Director VP, Merchandising & Marketing

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Job Summary:

Edward Don & Company is a national specialty company of Sysco, generating $1.3B in revenue. They are seeking a VP of Merchandising & Marketing to lead all aspects of merchandising, marketing, and product strategy, overseeing cross-functional teams and driving strategic initiatives for growth and profitability.

Responsibilities:

• Lead development and execution of business strategy across merchandising, marketing, and product management.

• Drive alignment across internal departments to ensure consistent execution of growth initiatives.

• Facilitate regular meetings with functional leads to resolve challenges, foster decision-making, and maintain strategic momentum.

• Develop organization design strategies to support scale and future-state capability needs.

• Lead initiatives that capture margin and revenue opportunities through vendor programs, supplier negotiations, and category expansion.

• Manage budgets and cost optimization strategies to support bottom-line performance.

• Create governance and performance measurement tools to ensure execution success and strategic alignment.

• Act as primary point of coordination across leadership teams and internal stakeholders.

• Deliver executive updates to senior leadership and internal governance bodies.

• Partner with senior HR leaders to support team development, engagement, and organizational change.

• Chair internal leadership meetings to elevate and resolve key risks, decisions, and opportunities.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant experience.

• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills with the ability to inspire and influence across levels.

• Experience operating in complex, matrixed organizations.

• Strategic and tactical thinking with the ability to align vision with execution.

• Strong financial acumen, including P&L ownership and cost management.

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and navigate ambiguity.

• Expertise in change management, project execution, and building high-performing teams.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong executive presence.

• Analytical mindset with the ability to identify trends and inform data-driven decisions.

• Collaborative, adaptable, and able to operate effectively in evolving business environments.

• Travel: 50–75% required

• Location: Hybrid Work

Preferred:

• 8–10 years of experience in the equipment and supplies industry, with a background in sales, merchandising, or strategic leadership roles.

Company:

A Woodridge, Ill.-based distributor of foodservice equipment and supplies. Founded in 1921, the company is headquartered in Woodridge, Illinois, USA, with a team of 1001-5000 employees. The company is currently Late Stage.