Job Description

Job Description

Job Description

Location: New England (CT, MA, RI, VT, NH, ME) and NY

Employment Type: Full-Time | Exempt | Reports to: GMS Owners

Position Summary

Grower Merchandising Service (GMS) is looking for a results-driven General Manager to lead our expanding merchandising operations across New York and the six New England states. This role oversees regional field teams supporting Walmart and Home Depot Garden Centers through Direct Store Delivery (DSD) and live goods merchandising. As we grow toward a year-round, full-service retail merchandising model , this leadership position will also play a key role in evolving our business, driving performance, and developing retail relationships.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development

• Coach, support, and hold Regional Managers accountable for hiring, training, and retention of high-performing field teams.
• Build a team culture of initiative, integrity, and execution through hands-on coaching and mentoring.
• Conduct field visits weekly to train, measure execution, and ensure compliance.

Field Operations & DSD Oversight

• Oversee DSD merchandising from Grower Direct Farms to retail locations.
• Ensure correct prioritization of merchandising activities, alignment with delivery schedules, and resolution of vendor/service conflicts.

Retail Partnership Management

• Maintain direct communication with store operators, DMs, MMs, and national buyers at Walmart and Home Depot.
• Represent GMS in customer meetings, promotional presentations, and seasonal strategy sessions.
• Provide actionable feedback and visual proof-of-performance to retail partners.

Financial Management & Performance

• Collaborate with finance to develop and manage annual operating and manpower budgets .
• Monitor KPIs including sales lift, merchandising compliance, and budget adherence.
• Provide monthly performance updates to ownership, reconciling plans with actuals.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Objective

Target

Net Operating Profit (NOP)

15% Margin

Team Retention

75% year-over-year

Customer Retention

95% year-over-year

Regional Manager Development

Documented quarterly coaching plans

Retail Communication

Minimum monthly contact per region, <2 complaints/Q from store ops

Ideal Candidate Profile

• 7+ years of experience in retail merchandising, field operations, or horticulture-related categories.
• Strong background in selling and executing retail merchandising programs, ideally with experience calling on Walmart, Home Depot, or similar.
• Proven success managing large, distributed teams and driving accountability through KPIs.
• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills; able to influence senior retail partners.
• Experience with task management software, route planning tools, and merchandising platforms.

Why GMS?

• Opportunity to lead a growing team as we expand into a year-round merchandising services company .
• Visibility with major national retailers and the chance to help shape their in-store experience.
• Competitive compensation, bonus potential, and mileage reimbursement.
• A company culture grounded in respect, transparency, and execution

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