A professional who directs and coordinates, through subordinate managerial personnel, activities of department store selling lines of merchandise in specialized departments. Responsibilities include:

• Formulates pricing policies for sale of merchandise, or implements policies set forth by merchandising board.
• Coordinates activities of nonmerchandising departments, as purchasing, credit, accounting, and advertising with merchandising departments to obtain optimum efficiency of operations with minimum costs in order to maximize profits.
• Develops and implements, through subordinate managerial personnel, policies and procedures for store and departmental operations and customer personnel and community relations.
• Negotiates or approves contracts negotiated with suppliers of merchandise, or with other establishments providing security, maintenance, or cleaning services.
• Reviews operating and financial statements and departmental sales records to determine merchandising activities that require additional sales promotion, clearance sales, or other sales procedures in order to turn over merchandise and achieve profitability of store operations and merchandising objectives.