Senior Director, Merchandising

Global apparel brand seeks an experienced Senior Director of Merchandising/ Buying.  The ideal candidate will have a proven success record creating strong product assortments and setting priorities.  This role will innovatively add value to the brand vision with a main focus on RTW product for women’s and men’s lines. We’re looking for someone who can continue to drive a well-known brand through various selling platforms in a changing market. Experience taking smart-risks while delivering a creative and scalable approach.  The role will start remote, but is based in Los Angeles, CA.

Responsibilities: 

• Ability to lead, manage and motivate a team of global Buyers & Merchants while offering a defined product-led focus, set priorities, offer solutions and coaching
• Full P&L responsibility: identifies low risk, high-revenue opportunities including OTB, sell-thru, re-orders, etc., with competitive allocation strategies
• Partners with Design and Product Development leaders to develop product, forecast multi-seasons, set calendars and meet supply/demand
• Drives and strategizes product; knows what to buy, when to buy, quantities, timing, promos
• Empowers &  manages a functional team with a focus on ROI strategies, aligning market structure, pricing, margins and revenue targets
• Scales product by regions & categories to hit target consumer markets and exceed financial goals
• Regularly reviews KPI sales/ margins and manages in-season and pre-season inventory and sales
• Performs ad hoc analysis and competitive research to tactfully position the brand through change
• Internal partner: builds effective relationships with CEO, team, managers, colleagues
• Maintains strong ties with Marketing & e-Comm and other cross functional teams: Retail, Sales, Finance, Logistics, Visual Merchandisers and Operations teams
• External partnerships: recommends impactful merchandising  - buying - planning procedures to wholesale and retail clients selling on various DTC; retail and omni platforms.
• Calendar management: aligns demand and seasonal due dates with buy plans, budgets, sales forecasts and business goals.
• Leverages technology and resources, implements lean processes for effective merchant planning, buying and team functions
• Manages product lines and facilitates team presentations, retail check-ins, milestone meetings
• Manages and influences product, serves as a visual story teller and collaborator

Qualifications:

• Normally requires a bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Merchandising or similar, or will consider additional years of relative experience
• Required minimum 10-12+ years of relevant experience in RTW apparel, product focus as a Merchant, Product Director, Buyer, DMM, GM, Allocator, Planner or related
• Solid track record within apparel and selling strategies for retail, wholesale & omni channels; full price, off-price, exclusives, licensing, consignment, pop-ups, etc.
• Creative ability to captivate consumer impulse and deliver product strategies within the market
• Experience influencing bottom-line and meeting KPI’s while upholding brand image
• Effectively uses analytics to interpret and scale data. Ability to create presentations and share data to all levels of management, leaders, clients, teams, etc.
• Proven relationship builder. Articulate in all forms of communications, online and offline.
• Demonstrated experience in managing direct reports, defining team roles and coaching others
• Ability to remain agile in ambiguous times and changing priorities

This is a direct-hire, in-house role based in Los Angeles, CA. The team returns in-house early 2021.

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