Creative Buy Job at Capital Gifts, McLean, VA

  • Capital Gifts
  • McLean, VA

Job Description

About Capital Gifts

Capital Gifts helps the world’s leading organizations strengthen relationships through thoughtful gifting and elevated brand experiences.

We partner with private equity firms, venture capital funds, private wealth advisors, universities, healthcare systems, government institutions, and event agencies to create memorable moments through premium merchandise, executive gifts, event experiences, and curated gifting programs.

We are not a traditional promotional products company.

Our clients come to us when they want something distinctive, thoughtful, and reflective of their brand.

As we continue to grow, we’re looking for a Senior Merchandiser & Product Sourcing Manager who can help elevate our product offering and become the driving force behind what’s next in branded merchandise and gifting.

The Opportunity

This role is equal parts buyer, trend forecaster, product curator, and sourcing expert.

You’ll be responsible for identifying the products, brands, makers, and vendor capabilities that set Capital Gifts apart.

One day you may be sourcing a luxury travel gift for a private equity annual meeting. The next, you may be developing a custom welcome experience for a university president inauguration or identifying emerging retail brands before they become mainstream.

You will work closely with leadership, sales, and creative teams to ensure every proposal includes products that feel fresh, elevated, and worthy of the Capital Gifts brand.

What You’ll Do

Product Discovery & Curation

  • Continuously source premium merchandise, gifts, apparel, and packaging solutions.
  • Identify emerging brands, products, and trends before they become widely adopted.
  • Build curated product collections for key audiences including financial services, healthcare, technology, higher education, and government.
  • Maintain a strong understanding of luxury retail, hospitality, travel, wellness, and lifestyle trends.

Sourcing & Vendor Management

  • Build and maintain relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, decorators, and artisan makers.
  • Develop a network of unique vendors beyond traditional promotional product channels.
  • Negotiate pricing, lead times, and production capabilities.
  • Stay current on decoration techniques including embroidery, engraving, debossing, laser marking, custom packaging, kitting, and on-site personalization.

Proposal Support

  • Partner with the sales team to develop creative product recommendations for client presentations.
  • Quickly source products that align with client objectives, budgets, timelines, and brand standards.
  • Obtain accurate pricing and production information.
  • Ensure recommendations support margin targets while maintaining a premium client experience.

Trend & Market Intelligence

  • Monitor retail, hospitality, luxury, fashion, travel, and gifting trends.
  • Attend industry events, vendor showcases, and trade shows.
  • Build and manage a living product inspiration library.
  • Regularly present new products, vendor capabilities, and trend reports to the team.

Product Development

  • Identify opportunities for custom product development and exclusive offerings.
  • Collaborate with suppliers to create unique merchandise not readily available through standard industry channels.
  • Help shape the future product strategy of Capital Gifts.

What Makes You Successful

  • You have 3–7 years of experience in merchandising, buying, sourcing, gifting, retail, promotional products, hospitality, luxury goods, or a related field.
  • You possess exceptional taste and a strong eye for quality, design, and presentation.
  • You instinctively know what feels premium and what feels ordinary.
  • You love discovering products, brands, and vendors before everyone else.
  • You’re highly organized and can manage multiple projects simultaneously.
  • You balance creativity with commercial awareness and understand pricing, margins, and vendor negotiations.
  • You move quickly, communicate clearly, and thrive in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.

Bonus Points

  • Experience in branded merchandise, promotional products, luxury retail, hospitality, fashion, or gifting.
  • Existing relationships with premium suppliers and decorators.
  • Familiarity with ASI, SAGE or related industry platforms.
  • Experience sourcing for executive-level audiences.
  • A passion for design, travel, hospitality, and consumer trends.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is the person everyone calls when they need something exceptional.

You know where to find the brands no one else has discovered yet. You understand what makes a gift memorable. You stay ahead of trends. And you’re constantly asking, “What haven’t our clients seen before?”

If that sounds like you, we’d love to meet you.

Job Tags

Full time

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