How to hire a merchandising director

How to hire a merchandising director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step merchandising director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a merchandising director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new merchandising director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a merchandising director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your merchandising director job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a merchandising director for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a merchandising director to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a merchandising director that fits the bill.

   This list presents merchandising director salaries for various positions.

   Type of Merchandising Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Merchandising Director	Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.	$49-97
   Partner	A business partner is responsible for providing strategies and recommendations on how the business will operate, increasing its revenues while sharing profits. Business partners must have extensive knowledge of how the current market industry works to identify the best decisions for the business... Show more	$14-87
   Product Manager	A product manager is responsible for ensuring product development, providing the best marketing strategies, and effectively handling the sales and marketing team. Product managers' duties include monitoring the market trends and conditions, identifying business opportunities and plan initiatives, and collaborating the product launch process with the appropriate departments... Show more	$38-73

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Apparel
   • Gross Margin
   • Direct Reports
   • Product Development
   • Product Categories
   • Merchandise Sales
   • E-Commerce
   • Develop Team
   • Market Trends
   • Product Assortment
   • Inventory Management
   • Business Strategies
   • Level Analysis
   • Assortment Planning

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and train associates on shop operations including customer service standards, checking in merchandise, operating QuickBooks POS.
   • Lead website development committee, including RFP development, ROI analysis, marketing, brand-enhancement strategies, and back-end integration solutions.
   • Input all merchandise information in to AS400.
   • Identify, negotiate, purchase and implement new POS software systems.
   • Develop comprehensive marketing plan including print and digital, utilizing negotiate funding to support events and driving additional revenue and margin.
   • Set annual and semi-annual ROI, sales, margin, and turn goals for all divisions in the company.

   More merchandising director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your merchandising director job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A merchandising director can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, merchandising directors' average salary in florida is 37% less than in nevada.
   • Seniority. Entry-level merchandising directors 49% less than senior-level merchandising directors.
   • Certifications. A merchandising director with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a merchandising director's salary.

   Average merchandising director salary

   $145,282yearly

   $69.85 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level merchandising director salary

   $103,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average merchandising director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$184,035	$88
   2	Oregon	$178,792	$86
   3	California	$158,393	$76
   4	Utah	$150,519	$72
   5	Massachusetts	$147,197	$71
   6	New York	$139,743	$67
   7	Texas	$139,527	$67
   8	Wisconsin	$136,520	$66
   9	Minnesota	$135,319	$65
   10	Connecticut	$134,969	$65
   11	Maryland	$130,529	$63
   12	Pennsylvania	$129,325	$62
   13	Kentucky	$128,377	$62
   14	Arkansas	$128,229	$62
   15	Iowa	$126,925	$61
   16	Colorado	$123,264	$59
   17	Georgia	$123,089	$59
   18	Alabama	$121,734	$59
   19	Nebraska	$121,720	$59
   20	Illinois	$120,002	$58

   Average merchandising director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Coty	$179,490	$86.29
   2	Nike	$167,755	$80.65	40
   3	Walmart	$162,526	$78.14	168
   4	Chewy	$158,613	$76.26	9
   5	Armani Exchange	$157,604	$75.77
   6	VF	$155,144	$74.59	24
   7	Williams Sonoma	$154,013	$74.04	13
   8	Gap Inc.	$153,361	$73.73
   9	Sephora	$152,766	$73.45	2
   10	Shutterfly	$152,133	$73.14
   11	Kum & Go	$151,863	$73.01
   12	Ralph Lauren	$150,832	$72.52	5
   13	Blue Nile	$149,922	$72.08
   14	Andrew Thomas Huang	$149,296	$71.78
   15	Guitar Center	$147,784	$71.05	4
   16	Neiman Marcus Group	$147,489	$70.91	1
   17	Aramark	$146,383	$70.38	8
   18	Macy's	$146,027	$70.21	39
   19	Camping World	$144,325	$69.39	6
   20	The Home Depot	$144,037	$69.25	18

4. Writing a merchandising director job description

   A merchandising director job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a merchandising director job description:

   Merchandising director job description example

   Started in 1989, Duluth Trading Company exists to enable hard-working individuals to take on life with their own two hands. Folks that revel in doing it the hard way and celebrate finding a better way. We seek talented individuals who share these beliefs and are excited to further the Duluth Trading legacy with a digital-first mindset, always moving forward and always innovating.
   
   From ingenious Duluth workwear, to comfortably capable Buck Naked Underwear, to outside-embracing AKHG, to meticulously built and sourced Best Made, it's all about the innovative gear and gadgets that equip customers for a more hands-on way of life.
   
   Top-notch quality, immersive storytelling, outstanding customer service, and the shared belief that the go-all-in-and-dig-deep spirit exists with everyone are what sets Duluth Trading Co. apart. We seek talented folks looking to be part of a can-do team that's hellbent on helping the world to gear up, get its hands dirty, and do.
   Work Environment:
   
   At Duluth Trading Company, we fundamentally believe in strong in-person interactions as our culture thrives when we learn, create, and collaborate with each other. We also believe that the future of work at Duluth Trading Company includes flexibility. The position will be based in our corporate headquarters, near Madison, WI, but it will offer a hybrid work arrangement allowing the flexibility to work a few days a week from home.
   
   What You'll Do:
   
   * Lead proactive team efforts to achieve departmental and company goals.
   * Adopt the organization's values in personal work behaviors, decision-making, contributions, and interpersonal interactions.
   * Contribute to a positive work environment by demonstrating cultural expectations, influencing others to reward performance, and valuing "can do" people; accountability; diversity, equity, and inclusion; flexibility; continuous improvement; collaboration; creativity; and fun.
   * Direct and oversee the team that conducts the overall planning, design, development and run/maintain the function of systems and technologies that deliver solutions for the client systems within the designated area of responsibility. Develop and oversee the implementation of processes, and policies that have significant impact on the organization.
   * Use technical knowledge to anticipate and understand the implications of the latest technologies to communicate and evangelize them to appropriate audiences and to integrate these technologies appropriately into products and programs.
   * Management of Operational Expenditure and for driving initiatives to be cost-efficient., delivering value for money for our investments.
   * Set technology and infrastructure performance and service standards. Lead in the acquisition and/or development of new technologies and tools to improve the quality of the users' experience without compromising service.
   * Ensure that investments in technology are appropriate to the developments in the industry and produce satisfactory returns. Adjust architecture to support changing business directions.
   * Provide input into the formulation of the strategies of the IT function and based upon prevailing conditions, execute and/or adjust the approved strategies of the areas of accountability. Outcomes directed and influenced have major impact on the organization's short- and long-term results, critical customers or partners.
   
   What We're Looking For:
   
   * Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field.
   * Equivalent work experience would be considered.
   * Have a demonstrated track record of delivering B2B/B2C products in an agile environment.
   * Broad systems knowledge of major retail applications, with demonstrated depth with core merchandising systems.
   * Have a demonstrated track record of managing multiple product sprint teams, tradeoffs and investment decisions across multiple domains/stakeholders.
   * Be an entrepreneurial and creative problem solver who is able to lead and grow high-performing cross-functional teams to bring their vision to reality.
   * Ability to dive deep into the technical details of their products while simultaneously defining and communicating vision as a key leader within our organization.
   * Proven skills in defining, presenting, socializing and gaining commitment to solutions and transition strategies from senior business and technology stakeholders.
   * Experience understanding customers' business processes/drivers and informational needs.
   * Tangible interest and awareness of the latest key technology innovations and trends, particularly those having (or likely to have) a material impact on the retail sector in the future.
   
   Duluth Headquarters Benefits and Perks
   
   As we continue to grow Duluth Trading Company and its house of brands, the perks have perked up, too. We've boosted an already impressive benefits package to include: unlimited paid time-off, 12-week full-pay parental leave, paid holiday time for the important observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, flexible schedules, and more! Why'd we go all out? Because our pursuit of a better way means that when it comes to great talent, better perks are a given.
   
   Compensation: $165,000+/Year
   
   Compensation is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc.
   
   To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right merchandising director for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with merchandising directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit merchandising directors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your merchandising director job on Zippia to find and attract quality merchandising director candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit merchandising directors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new merchandising director

   Once you've found the merchandising director candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new merchandising director. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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