Job Description

Create a healthier, brighter future for pets, pet parents and people!

If you want to make a real difference, create an exciting career path, feel welcome to be your whole self and nurture your wellbeing, Petco is the place for you.

Our core values capture that spirit as we work to improve lives by doing what’s right for pets, people and our planet.

• We love all pets like our own
• We’re the future of the pet industry
• We’re here to improve lives
• We drive outstanding results together
• We’re welcome as we are

Petco is a category-defining health and wellness company focused on improving the lives of pets, pet parents and Petco partners. We are 29,000 strong and operate 1,500+ pet care centers in the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, including 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics and eight distribution centers. We’re focused on purpose-driven work, and strongly believe what’s good for pets, people and our planet is good for Petco.

The Director, Division Merchandising Manager (DMM) is responsible for leading the strategy, assortment vision, and financial performance of the Home & Lifestyle portfolio while identifying and incubating new categories that drive traffic, discovery, and brand love. This role blends strong merchant instincts with financial acumen and cultural trend awareness to deliver compelling, innovative assortments that resonate with today’s customer.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, General Merchandise Manager (SVP/GMM), the Director, DMM plays a critical role in shaping the product strategy and driving a steady flow of newness across categories. The role works closely with cross-functional partners including Product Innovation, Product Design, Sourcing, Planning, Marketing, and Supply Chain to bring differentiated products to market across both owned brands and national brands.

Key Responsibilities

Merchandising Strategy & Category Leadership

• Define the vision and multi-year strategy for the division, rooted in customer insights, cultural signals, trend intelligence, and competitive benchmarking. Integrate trends in interior design, pet wellness, home living, scent, lifestyle behaviors, and household functionality.
• Build compelling assortments that prioritize newness, innovation, and differentiation while delivering financial growth, margin expansion, and inventory productivity.
• Own category architecture, channel strategy, pricing, value ladder, and product storytelling across stores and digital.

Financial & Business Management

• Own the financial performance of assigned categories including sales, margin, inventory productivity, and profitability.
• Manage merchandise planning inputs including assortment productivity, pricing architecture, promotional cadence, and inventory flow.
• Partner with Planning and Finance teams to monitor performance and adjust strategies to achieve financial targets.

Assortment Curation & Innovation Pipeline

• Champion newness and differentiation: elevated feeding solutions, travel innovations, lifestyle décor, limited-edition capsules and collaborations.
• Identify whitespace to expand into new pet lifestyle categories that resonate with Millennial and Gen Z pet households.
• Lead line reviews, assortment edits, and go-to-market briefs with clear decision-making anchored in customer value and financial impact.

Cross-Functional Leadership Across Owned Brands

• Collaborate closely with Product Development, Product Design, Sourcing, Planning, Marketing, and Supply Chain teams to bring assortments to market with excellence and speed.
• Ensure alignment across teams through clear product briefs, milestone reviews, and launch planning.
• Partner with Marketing and Visual Merchandising to deliver compelling product storytelling across channels.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead and develop a high-performing team of Senior Buyers, Buyers, Associate Buyers, and Assistant Buyers.
• Build a culture of trend obsession, creativity, smart risk-taking, financial rigor, and speed.
• Develop talent in vendor strategy, product curation, financial decision-making, and customer-obsessed assortment planning.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of progressive merchandising leadership in trend-driven omnichannel retail.
• Demonstrated success driving newness, exclusivity, and innovation in fast-product-cycle categories.
• Strong P&L acumen with a track record of margin expansion, SKU optimization, and inventory productivity.
• Experience partnering with Owned Brands and leading multi-category seasonal strategies.
• Expertise in developing new categories, collaborations, influencer programs, and trend capsules.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence across Product Development, Design, Sourcing, Marketing, and Supply Chain.
• Strong vendor management and negotiation experience across domestic and global partners.
• Exceptional leadership, talent development, and communication skills.
• Passion for culture, curiosity, consumer behavior, design, and storytelling with a bias for speed and innovation.

What the Director, DMM owns:

• Customer-first home & lifestyle strategy and stories
• Financial ownership of the business (sales, margin, inventory)
• Line architecture & assortment strategy
• Vendor portfolio strategy (brand and owned brand)
• Pricing, promotional strategy, and value ladder
• Channel strategy (store + digital + cross-category)
• Go-to-market priorities & business readiness
• Business decisions on which products go forward

#LI-MK1

#CORP

Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.

The pay ranges outlined below are presented in accordance with state-specific regulations. These ranges may differ in other areas and could be subject to variation based on regulatory minimum wage requirements. Actual pay rates will depend on factors such as position, location, level of experience, and applicable state or local minimum wage laws. If the regulatory minimum wage exceeds the minimum indicated in the pay range below, the regulatory minimum wage will be the minimum rate applied.

$166,300.00 - $249,400.00

year

For a more detailed overview of Petco Total Rewards, including health and financial benefits, 401K, incentives, and PTO -see https://careers.petco.com/us/en/key-benefits

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