Director Merchandising GTM Commercial Planning & Ops

Discover greater levels of performance. With over 1,400 stores throughout the U.S. and an innovative omni-channel ecosystem, Ulta Beauty is revolutionizing the beauty retail experience. Ulta Beauty is expanding its digital capabilities, opening new stores on a continual basis and re-designing existing locations with the latest design and technological advancements for heightened guest experiences. We’re not just growing, we’re thriving through consistent innovation and a bold commitment to re-imagination. If you want the opportunity to build something strategic, to take ownership of your career trajectory, to apply your passion to operational excellence, Ulta Beauty provides the kind of stability and support few organizations can match. So be curious. Be flexible. Be more than you thought possible. The future is yours at Ulta Beauty.

SUMMARY: The Director, Merchandising Go to Market Commercial Planning & Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for the planning, alignment, and execution of key merchandising initiatives & product launches across all channels. The Director leads the governance and cross-functional processes that translate merchandising strategies and priorities into coordinated, customer-focused execution in support of financial and business objectives. Serving as the strategic integration point across Merchandising, Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Store Operations, Digital, Planning & Allocation, and other key functions, the Director establishes priorities, decision frameworks, and ensures that customer-facing messaging and creative assets align with brand strategies, product priorities & business objectives. This role leads the resolution of complex cross-functional issues and trade-offs, identifies risks and dependencies, and drives timely decisions to ensure merchandising initiatives are strategically aligned, operationally executable, and positioned to achieve intended business outcomes. CORE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES: Go-to-Market Commercial Planning & Operations • Lead the development and execution of integrated go-to-market merchandising calendar and strategies for key business initiatives, key moments (holiday), product launches, promotional campaigns, and enterprise priorities, in alignment with the broader cross functional go to market strategy. • Set direction and establish priorities, milestones, and decision points for merchandise category activities, ensuring cross-functional teams are aligned to deliver against plans, timelines, milestones, and business objectives. • Ensure alignment across merchandising strategies, financial objectives, , customer experience objectives, brand strategies, and operational execution identifying and resolving competing priorities and business trade-offs. • Establish and continuously evolve cross functional go-to-market process development across stores, digital channels, marketing, and supporting functions. • Anticipate and resolve complex cross functional risks, dependencies, and execution barriers. Drive decisions and appropriate escalation to protect business priorities and outcomes. • Apply strong financial and commercial acumen to assess the sales, margin, brand and customer implications of competing priorities. Strong collaboration with Central Planning and Finance teams to scope business impact. Concept Review & Governance • Lead merchandise concept development and review processes from initial ideation through final execution, in partnership with marketing and visual leadership • Oversee cross-functional concept reviews to drive timely decisions, alignment, and assess strategic fit, customer impact, operational feasibility, sales volume impacts and brand consistency. • Establish governance, decision rights, accountability, and escalation mechanisms to ensure risks, dependencies, and action items are proactively identified and resolved. • Partner with stakeholders to resolve issues and maintain progress