Associate Category Manager

Gardner White Furniture is seeking an organized and creative Associate Category Manager to support its Merchandising team. The role focuses on developing and managing product assortments, coordinating vendor relationships and product launches, analyzing category performance, and supporting merchandising execution across showrooms and online channels.

What you'll do:

• Support the development and management of assortments within assigned merchandise categories
• Collaborate with merchandising leadership to identify product opportunities, emerging design trends, and category growth initiatives
• Participate in vendor meetings to review new product introductions, discuss pricing and trends, and plan future assortments
• Coordinate product launches from purchase through in-store and online execution
• Partner with Marketing, E-Commerce, Inventory, and Store Operations to ensure products are launched accurately and on time
• Manage product setup for the website, including specifications, photography, descriptions, pricing, and merchandising attributes
• Assist in developing product knowledge materials and coordinate sales training initiatives with vendor partners
• Analyze sales performance, inventory levels, margins, and product lifecycle data to identify opportunities and risks
• Assist with showroom floor planning, collection placement, visual merchandising, and seasonal floor resets
• Monitor customer trends, competitive activity, and market insights to support assortment decisions
• Maintain accurate product information, purchase documentation, pricing, and vendor records
• Build and maintain strong relationships with vendor partners while ensuring project timelines and deliverables are met

What they're looking for:

• Strong organizational, analytical, and project management skills
• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Passion for home furnishings, interior design, merchandising, and identifying emerging trends
• Travel for furniture markets, vendor meetings, and industry events is required
• The employee will be required to stand and walk for extended periods while attending furniture markets, vendor showrooms, and store locations
• The employee may occasionally lift and move items weighing up to 40 pounds while assisting with store rollouts and merchandising activities
• This is a full-time position, Monday-Friday based on the needs of the business
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Merchandising, Interior Design, Marketing, or a related field preferred
• 1-3 years of experience in merchandising, retail buying, product development, interior design, or a related field preferred