Senior Director, Merchandising & Category Management Tires

Company Description

Monro’s family of brands is one of the leading automotive service and tire dealers in the United States. We work on approximately five million vehicles a year, but with us, it is personal. Every guest is important, and every teammate is valued. That is our peoplefirst approach.

Headquartered in our hometown of Rochester, New York, where our founder, Chuck August, opened his first store in 1957, we have grown to over 1,100 auto repair shops and tire dealers in 32 states from coast to coast. Monro powers 16 highly respected tire and auto service brands, supporting each company’s regional strength and community connections. From big cities to small towns to rural crossroads, you will find us in neighborhoods of every shape, size, and color.

Under the Monro banner, we are united TEAM and share the same mission to bring our guests the highest quality tire and auto service in the industry.

Do you have what it takes to shape a better future for yourself and the automotive service industry? Our vision is to be America’s leading auto and tire centers, trusted by consumers as the best place in our neighborhoods for quality automotive maintenance and repairs. We’re looking for motivated individuals at every stage in their career who share our vision..

Destination Monro Your Career is Here!

Job Description

The Senior Director of Merchandising and Category Management is responsible for leading and executing the strategic direction of merchandising plans across a portfolio of highvolume tire brands and categories to drive sales and profitability growth. This position plays a critical role in advancing our growth in the aftermarket automotive retail landscape, bringing deep expertise in assortment strategy, gotomarket strategy, supplier management and margin optimization. This role will align product offerings with major customer requirements and collaborate on pricing strategies and portfolio optimization to ensure scalable commercialization across Monro’s retail and online footprint. This role will collaborate across functions, including inventory planning, marketing, finance and retail operations to drive commercial success and deliver on Monro’s longterm category vision. This position will lead a team of Category Managers and Analysts to ensure financial, operational and customerfocused outcomes in alignment with Monro’s overall business objectives.

Compensation: The salary range for this role is $160,000 $180,000 annually. This role is eligible for additional compensation and incentives. Pay will be determined based on experience level.

Essential Functions:

Category Strategy & Growth

• Build and execute category strategies and business plans that align with short and longterm business objectives, including sales, margin and volume targets
• Develop holistic assortment strategies and product screen, utilizing goodbetterbest frameworks and instore execution plans to drive customer purchase behavior in our retail stores
• Analyze and report on category performance, including revenue, volume, margin, competitive gaps, and product mix (goodbetterbest), adjusting strategy based on commercial, operational, and customer feedback
• Synthesize consumer insights, market intelligence, and performance data to shape actionable merchandising strategies and guide business decisions at the category level

• Vendor & Supplier Partnerships

  • Foster and manage strategic vendor partnerships, owning negotiations and contract oversight to drive competitive cost structures, promotions and exclusive offerings to create longterm value
  • Manage inventory productivity through SKU assortment and purchasing improvements
  • Develop joint business plans with key suppliers to align and drive coordinated execution of growth strategies
  • Own and facilitate critical merchandising touchpoints, including highimpact line reviews, vendor meetings, and executivelevel presentations to secure vendor partnerships and growth
  • Ensure supplier performance, as well as compliance with Monro’s standards and expectations. Productively and effectively address all issues to ensure sustainable goforward performance improvement

  • GotoMarket Strategy & Execution

    • Create and own integrated gotomarket plans in collaboration with marketing and sales leaders
    • Leverage competitive and trend analyses to proactively inform pricing decisions and promotional strategies, ensuring instore executability and relevant brand positioning across the assortment
    • Collaborate with marketing teams to ensure promotional activity and retail pricing supports guest traffic, conversion, and outlet loyalty

    • Financial & Operational Excellence

      • Own accountability for category and brand level objectives, including sales, margin and GMROI and inventory targets
      • Continuously monitor and analyze KPIs, including sales growth, margin improvement, inventory turnover, customer traffic and promotional performance
      • Collaborate with store operations to optimize back room productivity, instore merchandising, product knowledge and training, and customer engagement strategies
      • Partner with Inventory Planning & Management team to drive inventory efficiency by ensuring alignment between demand forecasts, supplier capabilities and production cycles, distributor inventory positioning and sellthrough expectations. Work with supply points to develop a constant reverse logistics program reducing slowmoving inventory.
      • Work with Inventory Planning & Management team to ensure consistent and timely distribution and delivery of both assorted and ondemand products via a justintime supply chain model
      • Implement efficiency improvements in product sourcing, supply chain logistics and inventory replenishment

      • Team Leadership & Development

        • Lead, develop, and mentor a team of Merchandising & Category Managers
        • Effectively manage and integrate both onshore and offshore team members, ensuring collaboration, clear communication, performance accountability and aligned priorities
        • Foster a culture of empowerment, collaboration, continuous learning and accountability for results
        • Provide clear direction, performance feedback and coaching to direct reports
        • Contribute to the adoption of new tools, systems and ways of working across the Merchandising & Category Management teams
        • Collaborate with leaders across the business to create shared buyin and accountability for crossfunctional objectives and initiatives
        • Collaborate with the SVP of Merchandising and the Senior Leadership Team on highpriority merchandising and category management initiatives

        • Qualifications

          Education and Experience:

          • 12+ years of progressive experience in Merchandising, Category Management or purchasing with leadership responsibility, preferably in highvolume retail or distribution. Experience in automotive aftermarket a plus.
          • Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain, or equivalent experience in supply chain and vendor souring.

          • Knowledge & Skills:

            • Proficient in business tools including Excel, PowerPoint, and merchandising analytics platforms, with the ability to create compelling business cases and databacked recommendations
            • Exceptional verbal, written and presentation skills
            • High level of business acumen with a strong understanding of retail fundamentals and business levers
            • Strong crossfunctional collaboration and indirect leadership abilities
            • Strong analytical and data interpretation skills
            • Strong leadership and demonstrated team development skills
            • Critical thinking and decisionmaking skills grounded in data and business understanding
            • Demonstrated success in leading the development and execution of comprehensive assortment purchasing and gotomarket strategies, including goodbetterbest frameworks and portfolio optimization
            • Excellent leadership, communication and change management skills

            • Work Environment & Physical Requirements:

              This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, scanners, and fax machines. Position requires incumbent to see, read, hear, speak, reach, bend, sitstand for prolonged periods of time at a desk and working on a computer. Ability to work weekends and holidays as needed.

              Additional Information

              Benefits

              • Health Insurance
              • Dental Insurance
              • 401K Retirement Plan with Company Match
              • Paid vacation
              • Paid Holidays

              • Your next Destination!

                Growth Opportunity:

                At Monro we’re committed to helping our teammates grow their career through the combination of coursework, demonstrating leadership skills and open opportunities. Our teammates receive onthejob training, company sponsored certifications, as well as course curriculum in Monro University that empowers them to advance to the next level of their careers.

                Monro, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and affords equal opportunity to all applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.