Director Accessories & Apparel

Taylor Made Golf•Carlsbad, CA

9h•$185,000 - $200,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Category Director for TaylorMade Accessories and Apparel is responsible for setting the strategic vision and leading the cross-functional execution of all TaylorMade accessories and apparel products, printed materials and supporting assets across all business needs. The leader in this position brings a strong design sensibility and aesthetic vision to translate creative excellence into commercially successful products. They will drive best-in-class product innovation while maintaining clear, focused and profitable global product lines and business results across both categories. Essential Functions and Key Responsibilities: Strategic Category Leadership and Vision Develop and own the 3-year strategic roadmap and 5+ year high-level vision for global accessories and apparel product lines Provide executive-level updates with global regions, operations, purchasing, R&D, eCommerce teams, and US strategic account partners Identify and evaluate transformational growth opportunities and new product potential across both technologies and new categories for accessories and apparel Lead organizational alignment between Global Product Creation, Creative teams and Supply Chain, guiding the product line managers and product development teams on strategic priorities Drive enterprise-wide product line strategy and portfolio optimization across accessories and apparel categories Cross-functional Leadership and Stakeholder Management Direct global product needs with all global sales, product, engineering, and marketing stakeholders across both categories Lead a collaborative effort between Design, Development, Sourcing, Costing and Compliance teams to meet product performance and costing targets Oversee sample inventory, receipt, organization, and storage operations including showroom and storage facility management for accessories and apparel Lead packaging and hanging creative development and copy brief creation for strategic projects with executive oversight Partner closely with Global Supply Chain and Compliance functions on the management of the vendor network; create long-term strategy to balance needs of factory level capabilities and costs with COO and Logistics considerations. Partner with senior leadership to establish cross-functional knowledge management systems that ensure seamless communication of training materials and product requirements across the organization Product Portfolio and Go-To-Market Excellence Collaborate with executive leadership (VP Product Creation and CMO) to develop all go-to-market product marketing materials, including POS promotion strategy at sell sheets, ensuring comprehensive market readiness Own the end-to-end product development process, providing weekly executive status updates through product log meetings and SMU projects (including but not limited to Misc. global needs, Marketing, Tour and Strategic Account requests) Drive consumer insights, advanced analytics teams, and external research partners to further identify and fuel categorical growth Direct organizational change management for accessories and apparel product launches across global regions, sales representatives, strategic accounts, and staff professionals Revenue and Financial Stewardship Maintain deep understanding of category financial performance to drive prioritization of strategic projects and initiatives Analyze business health metrics including line vs. SMU total revenue trends generated by SMU orders, and lead forecasting initiatives to support business planning Drive Operations leadership meetings to establish year-over-year and multi-year go-to-market strategies with complete and executive-ready lists ensuring all data has been communicated thoroughly Lead strategic planning and execution of product summits, pre-lines, and sales meetings for both categories Partner with senior category leaders and cross-functional teams to develop innovative initiatives for different retail channels, including hosting and leading accessories and apparel bi-weekly global conference calls with follow-up emails and phone calls as needed Direct the creation and evolution of current and future product strategies based on competitive activity, market gaps, insights, and customer requirements, positioning both categories for sustained growth Partner with Sourcing, Finance and Supply Chain functions to maintain clear understanding of portfolio results for sales and margin, with strategic and tactical actions to meet objectives. Organizational Leadership Lead, build, develop, and motivate a strong team of individuals to perform at the highest level Facilitate and foster a continuous learning and collaboration environment within the team Mentor and develop future leaders, creating succession plans and career development pathways Champion organizational excellence and best practices across product management functions Performs other related duties and assignments as required

Requirements

Deep expertise in accessories and apparel industries, including market dynamics, consumer behavior, competitive landscape and emerging trends
Strong design sensibility and aesthetic vision with ability to guide product design
Exceptional strategic thinking with proven ability to translate business objectives into actionable strategies
Strong financial acumen; experience in P&L management, revenue forecasting, and margin optimization
Ability to manage multiple strategic initiatives simultaneously while meeting critical deadlines
Data-driven decision making mentality; ability to understand/analyze data and use it to solve complex business problems
Refined executive presence and ability to effectively present to audiences of all sizes and levels (including C-suite and Board members)
Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity and drive organizational change in complex, matrixed environments
Skilled collaborator with ability to partner effectively and drive consensus across diverse stakeholder groups (e.g. internal teams, external vendors/contacts, strategic partners)
Proficient in Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
Strong English written and verbal communication skills and ability to interact with all levels
Ability to accurately assess talent and effectively motivate and influence others to build skills, efficiently accomplish tasks, and develop leading edge processes
Bachelors Degree in Product Management, Business, Marketing, Advertising or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred
12-15 years of professional experience in accessories/apparel product management, merchandising, or related field
5-7 years of experience building a leading a high-performing team
Experience driving product portfolio growth and transformation across categories

Responsibilities

Strategic Category Leadership and Vision Develop and own the 3-year strategic roadmap and 5+ year high-level vision for global accessories and apparel product lines
Provide executive-level updates with global regions, operations, purchasing, R&D, eCommerce teams, and US strategic account partners
Identify and evaluate transformational growth opportunities and new product potential across both technologies and new categories for accessories and apparel
Lead organizational alignment between Global Product Creation, Creative teams and Supply Chain, guiding the product line managers and product development teams on strategic priorities
Drive enterprise-wide product line strategy and portfolio optimization across accessories and apparel categories
Cross-functional Leadership and Stakeholder Management Direct global product needs with all global sales, product, engineering, and marketing stakeholders across both categories
Lead a collaborative effort between Design, Development, Sourcing, Costing and Compliance teams to meet product performance and costing targets
Oversee sample inventory, receipt, organization, and storage operations including showroom and storage facility management for accessories and apparel
Lead packaging and hanging creative development and copy brief creation for strategic projects with executive oversight
Partner closely with Global Supply Chain and Compliance functions on the management of the vendor network; create long-term strategy to balance needs of factory level capabilities and costs with COO and Logistics considerations.
Partner with senior leadership to establish cross-functional knowledge management systems that ensure seamless communication of training materials and product requirements across the organization
Product Portfolio and Go-To-Market Excellence Collaborate with executive leadership (VP Product Creation and CMO) to develop all go-to-market product marketing materials, including POS promotion strategy at sell sheets, ensuring comprehensive market readiness
Own the end-to-end product development process, providing weekly executive status updates through product log meetings and SMU projects (including but not limited to Misc. global needs, Marketing, Tour and Strategic Account requests)
Drive consumer insights, advanced analytics teams, and external research partners to further identify and fuel categorical growth
Direct organizational change management for accessories and apparel product launches across global regions, sales representatives, strategic accounts, and staff professionals
Revenue and Financial Stewardship Maintain deep understanding of category financial performance to drive prioritization of strategic projects and initiatives
Analyze business health metrics including line vs. SMU total revenue trends generated by SMU orders, and lead forecasting initiatives to support business planning
Drive Operations leadership meetings to establish year-over-year and multi-year go-to-market strategies with complete and executive-ready lists ensuring all data has been communicated thoroughly
Lead strategic planning and execution of product summits, pre-lines, and sales meetings for both categories
Partner with senior category leaders and cross-functional teams to develop innovative initiatives for different retail channels, including hosting and leading accessories and apparel bi-weekly global conference calls with follow-up emails and phone calls as needed
Direct the creation and evolution of current and future product strategies based on competitive activity, market gaps, insights, and customer requirements, positioning both categories for sustained growth
Partner with Sourcing, Finance and Supply Chain functions to maintain clear understanding of portfolio results for sales and margin, with strategic and tactical actions to meet objectives.
Organizational Leadership Lead, build, develop, and motivate a strong team of individuals to perform at the highest level
Facilitate and foster a continuous learning and collaboration environment within the team
Mentor and develop future leaders, creating succession plans and career development pathways
Champion organizational excellence and best practices across product management functions
Performs other related duties and assignments as required