CMM Men's Apparel

Christy Sports•Lakewood, CO

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Category Merchandising Manager shapes the Men's Apparel business through assortment strategy, vendor partnerships, and category performance. Working cross-functionally, this role develops and executes assortment strategies that align with customer preferences, regional and store specialty needs, and financial objectives while delivering an exceptional customer experience. The Category Merchandising Manager leads the end-to-end buying process, including gathering regional and store feedback, writing orders, managing allocations, negotiating vendor partnerships, and collaborating with Planning, Marketing, Stores, Digital Content, and other cross-functional teams to ensure successful execution. This role establishes seasonal priorities, monitors category performance, and adjusts strategies based on sales, margin, inventory, and market trends to achieve revenue, profitability, and inventory goals while continuously improving the Men's Apparel business.

Requirements

5 years' experience in buying, merchandising, or a related field, with a strong track record of successfully managing product assortments and vendor relationships; outdoor apparel category experience preferred.
Proven negotiation skills that have resulted in increased margin, assortment access, or marketing benefits.
Strong analytical skills that have resulted in better product buying decisions.
Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional partners, prioritize competing business needs, and drive execution across multiple teams.
Clear understanding of apparel trends, fit, fabrication, and seasonal buying cycles.
Ability to work well under pressure while remaining flexible and adaptive to changing priorities.
Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills.
Willingness and ability to travel as needed.
Keen attention to detail and strong organization is a must.
Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office products, especially Excel.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute Men's Apparel assortment strategies that align with customer preferences, regional and store specialty needs, and budget goals, ensuring an exceptional customer experience.
Cultivate strategic vendor partnerships, negotiate favorable terms, and identify opportunities to improve assortment performance, profitability, and long-term business growth.
Lead cross-functional collaboration with Planning, Marketing, Stores, Digital Content, and Operations to ensure seasonal assortment strategies are successfully executed across the organization.
Influence depth and breadth of the assortment in partnership with Planning and Stores, maintaining our specialty presence.
Own and prioritize the complete buying cycle, ensuring timely execution, operational excellence, and alignment with seasonal business objectives while meeting vendor deadlines and maximizing financial opportunities.
Establish consistent merchandising processes and manage all administrative functions that support accurate, timely, and efficient execution of the buying cycle.
Partner with cross-functional teams to develop and execute pricing, promotional, and markdown strategies that maximize sales, profitability, and inventory productivity.
Monitor industry trends, customer behavior, competitive activity, and product innovation to proactively identify opportunities that strengthen category performance and customer relevance.
Monitor category performance through sales, margin, inventory, and productivity metrics, making data-driven adjustments to assortment, pricing, inventory, and promotional strategies to achieve financial and business objectives.
Build collaborative partnerships with stores and regional teams to gather feedback, align assortment strategies, and continuously improve customer experience across all markets.
Prioritize seasonal initiatives and business opportunities to ensure team efforts remain aligned with company goals, financial objectives, and customer needs.
Perform other related duties and special projects as assigned.