Role Overview: We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Vice President of Merchandising to lead our buying and merchandising efforts at Mystery Tackle Box. This role is instrumental in professionalizing our vendor relationships, sourcing and negotiating deals, and unlocking new partnerships to ensure we consistently deliver exceptional products to our customers. The ideal candidate will have a deep background in sourcing and buying, vendor negotiations, and relationship management, with a strong passion for fishing and outdoor activities.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Vendor Relationship Management:

• Develop and maintain strong, professional relationships with new and existing vendors.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for vendor communications, ensuring alignment with company goals and fostering long-term partnerships. Develop a systemic way to segment our vendor partnerships and ways of interacting with vendors.
• Implement and utilize CRM tools to track, analyze, and optimize vendor interactions and performance.

2. Sourcing and Product Acquisition:

• Identify, evaluate, and source new products and vendors to expand the Mystery Tackle Box portfolio.
• We are looking for someone who has a creative approach to deal making and finding opportunistic ways to source products.
• Stay ahead of market trends to ensure we offer innovative and high-demand products.
• Work with the VP of Product Development on the evaluation of product quality, pricing, and terms to deliver the best value for customers.
• Execute against the VP of Product Development’s product strategy to source products that match the needs of each of our business channels.

3. Negotiation and Deal Making:

• Lead all vendor negotiations to secure favorable pricing, payment terms, and exclusivity agreements where possible.
• Understand vendor objectives and craft deals that are mutually beneficial, ensuring long-term collaboration.
• Build enterprise-level agreements with key suppliers to optimize costs and unlock new opportunities.

4. Strategy and Execution:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive merchandising strategy to align with company objectives and market trends.
• Work closely with Product Development, Marketing, and Operations teams to ensure seamless product launches and availability.
• Monitor and improve key metrics such as cost of goods sold (COGS), margin performance, and inventory turnover.
• Responsible for merchandising operations, building kits in our kit planning tool, creating new skus, etc..

5. Team Leadership:

• Set clear goals, provide regular feedback, and foster a culture of collaboration and innovation.

6. Industry Expertise:

• Leverage a deep understanding of the fishing and outdoor recreation market to identify emerging trends and opportunities.
• Represent Mystery Tackle Box at industry events, trade shows, and vendor meetings.

Key Qualifications:

• Experience: 10+ years of experience in merchandising, sourcing, and buying roles, with a proven track record of successful vendor negotiations and relationship management.
• Vendor Expertise: Strong background in CRM and vendor management tools, with the ability to build and manage enterprise-level vendor agreements.
• Deal Making: Exceptional negotiation skills and experience in enterprise deal-making, with the ability to understand vendor needs and craft winning agreements.
• Product Knowledge: Familiarity with fishing products and a passion for outdoor activities is highly preferred.
• Skills: Strong analytical, communication, and leadership skills, with the ability to influence internal and external stakeholders.
• Results-Driven: Proven ability to manage budgets, optimize margins, and deliver measurable business outcomes.

Reporting Structure: The Vice President of Merchandising will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer and work closely with the executive team to drive the company’s growth strategy.

This is a remote (work from home) position