With over 59 stores and the largest avocational cooking program in the US, Sur La Table offers an unsurpassed selection of exclusive and premium-quality goods for the kitchen and table – and the culinary expertise and inspiration to go along with it. Whether the job entails interacting with our customers, driving digital growth, or providing vital behind-the-scenes support, we’re all here for the same reason – to roll up our sleeves and create happiness through cooking and sharing good food.
The Director, Divisional Merchandising Manager, is a key leader in our merchandising organization, responsible for the strategy, performance, and day-to-day leadership of their division across all channels. This role deepens our bench of merchandising leadership by developing a high-performing team of merchants, driving strategic and analytical decision making, and representing their business in cross-functional initiatives that support Sur La Table’s growth.
This position will report into the VP, Merchandising.
What you get to do:
Leadership & Strategy
- Develop and own the long-range merchandising vision and seasonal strategies for assigned areas, aligned with company goals and customer insights.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of merchants; provide clear goals, coaching, and feedback to build future leaders and bench strength.
- Partner closely with Planning to deliver divisional sales, margin, and inventory goals across stores and e-commerce.
- Use data and analytics to inform strategy, course-correct in season, and identify new growth opportunities.
- Represent assigned departments in cross-functional forums and enterprise projects (omni-channel initiatives, private brand strategy, promotional planning, space and visual strategy, Go To Market (GTM) planning).
- Contribute to strategic planning and manage key elements of the divisional P&L, including sales, markdowns, and vendor funding; identify risks and opportunities proactively.
- Champion the smart use of AI and automation to improve merchant productivity to free the team up to spend more time on strategy, product and the customer.
Merchandising & Business Management
- Build and execute merchandise strategies across all channels, including:
- Assortment architecture and line planning.
- Private brand vs. national brand mix, exclusivity strategies, and key item focus.
- Seasonal “big ideas” and storytelling that differentiate Sur La Table in the market.
- Partner with Planning on OTB, inventory flow, and markdown strategies to ensure healthy inventory and an on-brand, profitable assortment.
- Lead pricing and promotion strategy for assigned areas; test and refine promotional offers based on performance.
- Maintain a sharp view of the competitive landscape, emerging trends, and customer preferences to continually evolve the product mix.
- Source and maintain relationships with high-quality, cost-effective vendors; negotiate pricing, terms, and exclusives to maximize profitability and supply reliability.
- Leverage data insights to refine promotional, pricing, and inventory strategies.
Omni-Channel & Customer Experience
- Ensure a cohesive omni-channel experience by aligning assortments, pricing, and storytelling across stores, surlatable.com, and culinary programs.
- Partner with Visual Merchandising and Creative to bring seasonal stories to life through in-store presentation, digital merchandising, photography, copy and packaging.
- Collaborate with Marketing and Culinary on campaigns, events, and class tie-ins that showcase key products and drive engagement.
Collaboration & Cross-Functional Leadership
- Collaborate closely with the Product Development / Private Brand team to:
- - Develop and refine seasonal briefs and line plans.
- - Shape private brand strategies within assigned departments.
- - Align timelines, milestones, and go/no-go decisions on new product development.
- Work with Finance, Operations, and Supply Chain to ensure operational feasibility, margin targets, and smooth execution of go-to-market plans.
- Lead or contribute to special projects and initiatives as needed.
What you bring:
- 8+ years of proven senior merchandising experience in a multi-location, multi-channel retail environment; at least 3-5 years leading merchants or category managers.
- Experience managing a division or multiple categories with full accountability for sales, margin, and inventory.
- Background in home, kitchen, tabletop, or hard goods strongly preferred; omni-channel experience required.
- Demonstrated track record of:
- Driving revenue growth and profitable category performance.
- Developing and coaching merchandising talent.
- Using data and analytics to inform decisions.
- Strong strategic thinking and planning skills; able to zoom out on long-term direction and zoom in on in-season execution.
- Excellent collaboration skills with a proven ability to influence cross-functional partners at all levels.
- Strong negotiation skills and experience building successful vendor partnerships, including private brand / exclusive programs.
- Curiosity and hands-on experience using modern AI tools to streamline work, analyze large data sets faster, and reimagine how merchandising work gets done – without needing to be a technologist.
- High comfort with Microsoft Office (especially Excel and PowerPoint) and merchandising / planning tools.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment with shifting priorities.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed
What’s in it for you? Joining Sur La Table isn’t just about having a seat at the table—it’s about helping redesign the table entirely. You’ll be challenged, stretched, and supported as you grow faster than you thought possible. In addition to competitive compensation, we offer:
- Executive Access: Work directly with brand CEOs and senior leadership, solving real business problems and earning mentorship from top operators.
- AI-First Skill Building: Get hands-on with the most advanced AI tools in the market. From automation to prompt engineering, you’ll build a modern tech stack that sets you apart in any industry.
- Accelerated Career Path: High performers are quickly entrusted with greater responsibility, new challenges, and leadership opportunities across our portfolio of brands.
- Competitive benefits: Paid time off policies, 401(k)/RRSP match, medical/dental/vision and a variety of supplemental policies, and employee discounts at our portfolio companies.
Our interview process:
- 📞 Step 1: If you align with our vision and meet the qualifications, we’ll reach out to schedule a conversation and introduce Sur La Table.
- 🧠 Step 2: You’ll complete a short AI or product-building challenge so we can understand how you approach problems and execution.
- 💬 Step 3: Participate in deep-dive interviews with Sur La Table leadership focused on your experience, product mindset, and operational thinking.
- 📩 Step 4: Offer. We’ll move fast for the right candidate.
The CSC family of brands provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, provincial, state or local laws.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
Washington state applicants only: If you believe that this job posting does not comply with applicable Washington state law, please notify us by sending an email to [email protected].
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie-detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
The CSC family of brands is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact [email protected]. 