Director of Jewelry Merchandising chez Shop LC

About Shop LC:

We are an electronic retailer of jewelry and lifestyle products headquartered in Austin, Texas with a team of approximately 450 people. Our products are sold through TV (Cable, satellite, Telco’s and OTA’s), our website, OTT, marketplaces, and social media.

We are the US retailing unit and subsidiary of Vaibhav Global Limited (VGL)- a publicly listed company in India. The other retailing units of VGL Group are in the UK (Shop TJC) and Germany (Shop LC, Germany). VGL Group is a vertical business, having its own manufacturing and sourcing units in India, China, Indonesia, and Thailand.

We believe in supporting our community and protecting the environment with the purpose of Delivering Joy.

Our service to the community is run through our Your Purchase Feeds… program under which each retailing unit donates one nutritious meal to a school-going child in India, the US, the UK, and the Germany for each item sold through all its platforms. Your Purchase Feeds… has current run rate of over 54,000 meals per school day and has provided over 50 million meals to kids in need in US, UK and India until now. Our mission statement embraces the ambitious goal of distributing one million meals each school day to children in need by 2040. We believe that Your Purchase Feeds… provides more than just a meal: it feeds the hearts, minds, and futures of children.

We are committed to protecting the environment by constantly working on reducing our carbon footprint and becoming net zero by 2030. Our factories in India fully functions on solar power and has Platinum level LEEDS certified factory.  Our US buildings are Gold level LEEDS certified.

Position Summary

The Director of Jewelry Merchandising leads the strategic vision, product assortment, and buying strategy for the jewelry category. This role ensures the jewelry collection aligns with brand identity, consumer demand, and profitability goals. The Director will collaborate closely with design, marketing, planning, and retail teams to deliver compelling assortments that drive sales growth and elevate the brand’s presence in the marketplace.

Key Responsibilities

• Merchandising Strategy:
   Develop and execute the overall merchandising strategy for fine, fashion, and specialty jewelry categories to achieve sales, margin, and inventory targets.
• Assortment Planning:
   Lead the creation and management of seasonal and annual product assortments, ensuring alignment with brand direction and market trends.
• Trend & Market Analysis:
   Monitor global jewelry trends, competitive activity, and consumer insights to identify growth opportunities and inform product development.
• Vendor & Supplier Management:
   Build and maintain strong relationships with vendors and manufacturers to negotiate pricing, terms, and exclusive product opportunities.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
   Partner with design, planning, and marketing teams to ensure product stories and assortments align with visual merchandising, brand campaigns, and inventory goals.
• Financial Management:
   Manage open-to-buy (OTB), margin goals, and markdown strategies to maximize profitability.
• Team Leadership:
   Lead, mentor, and develop a team of merchandisers, assistant buyers, and coordinators, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and accountability.
• Product Performance Analysis:
   Analyze sales, turn, and margin data to inform future assortments and identify opportunities for improvement.

Managerial Responsibilities

• Delivery of timely one-to-one (1 to 1’s) and preparing and delivering mid-year and year-end performance evaluations.
• Promote professional and personal development of individual team members by utilizing computerized and other systems for tracking service, quality, setting productivity goals, training and coaching interventions and career opportunity programs, and for researching information and troubleshooting.
• Take proactive steps to manage employees’ attendance in accordance with company policies.
• Ensure all team members have access to, understand and are kept current on company policies and procedures.
• Coordinate changes in staffing schedules and overtime requirements, if applicable, in accordance with company guidelines.
• Provide ongoing management and coaching. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Fashion, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in merchandising, including at least 3 years in a leadership role—preferably in jewelry, accessories, or luxury retail.
• Strong understanding of the jewelry market, materials (gold, gemstones, diamonds, etc.), and manufacturing processes.
• Proven ability to develop and execute profitable merchandising strategies.
• Excellent analytical, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Proficiency in retail math, assortment planning tools, and Excel.
• Strong leadership and communication skills with experience managing teams and cross-functional projects.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Trend Awareness & Market Insight
• Financial Acumen
• Vendor Relations
• Leadership & Team Development
• Consumer-Centric Mindset

Physical Requirements:

• Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, and ramps.
• Moving around to accomplish tasks in various environments including tight and confined spaces.
• Remaining in a stationary position, standing, or sitting for prolonged periods.
• Frequently lift 20-50lbs and occasionally lift 50 to 70 pounds.
• Repeating motions that may include the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.

Benefits of working at Shop LC

• 100% Company paid, employee-only medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• 4% 401(k) matching
• Micro-enterprise incentives
• Up to 15 days of PTO & vacation time, maternity/paternity leave, company-covered short-term & long-term disability, paid training time, paid volunteer time, 7 paid holidays.
• Corporate discounts, employee sales, Employee Assistance Program.
• Tuition reimbursement and scholarship (for dependents going to college).
• A great work environment, where you will learn, be challenged/ supported and given projects that reflect your interests, and you can own/ take pride in!