Lead Merchandising Strategist

This is a Full Time Job

Lead Merchandisers are responsible for the scaled strategic guidance of title promotions for all new content types on Netflix (inclusive of Podcast, Sports (highlights and recaps), Vertical Video and more). You will be an expert in the various Merchandising surfaces and tactics, including their impact to title/slate performance and member experience as well as existing merchandising Playbooks, acting as a point of escalation for local title merchandisers and regional leaders where that expertise is required. You will use this knowledge to help deliver best-in-class presentations for a variety of title types, ensuring experiences on Netflix match their business motivation and member needs.

Regionally, you implement the processes to enable this (title reviews, quarterly merch planning, prioritization of regional requests). Where playbooks do not yet exist, or have gaps, you will leverage your own knowledge and your partnership with the global functional team to define solutions. You will also provide the context and feedback back to ensure playbooks evolve as necessary. Importantly, you understand dashboards and analytics, informing and evaluating your own decision-making. You are a point of escalation for all merchandising overrides or exceptions in the region, a responsibility you exercise with global perspective and in partnership with lead merchandisers of other regions.

You should be comfortable at the hub of a fast-paced environment where you interface daily with cross-functional experts, and can speak comfortably in both technical and creative languages. Strong merchandising background and data acumen are required. Strategic systems-thinking and creative sensibilities are key attributes of this role. A love of entertainment is a plus.

You are expected to:
• Ensure title merchandising in the region abides by existing principles and guidelines at scale. Existing playbooks should cover 80% of launching use cases so that title merchandisers can operate autonomously and efficiently. Escalation for your input should be required <20% of the time; your job includes identifying where new playbooks are necessary to facilitate this ratio.
• In the absence of playbooks (or grey area), this role provides guidance in consultation with the global core team. As the decision rests with this role, so too does the accountability for all non-standard title merchandising decisions.
• Be accountable for ensuring our top projects launch as expected (without issues). Your involvement should be proportional to the priority and complexity of a project (focused on a small number).
• ''Quarterbacking'' the merchandising effort for titles with numerous and/or new merchandising tactics applied; leading title reviews, ensuring strategies, rationales and outcomes are well-documented for senior executive visibility, etc.
• Act as point person for all algo override requests from content partners, and are accountable for articulating if/why we need an algo override, elevating recommendation for regional leader sign-off, and ensuring the impact of that override is properly captured and communicated.
• Understand Title Merchandising dashboards and metrics; act as point of escalation and expertise for title performance questions from partners (content, marcomms, CSA, policy, etc) as necessary.
• Be an expert in product behavior; support local merchandising leadership as a point of escalation for general product knowledge, fielding Product '102' questions including how innovation works, or general product behavior from local region partners.
• Marry product promotional knowledge with local insights to identify where local member behaviors may diverge, and surface those to the functional team with sizing and prioritization (i.e. what is the difference, how big is it, why does it matter to members or to our business).
• Filter and prioritize all regional requests for additional merchandising support (title, catalog, messaging), and liaising with core functional teams on approved requests.
• Being the expert in product promotional understanding, metrics and insights for titles in your region; Analyze and represent local title promotion holistically (how assets, setup, and product behavior result in end visibility), and how that impacts content performance.
• Share feedback and context on how to evolve a title's promotional story to land better with local partners.

You will not:
• Create new title merchandising playbooks or guidelines (this responsibility lies with the functional team).
• Greenlight or execute partner ideas for merchandising independently (this responsibility lies with global core teams).
• Be the single point of Product contact for regional partners (Content, Marketing, PR, etc). Regional Leaders are responsible for the overall function of Product Merch in a region and should manage discussions related to organizational health, overall partnership, and team performance. Launch managers and other title-level representatives will have direct relationships with partners to represent their work. Lead Merchandisers are the informed representative and experts for escalated promotional performance questions, and exceptions or clarifications for merchandising playbooks and guidelines.
• Drive asset quality strategy (i.e. what makes a good video or static asset for this vertical).

Qualifications:
• 6+ years of experience in Promotional Strategy, Promotional Analytics, Merchandising Roles, Product Management, or Entertainment Marketing.
• Strong analytical skills; ability to read and digest quantitative insights, and craft narratives and thoughtful questions from multiple data points.
• Excellent written (memos and presentations) and verbal communication skills; timely communication and ability to context-switch communication style for different audiences (i.e. content partners vs product partners).
• Ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders of various backgrounds.
• Deep understanding of consumer behaviors and discovery habits with entertainment, understands how those intersect with content catalog and services.
• Strategic thinker with a strong customer-focused mindset and empathy.
• Highly motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and drive alignment amid ambiguity.
• Strong curiosity to learn new domains, keep up with industry innovation, and deepen understanding.
• Bachelor's degree required.