Project Manager - Merchandising

A position at White Cap isn’t your ordinary job. You’ll work in an exciting and diverse environment, meet interesting people, and have a variety of career opportunities.

The White Cap family is committed to Building Trust on Every Job. We do this by being deeply knowledgeable, fully capable, and always dependable, and our associates are the driving force behind this commitment.

Responsible for leading the planning, coordination, and execution of Merchandising initiatives in support of the Category Management strategy and implementation roadmap.  Drives end-to-end delivery of assortment changes, supplier transitions, new product launches, and process improvements across the nationwide branch and DC network while ensuring consistency, scalability, and minimal disruption to field operations.  Balances hands-on project leadership with accountability for project planning, execution, and outcomes.  Defines, standardizes, and maintains category workflows, operating processes, and documentation to enable repeatable, scalable execution.

Major Tasks, Responsibilities and Key Accountabilities

• Leads end-to-end planning and execution of cross-functional Category Management initiatives, including new product introductions, assortment changes, supplier transitions, category resets, and branch-level implementation projects. Ensures projects are delivered on time, within scope, on budget, and with minimal defects.

• Manages branch-level transitions, including item exits, new item introductions, space optimization, and innovation pilots. Proactively identifies risks, develops mitigation strategies, and minimizes disruption to branch showrooms and warehouse operations.

• Develops and maintains standardized plans, communication vehicles, and execution instructions for merchandising changes, including placement guidance and supporting materials to ensure consistent rollout across the branch network.

• Coordinates space planning and new concept development in partnership with internal teams, Category Management, and key suppliers. Translates assortments and strategies into branch-specific planograms that meet White Cap’s merchandising standards.

• Supports the creation and maintenance of consistent, repeatable approaches for executing assortment and supplier changes across the branch and DC network.

• Builds strong relationships with the field organization and drives continuous improvement by applying merchandising best practices to enhance execution quality, scalability, and performance of all showroom sets.

Nature and Scope

• Consults with senior management on solution development for complex strategic and technical business issues. Independently solves unique and complex problems that have a broad impact on the business. Assignments are large scope, high impact, high cost, and high importance.

• Establishes operational plans for assigned area. Acts as a strategic advisor and uses expert skills to contribute to the development of strategic company objectives. Receives general administrative and business direction as needed. Typically operates with broad latitude in a complex environment.

• Guides and mentors staff at all levels, provides advice to senior management on complex and strategic issues, and may lead or manage complex projects with dotted line responsibility.

Work Environment

• Located in a comfortable indoor area. Any unpleasant conditions would be infrequent and not objectionable.

• Most of the time is spent sitting in a comfortable position and there is frequent opportunity to move about. On rare occasions there may be a need to move or lift light articles.

• Typically requires overnight travel less than 10% of the time.

Education and Experience

• Typically requires BS/BA in a related discipline. Generally 2-5 years of experience in a related field OR MS/MA and generally 2-4 years of experience in a related field. Certification is required in some areas.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven experience supporting merchandising planning and execution roles across large nationwide retailers or distributors.

• Demonstrated track record of building processes, managing cross-functional projects, and driving execution with field/branch teams.

• Experience building strong cross-departmental relationships and applying merchandising best practices to enhance execution quality and scalability.

• Strong critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills with the ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment.

• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across multiple departments.

• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel required; Visio and Smartsheet a plus) and project management tools.

• Experience with Space Planning by Blue Yonder. Experience with IKB or Macro Space Planning is a plus.

If you’re looking to play a role in building America, consider one of our open opportunities. We can’t wait to meet you.