Program Manager 2 – Merchandise Strategy Activations - (Hybrid, Seattle, WA)

About the position The Program Manager 2 – Merchandise Strategy Activations role serves as the conduit between the Buying Offices and our stores, ensuring that seasonal product strategies are brought to life in compelling, customer-ready experiences. This role translates assortment intent into clear, actionable in-store playbooks, partners across functions to execute with excellence, and creates feedback loops to continually improve presentation, storytelling, inventory health, and event activation. This individual has a unique blend of merchandising expertise, store operations experience, and program management skills. They are a strong collaborator and communicator (written and verbal), a self-starter who thrives in ambiguity, and an owner at heart who moves work forward with minimal direction and excellent decision quality.

Responsibilities

• Walk the sales floor with store leadership and visual partners to ensure product strategies are translated into compelling, shoppable stories.
• Collaborate with store and visual leads to ensure product is merchandised into key stories, validate signage, and confirm storytelling aligns with seasonal priorities.
• Ensure floors and stockroom product is full and filled in, and partner with Allocation/Planning to raise opportunities.
• Host huddles with store teams to share the “why” behind the story, key talking points, and service moments to drive sales.
• Partner with Department / Store Managers to coordinate event readiness: confirm staffing, vendor deliverables, fixtures, and signage are on point for activation.
• Capture feedback and insights from store teams and customers; share photo-rich recaps and recommendations with Buying, Planning, and Visual partners.
• Collaborate with store leadership to balance competing constraints (space, labor, inventory variability) to deliver simple, scalable solutions across locations
• Partner with store operations, Department Managers and the SSA (stock staging area) to assist in product flow (new deliveries in and potential RTVs out) as well as processes
• Act as Liaison for FAO & Corner Brands to help ensure proper processes are followed in terms of product deliveries and product knowledge meetings.
• Need to adhere to Nordstrom store standards
• Partner with Buying Office and act as the liaison between Brands & Store Activations, pulling in key partners across the organization as needed to ensure execution

Requirements

• Prior experience as an Assistant Buyer or Planner and in-store leadership experience as a Department Manager (or equivalent).
• Strong program/project management skills with proven ability to drive cross-functional initiatives from brief to execution.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills—able to simplify complexity and influence without authority.
• Demonstrated decision quality grounded in data and store/customer insights.
• Self-starter mindset: curious, proactive, and comfortable moving work forward with minimal direction.
• Proficiency with merchandising tools and productivity platforms (Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Smartsheet).
• Ability to travel to stores as business needs require.

Nice-to-haves

• Preferred experience partnering with Visual Merchandising, Allocation/Planning, Supply Chain, and Marketing/Events teams.
• Preferred comfort with dashboards (Tableau/Power BI) for performance monitoring and storytelling.
• Preferred vendor management and event activation experience.
• Preferred Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, or related field—or equivalent practical experience.

Benefits

• Medical/Vision
• Dental
• Retirement and Paid Time Away
• Life Insurance and Disability
• Merchandise Discount and EAP Resources
• 401k
• medical/vision/dental/life/disability insurance options
• PTO accruals
• Holidays

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