[Hiring] Vice President, DMM, Fine & Fashion Jewelry @Saks Fifth Avenue

Role Description

The Vice President, DMM will play a crucial leadership role in developing and executing the merchandise strategy for designated divisions/categories. This position is responsible for translating broader merchandising and divisional strategies into category-specific plans, leading the execution of these strategies, and aligning product assortment with the company’s strategic goals as well as local market nuances.

The VP, DMM will drive collaboration across Buying, Planning, and cross-pillar teams such as Stores, Marketing and Digital, ensuring that all strategies are executed effectively to achieve financial goals. With a strong focus on client obsession, brand partner negotiations, distribution, activation, pricing, promotions, and markdown decisions, this leader will guide the business towards achieving growth and profitability. This role is highly integrated into Stores organization and requires quick response to in-the-moment pricing accommodation discussions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Retail Management, or related field
• 10+ years of experience in retail merchandising, buying, and brand partnership management, with a proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and driving strategic initiatives at a senior level
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire, align, and lead teams to achieve business objectives
• Extensive experience in brand negotiations, vendor management, and translating broader strategies into actionable plans
• Deep understanding of retail merchandising, buying, and planning processes
• Dallas strongly preferred based on proximity to Jewelry Operations team
• Strong financial acumen, with experience in managing pricing, promotions, and markdown decisions
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while managing multiple priorities effectively
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels
• Customer-centric thinker who is “art” led, and “science” informed

Requirements

• Collaborate with the SVP, GMM Leader to translate broader merchandising and divisional strategies into actionable category-specific strategies and tactics, ensuring alignment with the company’s vision and financial objectives
• Orchestrate the execution of merchandise strategies by partnering closely with Buying, Planning, Stores, and cross-pillar teams, including Marketing and Digital, to drive cohesive product assortments and seamless execution across all channels
• Work directly with Buyers and their teams to ensure product assortment is fully aligned with category strategies and that the right products are available to meet customer demand
• Work directly with the Jewelry Operations team to ensure smooth in-take of high value merchandise, repairs processing, box & certificate management, data alignment to support special orders & trunk shows and overall safe and accurate merchandise management
• Ensure the product assortment and activation plan aligns with market trends, customer demands, and category strategies
• Continuously analyze product performance to optimize assortment strategies and drive profitable growth
• Focus on development of plans to drive case line productivity
• Develop productive replenishment strategies
• Ability to work with Accounts Payable to manage asset, consignment, drop ship and cash advance models
• Support the SVP, GMM Leader in vendor negotiations, ‘world of’ discussions, and top-to-top meetings, contributing to the development of strong partnerships and favorable terms that align with business goals
• Strong merchant to lead styling and merchandising for semi-annual, jewelry dedicated NM Bejeweled Book and annual Saks Fine jewelry Book
• Collaborate with the Head Of Buying Leaders, and Planning Leads to define and execute the pre-season and in-season roadmap, ensuring strategies and plans are aligned with financial targets and timelines
• Work with Buying and Planning teams to determine final pricing, promotional strategies, and markdown decisions, ensuring consistency with category strategies while optimizing profitability and margin
• Work with brands to identify exclusive leads and launches
• Lead, inspire, and align buying teams around a shared vision and strategic direction, driving collaboration across functions to meet company objectives and deliver exceptional business results

Benefits

• Opportunity to work in a dynamic fast paced environment at a company experiencing growth and transformation
• Exposure to rewarding career advancement opportunities across the largest multi-brand luxury retailer from retail to distribution, to digital or corporate
• Comprehensive benefits package for all eligible full-time employees (including medical, vision and dental)
• An amazing employee discount
• Medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, disability insurance, and a variety of additional voluntary benefits (such as critical illness, hospital and accident insurance)