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Director, Merchandising
Deckers Outdoor Corporation
Goleta, CA, United States
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Job Duties, Responsibilities and Requirements
Summary:
The Director of Merchandising, DTC directs and provides leadership to the merchant team. This position is responsible for driving all new and current business opportunities for the merchandising and buying functions. The Director of Merchandising, DTC will collaborate with the DTC team to set the overall strategy for merchandising and buying to align and achieve business objectives and financial goals.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Strategy:
Clearly communicates priorities of the business and leads the team to deliver on critical business initiatives.
Design and communicate merchandising strategy, leveraging product opportunities and business initiatives
Key strategic milestones include but not limited to: Seasonal line plans, Final Assortment Walkthrus and pre-milestone meetings with expected deliverables.
Partner with business unit merchants to understand business objectives/customer needs, and identify category/product opportunities.
Influences the behavior and opinions of others using pertinent data and applying logic to gain consensus.
Identify and pursue new opportunities for the business.
Create relevant product assortments that drive business in determined distribution.
Manages milestone calendar and ensures deliverables are user-friendly and transparent.
Travel to key markets to understand customers and stores product and merchandising needs.
Customer-Centric Focus:
Ensures one-channel consumer experience for both brick-and-mortar and eCommerce vis a vis product focus, marketing, visual presentation, etc.
Collaborates with eCommerce merchandising to ensure one-channel consumer experience is seamless execution.
Conducts stores travels regularly to understand store needs – organize regular “round-table discussions” with store managers to better understand consumers, preferences and regions.
Provides effective and creative solution to field teams and field leadership to ensure stores and store related needs are met.
Conducts and lead ongoing dialogue with field teams.
Buying & Product Development:
Creates fashion and basic assortments that aligns with business metrics taking into account brand image, trends, competitive opportunities, data analysis and performance of departments and store capacities.
Manages internal and external relationships with business partners to ensure all deliverables are accomplished to successfully build and develop assortments that meet and exceed financial goals.
Drives the business through a thorough understanding of the business, leadership’s vision and market and industry practices.
Initiates season strategies to maximize opportunities and/or off-set any liabilities with thoughtful and effective alternative plans.
Understands and incorporates customer needs into strategic plans and future objectives.
Serves as a primary contact for requests for information from all levels of management.
Builds line plans for merchandising to ensure all markets’ needs are met.
Ensures that retail pricing and promotional strategies maximize volume and margin goals.
Understands and effectively utilizes best practices through competitive shops, reading relevant publications to stay abreast of the latest trends.
Business Acumen:
Projects sales; sets and delivers on short terms goals to meet and exceed long-term strategies.
Processes, reconciles and evaluates complex financial information. Provides relevant recommendations based upon thoughtful analysis of data, information and metrics.
Assesses and responds to seasonal and yearly needs and strategic trends.
Possesses a clear understanding of gross margin return on investment; analyzes and recommends strategies to impact it.
Analyzes sales and inventory reports on a weekly basis to gain comprehensive understanding of the state of the business.
Identifies product opportunities through regular hind-sighting that incorporates: consumer research, business unit feedback and sales performance analysis.
Maintains updated knowledge of key competitor product, distribution and pricing strategies.
Cross functional Collaboration:
Partners with Planning function for several processes including: assortment planning, development of financial plans, OTB, in season strategies and allocations to maximize sales.
Works cross functionally with Marketing, PR, eCommerce, Visual and Operations, in order to gain alignment behind strategic needs and capabilities.
Organization and Team:
Creates strong organization of learning and development to further the skill of the team.
Establishes relationships with Merchandise Planning, Product team, Wholesale, Marketing and Visual Merchandising teams.
Creates partnerships with key corporate merchandising peers and stakeholders.
Education & Experience
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s Degree, Required
10-11 years of experience, preferred
Functional & Technical Competencies:
Comprehensive understanding of merchandising function, industry trends including…
Demonstrates an ability to be an inspirational, collaborative leader adept at leading through influence. Serves as a thought leader and critical change agent, providing insights that drive new ideas to on business objectives.
Intimate knowledge of analyses, systems and processes used to maintain and drive merchandising function; KCO preferred.
Proven relationship-management skills and ability to communicate effectively with all levels.
Ability to provide a supportive working environment, based on openness, trust and regular performance reviews.
Experienced in the workings of complex global organizations, satisfying the needs of diverse constituents and meeting competing and sometime conflicting priorities.
Dynamic and results-driven self-starter, team player, critical and problem solver.
Ability to multi-task in a fast paced environment.
Has a thorough understanding of business processes and their relationship to the merchandising function.
Ability to see from the customers’ perspective and serve as their advocate.
Ability to mentor and coach team members by sharing perspective and knowledge and maintaining open dialogue with business partners.