merchandise brand specialist, Product Portfolio & Pricing Strategy
Starbucks · Seattle
Now Brewing – merchandise brand specialist, Product Portfolio & Pricing Strategy! #tobeapartner
From the beginning, Starbucks set out to be a different kind of company. One that not only celebrated coffee and the rich tradition, but that also brought a feeling of connection. We are known for developing extraordinary leaders who share this passion and are guided by their service to others.
As a merchandise brand specialist on the Starbucks Category Brand Management team, you will play a critical role in bringing merchandise to life across U.S. and Canada coffeehouses and ecommerce channels. Working within a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, you will support the successful commercialization of product assortments by ensuring accuracy, integrity, and readiness across systems, processes, and cross-functional partners.
This role combines operational excellence with business support. Approximately 70% of the role focuses on product commercialization, data management, and system execution, ensuring merchandise launches are accurate, timely, and customer ready. The remaining 30% supports business operations, budget management, special projects, and process improvements that help drive category performance.
We are looking for someone who is highly organized, detail-oriented, customer-focused, and energized by solving complex problems. The ideal candidate thrives in ambiguity, uses data to drive decisions, and can effectively manage multiple priorities while partnering across teams.
As a merchandise brand specialist, you will…
- Business Management:
- Data Management / Timeliness: Manage Merchandise data and ensure data is complete, accurate and updated in a timely manner across all systems, tools and excel documents.
- Item Set-Up: Drive all steps of item set up process to advance items to launch status in all systems, tools and excel for omni-channel Merchandise.
- System Maintenance: Drive system commercialization post item setup across all Starbucks platforms for Merchandise (not limited to PLM, MAN, BOM, PDX, Workbench, ETC)
- Trademark Searches: Support all product categories in submission and tracking of legal reviews
- Competitive Analysis: leads product reviews and trend research in key areas
- Process Improvement: Evaluate areas of improvement and provide recommendations
- Marketing & Promotions:
- Budgets: Manages budget in partnership with budget owners. Specifically tracks marketing spend, processes invoices and reconciles spending versus the budget.
- Product Commercialization and Promo Launch Readiness: Ensure all Merchandise will launch as needed without issues (Pricing, POS, MOP, CloverNet, ETC)
- Administration:
- Leads sample management for all internal sample requests and our merchandise mock store
- Provide operational and administrative support for product sampling, photoshoots, presentations, and other business needs.
- Serve as a trusted partner to cross-functional teams, helping ensure successful execution across the merchandise portfolio.
We’d love to hear from people with:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.
- 2-4 years of demonstrated professional experience in merchandising, brand management, product operations, product development, category management, retail, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience with clear track record and examples of working with data, systems, reporting, or product information management processes. Ideally, you would have multiple cycles or repetitions on projects or data.
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
- Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
- Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously.
- Strong organizational, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to build productive working relationships across functions.
- Comfortable navigating, ambiguity and adapting to changing business needs.
- Ability to work independently while contributing to team success.
- Continuous improvement mindset with a passion for driving efficiencies.
As a Starbucks partner, you (and your family) will have access to medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, and other voluntary insurance benefits. Partners have access to short-term and long-term disability, paid parental leave, family expansion reimbursement, paid vacation from date of hire*, sick time (accrued at 1 hour for every 25 hours worked), eight paid holidays, and two personal days per year. Starbucks also offers eligible partners participation in a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, a discounted company stock program (S.I.P.), Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock), incentivized emergency savings, and financial well-being tools. Additionally, Starbucks offers 100% upfront tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program via the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, student loan management resources, and access to other educational opportunities. You will also have access to backup care and DACA reimbursement. Starbucks will comply with any applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, and in accordance with its plans and policies. This list is subject to change depending on collective bargaining in locations where partners have a certified bargaining representative. For additional information regarding partner perks and more detailed information about benefits, go to starbucksbenefits.com.
The actual base pay offered to the successful candidate will be based on multiple factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge/skills, experience, geographical location, and internal equity. At Starbucks, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the high end of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.
We believe we do our best work when we're together, which is why we're onsite four days a week.
Join us and inspire with every cup. Apply today!
Starbucks Coffee Company is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with all federal, state and local ordinances.
Starbucks Coffee Company is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at applicantaccommodation@starbucks.com or 1(888) 611-2258.