Associate Manager, Merchandising

Implus

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

As an Associate Merchandising Manager, your primary role is to optimize and grow the Everyday Hosiery product portfolio to increase share for the category across multiple retailers. You will play a vital role in building strategic relationships with key internal and external business partners to drive integrated, profitable product assortments. The Associate Merchandising Manager supports the Everyday Hosiery Merchandising team with sample and systems management and maintains organization for a key set of accounts. This is a hybrid role based in our Durham office; while we offer flexibility, in-office presence is required as needed to align with key team meetings, sample reviews, and project deliverables.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in a related field of study or equivalent years of experience.
Organizational Mastery: You find peace in a perfectly labeled sample room and have a "measure twice, cut once" approach to your work.
Product Obsessed: You have a commercial eye for fashion and a genuine interest in the details of construction, materials, and styling.
The "Helper" Mentality: You thrive in a role where your success is measured by how well you enable your team to succeed.
Communication: Clear, concise, and proactive; you aren't afraid to follow up to keep a project moving.
Proficient in MS Office; you are a confident user of Excel (comfortable with VLOOKUPs and pivot tables to organize data) and PowerPoint (able to build clean, professional decks to support the team).
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus, read reports, create presentations and use a computer system.
Ability to effectively communicate with co-workers, vendors, and students.
Ability to write, type and use the telephone, copier, and computer systems.
Ability to open files and operate office machines; move between departments and attend meetings.
Ability to frequently convey detailed or important instructions.
Ability to lift, pull, push 25 pounds with or without reasonable accommodation.
Ability to travel up to 30% occasionally.

Nice To Haves

1–3 years of experience in apparel/accessories merchandising, marketing, project management, or a related field is preferred.
Familiarity with PLM systems, ERPs, or project management software (e.g., Asana, Monday.com, or Smartsheet) is a plus.

Responsibilities

Support the Merchandising team in executing omnichannel strategies for multiple key accounts, ensuring seamless coordination from initial line development to seasonal sell-out.
Serve as a proactive point of contact for retail buying teams, managing daily requests and fostering long-term partnerships through exceptional service.
Assist in the creation of visual tools, such as selling decks, digital catalogs, and digital planograms.
Support the team by drafting product copy and coordinating packaging details for private label and owned brand initiatives.
Monitor market trends and store performance to identify "white space" opportunities, providing the team with actionable research to drive growth.
Own the end-to-end lifecycle of physical samples (Prototypes through TOP); develop a streamlined tracking system to ensure the team has what they need, when they need it.
Provide support for retailer presentations and internal line reviews; ensure product is organized, tagged, and displayed to brand standards.
Maintain a meticulously organized sample library; manage the "seasonal transition" process to ensure historical data and products are easily accessible.
Coordinate time-sensitive sample shipments to retailers, navigating shipping deadlines with a high sense of urgency.
Act as the "Quarterback" for the product development calendar; monitor critical milestones and proactively flag risks to ensure on-time delivery across all departments.
Manage internal Master Data systems and update product trackers/line sheets with high precision; ensure every SKU has accurate attributes, pricing, and status throughout the lifecycle.
Oversee the approval of TOP (Top of Production) samples against confirmed standards to ensure mass production matches design specs—ensuring "what we sell is what we ship."
Partner closely with Design and PD to facilitate the range-building process, serving as a bridge to ensure the "consumer voice" is reflected in every SKU.
Navigate shifting priorities and urgent retailer "special requests" with a solutions-oriented mindset and the ability to re-prioritize tasks on the fly.
Conduct regular "comp shopping" and market research to identify emerging hosiery trends and stay ahead of the competitive landscape.
Assist managers in identifying product gaps and growth opportunities by organizing competitive samples and data for "hindsight" meetings.
Support the team by pulling key performance metrics (sell-through, margins, inventory) to provide foundational insights on "what’s working" vs. "what’s not."