Sr. Director, Merchandising Operations, Planning & Promotions

About the Role

Total Wine & More is seeking a Senior Director, Merchandising Operations, Planning & Promotions to join our Merchandising team in Bethesda, Maryland. This senior leadership role is responsible for defining and executing the enterprise strategy for promotional planning, merchandising planning, personalized offers, and promotional operations. The Senior Director will lead the development of scalable processes, capabilities, and governance that drive customer engagement, sales growth, margin performance, and operational excellence. Partnering closely with leaders across Merchandising, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, Store Operations, and Technology, this role will align business strategy, customer insights, and execution to deliver profitable growth. The ideal candidate is an enterprise-minded leader with deep retail experience and a proven track record of driving cross-functional transformation and results. This role reports to the Chief of Staff, Merchandising.

You will

• Define the enterprise vision, strategy, and multi-year roadmap for promotional planning, merchandising planning, personalized offers, and promotional operations, ensuring alignment with company growth objectives, customer priorities, and long-term business performance.
• Direct enterprise promotional investment and planning strategies, integrating promotional calendars, inventory planning, customer offer strategies, financial objectives, and merchandising priorities into a cohesive operating model that drives sustainable growth.
• Architect the long-term strategy for personalized offers and customer engagement capabilities by partnering across Consumer Insights, Marketing, Data Science, and Technology to advance targeting, analytics, automation, and customer relevance.
• Integrate merchandising programs, promotional initiatives, inventory strategies, and customer-facing experiences into an enterprise framework that balances commercial performance, operational effectiveness, and customer value.
• Establish enterprise governance, operating standards, and execution frameworks for promotional operations, ensuring scalability, risk mitigation, compliance, operational excellence, and consistent performance across the organization.
• Deliver enterprise performance strategies encompassing forecasting, promotional analytics, KPI development, and ROI measurement, guiding executive decision-making and influencing future investment and growth strategies.
• Partner with executive leadership across Merchandising, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Store Operations, Consumer Insights, and Technology to shape enterprise priorities, evaluate strategic opportunities, manage complex business risks, and drive organizational alignment.
• Lead and develop a high-performing organization while advancing transformational initiatives, technology adoption, automation capabilities, and operating model innovation that strengthen organizational effectiveness and support long-term enterprise objectives.

You will come with

• Bachelor's Degree Business, Marketing, Analytics, or similar. Master's Degree Business, Marketing, Analytics, or a related field preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in retail merchandising, promotional strategy, marketing, planning, analytics, or related functions.
• Proven ability to drive customer engagement and revenue growth through data-driven marketing strategies and 5+ years of experience leading teams and cross-functional projects.
• Strategic Leadership – Ability to develop and execute enterprise-wide promotional strategies that balance customer value, sales growth, profitability, and operational complexity.
• Promotional Planning & Merchandising Expertise – Deep understanding of pricing, promotions, inventory planning, merchandising strategy, and retail operations.
• Customer & Personalization Strategy – Experience leveraging customer insights, segmentation, personalization, and targeted offer programs to drive engagement and loyalty.
• Analytics & Financial Acumen – Strong analytical capabilities with experience evaluating promotional effectiveness, forecasting business impact, and presenting actionable recommendations to senior leadership.
• Operational Excellence – Proven ability to build scalable processes, improve execution quality, mitigate risk, and drive continuous improvement.
• Cross-Functional Influence – Demonstrated success partnering across Merchandising, Marketing, Supply Chain, Store Operations, Finance, Consumer Insights, and Technology organizations.
• People Leadership – Experience leading managers and developing high-performing teams in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Change & Innovation – Ability to identify emerging opportunities, champion innovation, and implement new capabilities that improve customer experience and business performance.

We offer

• Paid Time Off (PTO) 
• Generous store discounts 
• Health care plans (medical, prescription, dental, vision) 
• 401(k), HSA, FSA, Pre-tax commuter benefits 
• Disability & life insurance coverage 
• Paid parental leave 
• Pet insurance 
• Critical illness and accident insurance 
• Discounted home and auto insurance 
• College tuition assistance 
• Career development & product training 
• Consumer classes 
• & More! 

Crafted for you

We recognize our team members are our biggest asset, and we value the critical role each play in contributing to the company’s success. It is our commitment to support and provide access to the resources needed to take care of their health and wellbeing. That is why we offer a variety of benefits, tools, and resources to support through our Total Rewards program. To view our full career page, click here: https://careers.totalwine.com/!

Total Wine & More considers several factors when establishing compensation. Compensation may vary based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, market location, job-related knowledge, skills and/or experience. The actual hourly rate will equal or exceed the required minimum wage applicable to the job location. Estimated salaries determined by third parties have not been validated by Total Wine & More.

Total Wine & More is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Total Wine & More makes reasonable accommodations during all aspects of the employment process, including during the interview process. Total Wine & More is a Drug Free Workplace.

The information provided above indicates the general nature and level of work required of the position and is not a comprehensive list of all responsibilities or qualifications. Benefits list is only a highlight of some of the benefits offered to team members; eligibility for certain benefits apply. The anticipated close date of this posting is 120 days from the posted date indicated above.