Director Brand Building & Strategic Platforms, Merchandising

About the Role

Key Responsibilities

• Lead overall strategy for two strategic merchandising initiatives; new and emerging brand-building efforts; and cross-category special projects, in collaboration with broader Merchandising leadership, Chief Merchandising Officer, Corporate Strategy, Legal, and Investors.
• Set the overall Sparked Strategy to differentiate the assortment for guests and lead a team dedicated to scouting, onboarding, and launching new brands across all major channels at Ulta Beauty.
• Establish the vision for growth of black owned and founded brands, ensuring inclusive assortments, and supporting BIPOC partners through programs like the MUSE Accelerator Program.
• Lead the identification and onboarding of new brands that offer differentiation or capitalize on emerging trends, partnering with brand founders and internal teams for successful launches.
• Drive brand growth by working directly with high-potential emerging brands, cultivating a culture of brand building through education and support.
• Collaborate with core category merchandising teams to identify trends, gaps, and prepare new brands for migration into core categories.
• Represent Ulta Beauty in industry panels, media, and mentorship/judging roles for brand accelerators.
• Develop marketing strategies to grow awareness of priority brands, emphasizing digital and email channels.
• Monitor cultural, technological, and market trends to inform strategic direction and assess competitive landscape for opportunities or threats.
• Lead, coach, and develop the team to achieve financial goals and prepare them for broader responsibilities.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across departments to align priorities and communicate a clear vision.

Requirements

• Minimum of 12+ years of progressive merchandising experience with success in managing multi-brand, multi-category businesses.
• Proven success in managing vendor relationships, launching new brands, and building customer loyalty.
• Subject Matter Expert with a deep understanding of beauty brands, assortments, and trends across categories such as haircare, skincare, makeup, fragrance, and bath and body.
• Experience with negotiation, strong communication, interpersonal skills, problem solving, and decision-making.
• At least 5+ years of leading a team with a focus on growth, development, and fostering company culture.
• Passion for the beauty industry and innovation, with the ability to lead through change and continuous improvement.
• High emotional intelligence and adaptable approach based on stakeholder needs.
• Financial acumen with the ability to analyze data and performance metrics relevant to business growth.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; knowledge of SAP and SAP Hana is a plus.

Nice to Have

• Knowledge of SAP and SAP Hana systems.

Qualifications

• Educational background is not explicitly specified, but extensive experience in merchandising and leadership roles is required.

Benefits & Perks

• Full-time positions are eligible for paid time off, health, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits.
• Part-time positions are eligible for dental, vision, life, and disability benefits.
• Additional benefits details available at https://learn.bswift.com/ulta.