Apparel Product Merchandise Manager - International Distributor Region

Columbia Sportswear • Portland, OR

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Apparel Product Merchandise Manager - International Distributor Region is responsible for driving and executing merchandising strategies that deliver consumer‑right assortments, balance brand‑building initiatives with volume-driving product, and ultimately support long-term revenue growth for our International Distributor Region (IDR). This role sits at the center of the regional Go-To-Market (GTM) process—owning product adoption, influencing assortment direction, and partnering closely with Sales, Planning, Marketing, and Product Creation to ensure the region delivers a compelling, profitable, and strategically segmented product offering.

Requirements

• 5+ years of merchandising experience in sportswear, outdoor, or specialty retail categories.
• Internation Distributor Region Apparel Merchandising experience preferred.
• Strong business and product management skills with demonstrated financial acumen.
• Deep understanding of the consumer, retail landscape, and competitive marketplace.
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Creative Suite (PC or Mac).
• Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field, or equivalent experience in Merchandising or Sales.
• Ability to travel 20% of the time.

Nice To Haves

• A clear, confident communicator who can influence across functions and levels.
• A strategic thinker who thrives in detail-oriented execution.
• Skilled in persuasion, storytelling, and presenting complex ideas simply.
• Analytical, curious, and comfortable solving ambiguous problems.

Responsibilities

• Build market- and consumer-relevant seasonal assortments aligned to brand strategy, leveraging historical performance, trend insights, and financial risk/reward analysis.
• Implement regional merchandising strategies that balance brand heat with high-volume commercial drivers across the marketplace matrix.
• Identify market opportunities and influence future line direction by partnering with Product Creation teams to shape investment priorities that meet regional needs.
• Lead End-in-Mind assortment planning, including channel segmentation, pricing strategy and merchandising classification excellence to ensure enough products that serve the marketplace and drive productivity.
• Own the product handover to Sales Planning, Channel Merch, ensuring teams are equipped with clear product stories, innovation highlights, and seasonal Brand priorities.
• Manage the full seasonal adoption process—from concept through sales meeting—ensuring financial targets, SKU productivity, and style count goals are met.
• Maintain accuracy and integrity of all merchandising systems and data, including adoption, pricing, forecasting, and catalog readiness.
• Build strong relationships with channel leaders to define and implement segmentation strategies that maximize revenue and profitability.
• Partner with Sales, Planning, and Marketing to develop seasonal and long-term growth strategies supported by business planning.
• Collaborate with Sales and Strategic Response Team to ensure SMUs are efficient, profitable, and aligned with the regional vision.
• Work with Sales to develop competitive and aligned seasonal pricing strategies.
• Improve forecast accuracy, SKU efficiency, and overall product productivity each season.
• Use market insights, consumer data, and sales performance to influence product mix and ensure coverage of key price points.
• Manage sample ordering and sample room organization to ensure easy access and visibility for cross-functional teams.
• Educate the sales force on product innovation, technologies, brand initiatives, assortments, and marketing support.
• Communicate clearly and effectively across small and large groups, ensuring alignment and clarity throughout the GTM cycle.
• Bring a positive, collaborative, and solutions-oriented mindset to daily work.

Benefits

• 401k plan plus a generous company match
• medical
• dental
• vision
• life Insurance
• disability
• flexible spending accounts
• health savings account
• an assortment of voluntary benefit offerings (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and legal services)
• EAP + which is free and confidential 24/7/365 counseling services
• extensive wellness benefits
• employee discounts
• a generous time off program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior