Head of Merchandising Operations

Job Description:

About us

Our purpose is to bring together people, energy and markets to power and navigate a changing world. In a time of constant change and possibility we need new talent to pursue commercial opportunities, fueled by world-class insight and expertise. We're always striving for more innovative digital solutions, sustainable outcomes and closer collaboration across our company and beyond, and you could be part of that too. Together we continue to grow as the world's leading energy company!

Role Purpose

The Director of Merchandising Operations is accountable for leading the operational functions that ensure merchandising strategy translates into consistent, high-quality store execution across bp's multi‑banner, multi‑channel retail network, including Thorntons, ampm, and TravelCenters of America (TA).

The role serves as the bridge from strategy to execution-translating category and merchandising direction into store‑ready standards, setups, and routines that reliably show up at shelf across both company‑owned and franchise channels of trade, operating within a wholesale supply chain model that relies on centralized or single‑wholesaler distribution.

The role operates within a global delivery and operating model, where primary leadership, decision‑making, and key commercial partners are based in the United States, supported by globally distributed execution teams. Success requires strong leadership across geographies, time zones, and operating cadences.

The role does not own category strategy or P&L, nor direct accountability for enterprise transformation funding or roadmap prioritization. However, this role is ultimately accountable for whether merchandising intent is implemented correctly in stores-with material impact on in‑stock performance, sales and margin realization, customer experience, and operational risk-by ensuring initiatives are store‑ready, supply‑chain feasible, compliant, and operationally sound across a highly complex retail environment.

Key Accountabilities

Merchandising Operations Enablement

• Lead enterprise merchandising operations for item setup, pricing execution, promotions, planograms, and space standards across multiple banners and channels
• Own end‑to‑end operational execution for merchandising activities spanning company‑owned and franchise formats, ensuring execution models appropriately balance standardization with controlled variation
• Translate merchandising and category strategies into clear, executable operational outputs that align wholesaler capabilities, ordering models, and replenishment constraints
• Ensure accuracy, timeliness, and consistency of merchandising execution across the retail network
• Ensure execution plans reflect real‑world store conditions (e.g., backroom constraints, labor variability, vendor performance, ordering limitations, and space constraints), and adjust operational approaches to protect execution consistency

Operational Governance & Controls

• Establish and manage standard operating procedures, controls, and execution standards to support a multi‑banner, multi‑system merchandising environment operating through a centralized wholesale supply chain
• Define, monitor, and report enterprise critical metrics related to in‑stock and on‑shelf execution, execution accuracy, quality, cycle time, compliance, and rework
• Establish a closed‑loop governance model that ensures execution gaps are not only identified, but clearly owned, escalated, tracked to resolution, and communicated back to collaborators across Merchandising, Store Operations, Supply Chain, Technology, and wholesaler partners
• Identify execution risks related to pricing, promotions, item integrity, and supply‑chain readiness, and implement mitigation actions to protect store operations, brand integrity, and customer trust

Merchandising Systems, Supply Chain & Data Enablement

• Own operational accountability for merchandising execution systems and data domains including item master/MDM, pricing execution, promotions, planogram/space tools, POS integration, and merchandising data governance
• Ensure merchandising execution processes are fully aligned with wholesaler item files, ordering processes, lead times, and cut‑over requirements to support replenishment integrity and protect in‑stock performance
• Partner closely with Supply Chain, Technology, Finance, and business teams to ensure merchandising initiatives are operationally feasible within a single‑wholesaler or centralized distribution model, without direct ownership of transformation funding or multi‑year roadmap prioritization
• Ensure systems, data, and processes collectively enable scalable, controlled execution across banners, channels, and supply‑chain models

People Leadership

• Lead and develop manager‑level teams across merchandising operations functions, including leaders and execution teams operating within a global delivery model
• Establish clear role clarity, escalation paths, operating rhythms, and performance expectations across geographically distributed teams
• Build engagement, capability, and accountability while maintaining strong alignment with US‑based leadership, key stakeholders, and supply‑chain partners
• Ensure appropriate resourcing, workload planning, and capacity alignment to support seasonal, promotional, and banner‑specific execution needs

Cross‑Functional Leadership

• Act as a primary execution partner to Category Management, Store Operations, Supply Chain, Technology, Finance, and Marketing
• Bridge strategic merchandising intent and operational delivery by coordinating across merchandising, wholesaler partners, and store operations
• Support store and supply‑chain readiness, communications, and change management for merchandising initiatives across banners and channels
• Influence outcomes through expertise, operational insight, and collaboration rather than direct strategy or investment authority

Continuous Improvement

• Drive continuous improvement through simplification, standardization, and automation of merchandising operations processes across a wholesale‑enabled retail model, reducing store workload and improving execution reliability
• Improve speed‑to‑market and execution quality while maintaining appropriate controls in a complex, multi‑banner environment
• Support enterprise initiatives related to systems modernization, data integrity, and operating model evolution

Scope & Decision Authority

• Owns prioritization and execution of merchandising operations activities within established enterprise and merchandising strategy
• Makes decisions that directly impact in‑stock performance, execution consistency, operational efficiency, store readiness, and execution risk across banners and channels
• Influences supply‑chain aligned execution outcomes through enablement, governance, and cross‑functional leadership rather than direct P&L, sourcing, or strategy ownership

Knowledge & Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• Significant experience in retail merchandising operations, category operations, or retail enablement
• Demonstrated success leading manager‑level teams in complex, multi‑unit and globally distributed retail environments
• Experience operating within wholesale or centralized distribution models strongly preferred
• Strong operational discipline, analytical capability, and change leadership skills
• Experience supporting multi‑banner and/or franchise retail models preferred
• Ability to travel 25%-50%

Why join BP

At BP, we support our people to learn and grow in a diverse and challenging environment. We believe that our team is strengthened by diversity. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment in which everyone is respected and treated fairly.

There are many aspects of our employees' lives that are meaningful, so we offer benefits to enable your work to fit with your life. These benefits can include flexible working options, a generous paid parental leave policy, and excellent retirement benefits, among others.

How much do we pay (Base)? ($158,000 - $ 275,000) *Note that the pay range listed for this position is a genuinely expected and reasonable estimate of the range of possible base compensation at the time of posting.

This position is eligible for US Benefits - Core. This position offers paid vacation depending on your years of relevant industry experience and will range from 120 - 240 hours of vacation per year for full time employees (60 - 240 hours of vacation per year for part time employees). You will also be eligible for 9 paid holidays per year and 2 personal choice holidays. You may learn more about how we calculate paid vacation and view our generous vacation and holiday schedules at Core U.S. Benefits. Bp has a parental leave policy as well, which offers up to 8 weeks' paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. Learn more by visiting Core U.S. Benefits.

We offer a reward package to enable your work to fit with your life. These offerings include a discretionary annual bonus program, long-term incentive program, and generous retirement benefits that include a 401k matching program. These benefits include a pension for eligible employee. You may learn more about our generous benefits at Core U.S. Benefits.

As part of bp's wellbeing package, bp offers access to health, vision, and dental insurance, as well as life and Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability. You may learn more about our generous benefits at Core U.S. Benefits.

Travel Requirement
Up to 50% travel should be expected with this role

Relocation Assistance:
Relocation may be negotiable for this role

Remote Type:
This position is a hybrid of office/remote working

Skills:
Agility core practices, Agility core practices, Agreements and negotiations, Analytical Thinking, Business Acumen, Business process improvement, Commercial Acumen, Communication, Conflict Management, Continuous Improvement, Continuous Learning, Creativity and Innovation, customer and competitor understanding, Customer centric thinking, Customer data knowledge, Data Analysis, Data visualization and interpretation, Decision Making, Digital Collaboration, Digital Fluency, Industry knowledge and advocacy, Integrated pricing, Leading transformation, market, Negotiation planning and preparation {+ 13 more}

Legal Disclaimer:

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics like race, religion, color, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, veteran status or disability status. Individuals with an accessibility need may request an adjustment/accommodation related to bp's recruiting process (e.g., accessing the job application, completing required assessments, participating in telephone screenings or interviews, etc.). If you would like to request an adjustment/accommodation related to the recruitment process, please contact us.

If you are selected for a position and depending upon your role, your employment may be contingent upon adherence to local policy. This may include pre-placement drug screening, medical review of physical fitness for the role, and background checks.