Manager, Retail Product Development & Merchandising

Woodruff Arts Center employees play an integral role in creating and supporting great art and education initiatives at the nation’s third largest arts center. Comprised of three Art Partners—Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and High Museum of Art—there’s a role for everyone at The Woodruff.

Reports to:

Associate Director, Retail

FLSA:

United States of America (Exempt)

Employment Status:

Regular/Full time

The Merchandising Manager is responsible for developing and executing strategies to optimize the product assortment and merchandising approach for the High Museum of Art Shop. This role ensures the success of retail operations by leveraging market insights, customer behavior, and competitive analysis to curate a compelling product mix that enhances visitor engagement and drives sales.

Starting Salary: $65,000

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategic Merchandise Planning:
  • Develop strategies for proprietary merchandise aligned with the museum's permanent collection and temporary exhibitions.
  • Collaborate with curatorial and creative services teams to formulate product plans for future exhibitions.
  • Establish pricing, positioning, and selling strategies for seasonal, holiday, and event-specific merchandise.
     
• Product Development and Vendor Management:
  • Conduct market research and analyze customer buying behaviors to define product features and specifications.
  • Partner with Rights and Reproductions to create exclusive products (e.g., postcards, prints, notecards).
  • Attend trade shows to explore new product ideas and select items with sales representatives.
  • Manage vendor relationships, negotiate terms, and identify potential distributors.
     
• Financial and Inventory Management:
  • Develop and manage merchandise budgets, including open-to-buy plans.
  • Forecast sales, analyze profits, and create strategies to reduce revenue loss.
  • Oversee consignment sales and collaborate on inventory diversification and investment planning.
     
• Retail Operations and Marketing:
  • Design and oversee the online shop using Shopify, ensuring timely catalog updates and order fulfillment.
  • Coordinate with Retail Operations leadership to enhance shop revenues through pricing strategies.
  • Assist in planning and executing product launches and marketing campaigns.
     
• Training and Representation:
  • Provide product knowledge training to staff.
  • Represent the High Museum at the Museum Store Association and other relevant forums.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Education & Experience:
  • Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a related field.
  • 3–5 years of retail experience, preferably in a museum store setting.
  • Experience working with vendors, designers, and copyright/licensing regulations.
• Skills & Abilities:
  • Strong understanding of merchandise planning and open-to-buy strategies.
  • Proficiency in Excel, Word, and POS systems (e.g., NCR Counterpoint).
  • Excellent layout, display, and visual merchandising skills.
  • Ability to establish and maintain external partnerships.
• Communication:
  • Strong writing skills for reports, correspondence, and presentations.
  • Effective in engaging with employees, vendors, and the public.
• Analytical Skills:
  • Competent in computing rates, percentages, and inventory metrics.
  • Adept at problem-solving and interpreting complex instructions.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Demonstrated ability to integrate the High Museum’s collection into retail operations.
• Commitment to providing excellent service and representing the museum professionally.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

The work environment and physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Some standing, walking, bending, frequent use of hands, stooping, and light lifting (at least 25 pounds) is needed.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.