OPT Merchandising Manager Jobs
Merchandising Manager jobs on OPT require employers to support your work authorization, whether through H-1B visa sponsorship, Cap-Gap coverage, or STEM OPT extension if your degree is in a qualifying field like data analytics or supply chain management. Roles typically involve vendor negotiations, inventory planning, and cross-functional collaboration with buying teams.
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Get Access To All JobsWho We Are
We’re Dealer Tire, a family-owned, international distributor of tires and parts established in 1918 in Cleveland, OH. We’re laser focused on helping the world’s largest and most trusted auto manufacturers grow their tire business—in fact, we’ve sold more than 60 million tires to date. We’re a thriving company, and we’re looking for driven individuals to join our team. That’s where you come in!
Base Pay Range:
$80,580 - $90,000
As a Merchandising Analyst, your essential job functions will include the following:
Tire Selection, Placement Strategy, and Product Communication for assigned Tire programs.
- Develop, analyze and adjust Dealer Tire’s product strategy to adapt to changes in OEM / Dealer needs, company strategy, and tire manufacturer commitments.
- Leverage industry expertise and research to evaluate new tire lines/sizes based on industry knowledge, features/benefits, market trends, pricing, and gross margin opportunities to manage Dealer Tire’s product offering to maximize profitability, revenue and volume and ensure the company’s financial objectives are met.
- Lead discussions and provide recommendations to a team of pricing analysts and Dealer Inventory Specialists to seek consensus on product screen enhancements.
- Collaborate with Supplier Relations to maximize contractual Tire Program profitability, drive growth for targeted Tire Manufacturers and provide analytical insight to drive cost concessions where applicable on new Product Screen Additions.
- Leverage data to drive Inventory Management to develop an initial stocking strategy and forecast.
- Lead discussions with Dealer Inventory Specialists and Sales Teams to implement a selling strategy around new product launches.
- Develop and enhance the Product Positioning/Strategy to adapt to changes in dealer needs, company strategy, tire line/SKU changes, and tire manufacturer commitments.
- Ensure the program websites are up to date reflecting the latest product screen descriptions and features/benefits.
- Measure and monitor the product offering and make any necessary additions or cancellations in conjunction with Program Management, Pricing, and Materials Management.
- Provide and support product communication and tools to support OEM programs and products effectively.
Product Categorization
- Maintain and enhance a classification system that will help the company plan and communicate product issues more accurately.
- Develop innovative merchandising strategies and use data to drive decision making on new industry trends, i.e., Electrified Vehicles and other emerging technologies.
- Classify all products by tire type (Ultra High Performance, Touring etc.) so their capabilities and applications are clear to internal stakeholders and customers.
- Maintain and update the product features and benefits database for use with the Dynamic Retail Selling Guide.
- Analyze sales trends and industry data to develop and monitor tire life cycles to drive improve decision making.
OEM Vehicle Database Development
- Assist in the timely and accurate maintenance our OEM vehicle and fitment database.
- Develop a system to research and enhance our non-alliance OEM vehicle and fitment database.
- Ensure all vehicles sold in the US must be researched and entered at a year/make/model/trim/option level such that it resolves to a single tire size.
- Identify and initiate the set up the OEM tires for each of these vehicles.
Leadership
- Lead a team of cross functional associates to implement the product strategy and other key Merchandising initiatives.
- Possess leadership qualities such that associates from all levels of the company will respect and support decisions.
Merchandising Support
- Utilize available historical sales data to perform extraction, analyses, modeling, and develop recommendations to grow revenue and margin.
- Design and build queries in Oracle BI, Alteryx, or Power BI to drive decision making across the team.
- Develop hypotheses for testing, analyze, and present results and recommendations.
- Develop and provide analyses to identify trends and actionable insights mined from available sales data; continuously recommend new and better ways to use sales data to improve business.
Other Duties as Assigned
Position Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent experience.
- Minimum of 4 years of experience in an analyst role.
- Retail/wholesale tire merchandising experience required.
- Extensive knowledge of tires, tire fitments, vehicles, and accessories for the North American market.
- Comfortable writing queries (Oracle BI and/or Alteryx) and working with large data sets in order to answer business questions.
- Strong MS Excel skills.
- Takes initiative to identify projects and opportunities beyond the identified role which could add value for the company.
- Able to work independently with minimal supervision.
- Internal and external customer service focused.
- Professional presentation skills: able to speak at all levels of an organization and represent the company’s values and direction.
- Expert analysis and synopsis skills; able to summarize large amounts of data to draw relevant conclusions.
Competencies Required
- Results Orientation
- Agility
- Initiative
- Influence
- Customer Focus
- Understands Data
- Applies Knowledge
- Weighs Alternatives
- Gathers Information
- Learns Quickly
- Works Efficiently
Physical Job Requirements
- Continuous viewing from and inputting data to a computer screen.
- Sitting for long periods of time.
- Limited travel as required.
Drug Policy
Dealer Tire is a drug-free environment. All applicants being considered for employment must pass a pre-employment drug screening before beginning work.
This position is targeted to be closed on:
2026-09-25
Why Dealer Tire: An amazing opportunity to join a growing organization, built on the efforts of hard working, innovative, and team-oriented people. The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and geographic location. The total compensation package may also include commission, bonus or profit sharing. We offer a competitive & comprehensive benefit package including: paid time off, medical, dental, vision, and 401k match (50% on the dollar up to 7% of employee contribution). For more information on our benefit offerings, please visit our Dealer Tire Family of Companies Benefits Highlights Booklet.
EOE Statement: Dealer Tire is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status or disability (in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act*), or any other legally protected status, with respect to employment opportunities.
ADA Disclosure: Any candidate who feels that they may need an accommodation to complete this application, or any portions of same, based on the impact of a disability should contact Dealer Tire’s Human Resources Department to discuss your specific needs. Please feel free to contact us at 1-800-933-2537 x6550.
Who We Are
We’re Dealer Tire, a family-owned, international distributor of tires and parts established in 1918 in Cleveland, OH. We’re laser focused on helping the world’s largest and most trusted auto manufacturers grow their tire business—in fact, we’ve sold more than 60 million tires to date. We’re a thriving company, and we’re looking for driven individuals to join our team. That’s where you come in!
Base Pay Range:
$80,580 - $90,000
As a Merchandising Analyst, your essential job functions will include the following:
Tire Selection, Placement Strategy, and Product Communication for assigned Tire programs.
- Develop, analyze and adjust Dealer Tire’s product strategy to adapt to changes in OEM / Dealer needs, company strategy, and tire manufacturer commitments.
- Leverage industry expertise and research to evaluate new tire lines/sizes based on industry knowledge, features/benefits, market trends, pricing, and gross margin opportunities to manage Dealer Tire’s product offering to maximize profitability, revenue and volume and ensure the company’s financial objectives are met.
- Lead discussions and provide recommendations to a team of pricing analysts and Dealer Inventory Specialists to seek consensus on product screen enhancements.
- Collaborate with Supplier Relations to maximize contractual Tire Program profitability, drive growth for targeted Tire Manufacturers and provide analytical insight to drive cost concessions where applicable on new Product Screen Additions.
- Leverage data to drive Inventory Management to develop an initial stocking strategy and forecast.
- Lead discussions with Dealer Inventory Specialists and Sales Teams to implement a selling strategy around new product launches.
- Develop and enhance the Product Positioning/Strategy to adapt to changes in dealer needs, company strategy, tire line/SKU changes, and tire manufacturer commitments.
- Ensure the program websites are up to date reflecting the latest product screen descriptions and features/benefits.
- Measure and monitor the product offering and make any necessary additions or cancellations in conjunction with Program Management, Pricing, and Materials Management.
- Provide and support product communication and tools to support OEM programs and products effectively.
Product Categorization
- Maintain and enhance a classification system that will help the company plan and communicate product issues more accurately.
- Develop innovative merchandising strategies and use data to drive decision making on new industry trends, i.e., Electrified Vehicles and other emerging technologies.
- Classify all products by tire type (Ultra High Performance, Touring etc.) so their capabilities and applications are clear to internal stakeholders and customers.
- Maintain and update the product features and benefits database for use with the Dynamic Retail Selling Guide.
- Analyze sales trends and industry data to develop and monitor tire life cycles to drive improve decision making.
OEM Vehicle Database Development
- Assist in the timely and accurate maintenance our OEM vehicle and fitment database.
- Develop a system to research and enhance our non-alliance OEM vehicle and fitment database.
- Ensure all vehicles sold in the US must be researched and entered at a year/make/model/trim/option level such that it resolves to a single tire size.
- Identify and initiate the set up the OEM tires for each of these vehicles.
Leadership
- Lead a team of cross functional associates to implement the product strategy and other key Merchandising initiatives.
- Possess leadership qualities such that associates from all levels of the company will respect and support decisions.
Merchandising Support
- Utilize available historical sales data to perform extraction, analyses, modeling, and develop recommendations to grow revenue and margin.
- Design and build queries in Oracle BI, Alteryx, or Power BI to drive decision making across the team.
- Develop hypotheses for testing, analyze, and present results and recommendations.
- Develop and provide analyses to identify trends and actionable insights mined from available sales data; continuously recommend new and better ways to use sales data to improve business.
Other Duties as Assigned
Position Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent experience.
- Minimum of 4 years of experience in an analyst role.
- Retail/wholesale tire merchandising experience required.
- Extensive knowledge of tires, tire fitments, vehicles, and accessories for the North American market.
- Comfortable writing queries (Oracle BI and/or Alteryx) and working with large data sets in order to answer business questions.
- Strong MS Excel skills.
- Takes initiative to identify projects and opportunities beyond the identified role which could add value for the company.
- Able to work independently with minimal supervision.
- Internal and external customer service focused.
- Professional presentation skills: able to speak at all levels of an organization and represent the company’s values and direction.
- Expert analysis and synopsis skills; able to summarize large amounts of data to draw relevant conclusions.
Competencies Required
- Results Orientation
- Agility
- Initiative
- Influence
- Customer Focus
- Understands Data
- Applies Knowledge
- Weighs Alternatives
- Gathers Information
- Learns Quickly
- Works Efficiently
Physical Job Requirements
- Continuous viewing from and inputting data to a computer screen.
- Sitting for long periods of time.
- Limited travel as required.
Drug Policy
Dealer Tire is a drug-free environment. All applicants being considered for employment must pass a pre-employment drug screening before beginning work.
This position is targeted to be closed on:
2026-09-25
Why Dealer Tire: An amazing opportunity to join a growing organization, built on the efforts of hard working, innovative, and team-oriented people. The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and geographic location. The total compensation package may also include commission, bonus or profit sharing. We offer a competitive & comprehensive benefit package including: paid time off, medical, dental, vision, and 401k match (50% on the dollar up to 7% of employee contribution). For more information on our benefit offerings, please visit our Dealer Tire Family of Companies Benefits Highlights Booklet.
EOE Statement: Dealer Tire is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status or disability (in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act*), or any other legally protected status, with respect to employment opportunities.
ADA Disclosure: Any candidate who feels that they may need an accommodation to complete this application, or any portions of same, based on the impact of a disability should contact Dealer Tire’s Human Resources Department to discuss your specific needs. Please feel free to contact us at 1-800-933-2537 x6550.
See all 48+ OPT Merchandising Manager Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Merchandising Manager Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Merchandising Manager
Target retailers with established OPT hiring programs
Large national retailers and e-commerce companies file H-1B visa petitions regularly for merchandising roles. Search OFLC disclosure data for employers who have sponsored similar positions, which signals they understand and support the visa process for international candidates.
Lead with your quantifiable merchandising impact
Employers weigh OPT sponsorship costs against candidate value. Frame your resume around measurable outcomes: sell-through rates improved, inventory turnover increased, margin gains achieved. Concrete numbers make the sponsorship conversation easier for hiring managers to justify internally.
Clarify your OPT timeline upfront with recruiters
Merchandising hiring cycles can run 6 to 10 weeks. Know your OPT end date and Cap-Gap eligibility before your first call so you can address timeline concerns directly and reassure employers that your authorization covers the anticipated start date.
Highlight supply chain or analytics credentials for STEM OPT
If your degree is in supply chain management, operations research, or a related STEM field, you may qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. This gives employers three years of authorization before H-1B sponsorship becomes necessary, which significantly reduces their perceived risk.
Target mid-market and direct-to-consumer brands actively scaling
Growing brands often have more hiring flexibility and sponsorship willingness than large legacy retailers with rigid HR processes. Companies expanding their assortment or entering new categories frequently need merchandising expertise and are more open to supporting international candidates.
Prepare a concise sponsorship explainer for non-immigration-savvy hiring managers
Many merchandising hiring managers have never sponsored a visa. A short, clear explanation of what OPT work authorization means and what H-1B sponsorship involves can eliminate hesitation early and move your candidacy forward without waiting for HR to get involved.
Merchandising Manager OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Merchandising Manager on OPT?
Yes, F-1 OPT authorizes full-time employment in roles directly related to your degree field. A Merchandising Manager position typically qualifies if your degree is in business, retail management, fashion merchandising, supply chain, or a related field. Your job duties must connect to your area of study, so document that connection clearly on your resume and in employer conversations.
Do Merchandising Manager roles typically come with H-1B sponsorship?
Sponsorship availability varies widely. Large retailers and e-commerce companies are more likely to sponsor H-1B petitions for Merchandising Manager roles than smaller boutique brands. The key is targeting employers who have filed H-1B petitions for similar titles in the past. Browse OPT-friendly Merchandising Manager openings on Migrate Mate, which filters for employers open to sponsoring international candidates.
Does a merchandising degree qualify for STEM OPT extension?
It depends on how your degree is classified. Degrees in supply chain management, operations research, business analytics, or information systems often qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Pure merchandising or fashion merchandising degrees typically do not qualify. Check your degree's CIP code against the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program list to confirm your eligibility before applying for the extension through your DSO.
What happens to my OPT authorization if I switch from a retail merchandising job to a different company mid-authorization?
You can change employers during OPT, but your new role must still be directly related to your degree field. You are required to report the job change to your DSO within 10 days, and the change must be recorded in SEVIS. There is no grace period for unemployment greater than 90 cumulative days during standard OPT, so minimize any gap between positions and begin your job search well before your end date.
What types of employers hire Merchandising Managers on OPT?
The strongest sponsorship track record in this space comes from national department store chains, specialty apparel retailers, e-commerce brands, and consumer goods companies with active buying and planning teams. Wholesale distributors and private label brands also hire for this function. Roles at the manager level often involve vendor management, open-to-buy planning, and assortment strategy, which are functions tied to business or supply chain degrees that support OPT eligibility.