Sr. Specialist, Merchandise - Korea
At Blue Bottle, our mission is to connect the world to delicious coffee. From seed to cup, we elevate the craft of coffee in everything we do. We strive to build a better tomorrow by investing in what matters: a sustainable future for our people, the company, and our planet.
About the job
This is not a traditional retail buyer role. As our Senior Merchandise Specialist, you are the creative and strategic force behind our physical goods-from beautifully crafted mug cups and precision brewing tools to lifestyle bags and exclusive collectibles.
You will step into an exciting, high-impact leadership role where your ideas can transcend borders. A unique product concept you develop with a local Korean artisan could eventually be launched in our cafes globally. Conversely, you will have the autonomy to discover incredible merchandise from our global markets and propose bringing them to Korea.
Operating within our new "Core Triangle" organizational structure, you will ensure that all your merchandise initiatives seamlessly align with the unified "ONE CALENDAR" system. Moving beyond mere execution, you will actively lead market research, strategic planning, product development with external partners, and holistic profit management. If you have a passion for tangible craftsmanship and want to see your ideas make a global impact, this is the role for you.
You will be directly reporting to the Brand Director, Korea with a dotted line reporting to the GM of Japan and Korea.
You will
Innovate & Develop Physical Goods: Lead the end-to-end concept creation and product development for our Merchandise category, focusing specifically on tangible lifestyle goods (e.g., drinkware, brewing equipment, bags, and accessories).
Cultivate Vendor Partnerships: Proactively identify, source, and build deep collaborative relationships with local artisans, manufacturers, and OEM vendors in Korea. You will manage the entire vendor lifecycle from sample coordination to final production.
Act as a Global-Local Bridge: Champion Korea-originated merchandise ideas for potential global rollout, while collaborating closely with overseas counterparts to identify and propose bringing exciting global products into the Korean market.
Manage Forecasting & Profitability: Take full ownership of the category’s financial health. Drive demand forecasting, cost negotiation, pricing strategy, and overall profit management to ensure healthy business margins.
Integrate with the ONE CALENDAR System: Collaborate seamlessly across the "Core Triangle" (Product R&D, Marketing, and Menu & Product Management) to ensure your merchandise launches are perfectly timed with seasonal coffee campaigns and overall business objectives.
Track Performance & Optimize: Rigorously track and analyze post-launch product performance. Use data to propose actionable recommendations for continuous improvement, inventory optimization, and future rollout plans.
Ensure Compliance & Quality: Lead efforts to ensure that all merchandise, labels, and materials strictly comply with Korean laws, safety regulations, and Blue Bottle's meticulous quality standards.
Drive Cross-Functional Readiness: Lead the localization of global product information and guide internal communications, aligning Supply Chain, Café Operations, and Creative teams on rollout plans and product education.
You are
Deeply Passionate: You care immensely about coffee, thoughtful design, and tangible product innovation (from ceramics to textiles), finding joy in how beautiful goods can elevate a guest's daily rituals.
A Creative Strategist & Entrepreneur: You do not just execute off-the-shelf purchases; you proactively seek out new market opportunities, love the process of creating from scratch, and take ownership of your category's growth.
Globally Minded: You are thrilled by the prospect of cross-border collaboration, easily navigating the cultural and operational nuances of sharing ideas between Korea, Japan, and our Global teams.
An Exceptional Communicator & Partner: You build deep trust not only with internal teams but also with external artisans and vendors, representing our brand with respect and accuracy.
Analytically Grounded: While highly creative, you base your decisions on solid performance tracking, research, and financial forecasting, moving confidently through ambiguity.
You have
5+ years of relevant experience in product planning/development, merchandising, or category management, specifically dealing with physical goods, lifestyle products, or hardlines.
Proven experience identifying and managing vendors, artisans, or OEMs to develop custom products from scratch.
Strong financial and analytical skills, with hands-on experience in demand forecasting, cost control, pricing strategy, and profit (P&L) management.
A strong portfolio or track record of bringing highly crafted, brand-aligned products to market.
Solid knowledge of, or experience in, product safety, labeling laws, and regulatory compliance in Korea.
Strong skills in Microsoft Office or Google Workspace (especially Excel/Sheets for forecasting and performance tracking)
Native fluency in Korean and business-level English.