personally lead production and strategic oversight on high-stakes, complex, or enterprise-level client programs; act as the escalation point and problem solver for difficult orders, logistics challenges, damaged goods issues, complex decorating questions, or operational risks.
  • Ensure projects are executed with a high-touch, white-glove level of service and attention to detail.
  • Own the Company Store lifecycle. Determine the best e-commerce platforms, curate product assortments that feel elevated and trend-aware, and manage ongoing product refreshes to keep stores engaging and aligned with client brands.
  • Move beyond transactional promo products by helping create more ownable, retail-inspired branded merchandise experiences.
  • Actively manage and expand vendor relationships, negotiate program pricing to improve margins, and collaborate with teams to standardize sourcing strategies where appropriate.
  • Attend trade shows, vendor showcases, webinars, and industry events to stay ahead of: consumer trends; retail behavior; sustainable sourcing; decoration innovation; fulfillment strategies; experiential gifting trends; premium packaging and unboxing experiences.
  • Bring those insights back into the organization through internal inspiration sessions, vendor presentations, trend reporting, and team education.
  • Conduct forecasting, budgeting, margin reviews, and operational planning to support departmental growth goals and profitability targets.
  • Help identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, strengthen margins, and grow existing client relationships through more strategic account development and proactive merchandising recommendations.

Requirements

  • 5-10 years of leadership experience in branded merchandise, promotional products, experiential gifting
  • Proven success managing high-volume branded merchandise operations and enterprise-level client relationships
  • Demonstrated ability to lead operational change, improve workflows, and build scalable processes while maintaining high-touch client service
  • Strong consultative and strategic client leadership skills with the ability to guide teams beyond transactional product sourcing into more insight-driven recommendation selling
  • Deep understanding of decoration methods, branded merchandise production, fulfillment, warehousing, and premium unboxing experiences
  • Advanced experience with ERP systems (NetSuite strongly preferred) and industry tools such as Sage/ESP
  • Experience managing e-commerce/company store platforms including Shopify, OMG, and custom ordering systems
  • Strong understanding of audience behavior, retail trends, merchandising strategy, and consumer-driven product curation
  • Ability to balance operational discipline with creative problem-solving and proactive client leadership
  • Excellent communication, leadership, organizational, and cross-functional collaboration skills

Preferred

    Benefits

    • A steady, fast-paced work environment with a close-knit, collaborative culture.
    • Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
    • Comprehensive benefits package including Health Insurance and a 401K plan.
    • Paid holidays, vacation, and personal time (available after 120 days).
    • All the free caffeine that you want!
    CI-GROUP logo

    CI-GROUP

    At CI-Group, we believe your brand’s story should be memorable and woven into every interaction. Whether it’s an exciting campaign, custom-branded products, or perfectly printed materials, we’re here to make sure your brand stands out at every opportunity.What sets us apart? With over 40 years in the business, we bring everything together under one very big roof. Strategy? Check. Creative design? Absolutely. Branded merchandise? You bet. Warehousing and fulfillment? We’ve got you covered. And that’s just the beginning—we’re also experts in digital marketing, advertising, experiential gifting, print production, and more. It’s like having an entire marketing dream team on speed dial.Based in Lebanon, NJ, we proudly serve clients across industries, helping them connect with their audiences and achieve meaningful results.Want to see how we can bring your brand to life? Learn more at ci-group.com.

    Founded in 1983
    Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, USA
    110 employees (27 in marketing)

    Traffic Signals

    Monthly Visitors
    6.3K
    Traffic Source Mix
    Search
    16.6%
    Direct
    51.9%
    Referral
    21%
    Social
    9.3%
    Paid
    1.1%

    Headcount Trend

    Current headcount: ~110

    Marketing Team

    Marketing Team Size
    19 (17% of company)
    Marketing Roles Posted (Last 30 Days)
    1