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 people-first 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 high-volume 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, go-to-market 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 long-term category vision. This position will lead a team of Category Managers and Analysts to ensure financial, operational and customer-focused 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 long-term business objectives, including sales, margin and volume targets
• Develop holistic assortment strategies and product screen, utilizing good/better/best frameworks and in-store 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 (good/better/best), 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 long-term 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 high-impact line reviews, vendor meetings, and executive-level 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 go-forward performance improvement

Go-to-Market Strategy & Execution

• Create and own integrated go-to-market plans in collaboration with marketing and sales leaders
• Leverage competitive and trend analyses to proactively inform pricing decisions and promotional strategies, ensuring in-store 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