Americas - Director, Merchandising

Clarks•Needham, MA

About The Position

The Director of Merchandising– Footwear is responsible for All DTC channels developing and executing merchandise strategies to drive sales, maximize profitability, and enhance brand positioning within the footwear category. This role requires a balance of strategic planning, product assortment management, market trend analysis, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver compelling product ranges that meet customer needs and align with business objectives. Drive product alignment and digital execution, with a strong focus on DTC and marketplaces.The Director of Merchandising reports to the VP of Merchandising & Planning and will set the merchandising assortments for the region, fixating on consumer needs, leading with marketplace insights, and driving a holistic and segmented go-to-market strategy. The Senior Merchandise Manager unlocks opportunities based on deep consumer and marketplace knowledge.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree and at least 5-7 years of related experience
Buying, Merchandising, Planning or Product Management experience at a manager level in the Footwear business.
Proven ability to develop and execute profitable merchandising strategies
Digital and Market Place experience
Advanced analytical skills with proficiency in retail math, forecasting, and data-driven decision-making.
Understanding of the footwear market – consumer trends, competitors, distribution
Knowledge of different business operating models – Retail, Franchise, Ecommerce, Product, Supply Chain
Ability to lead and influence others.
Have product acumen and footwear experience.
Excellent communication, presentation, and leadership abilities.
Successful commercial management expertise

Responsibilities

Merchandising content at DTC weekly meetings with top/bottom sellers, key programs andactions
Director of Merchandising will work closely with VP of Merchandising, coordinating w/ merchandise planning to maximize revenues commercial performance, developing best in class assortments across DTC and marketplaces.
Develop seasonal merchandising strategies and product assortments for the footwear category that align with brand vision, sales targets, and margin goals.
Create and manage the DTC merchandise calendar, ensuring timely product launches and seasonal transitions.
Analyse market trends, competitive landscape, and customer insights to identify opportunities for growth and innovation.
Responsible for overseeing marketplace style selection, inventory and pricing.
Analyse performance and adjusting strategies and assortments.
Establish gender & business unit growth strategy and collaborate with Director of Merch Planning to build budgets/target to align
Lead Product feed in and lifecycle decisions for DTC channels - identifying "white space" and areas of opportunity and risk
Align on global and regional marketing styles and work with eCommerce & stores teams to secure content that supports business unit budgets
Attend and drive to inform teams and drive sales.
Ensure optimal product mix across performance, lifestyle, and fashion footwear segments
Attend planner OTB meetings to better understand trending categories & inventory risks.
Work with other managers to take consistent action (marketing, performance marketing, & VM) – featuring same product/category.
Partner closely with marketing, e-commerce, retail operations, and visual merchandising to execute go-to-market plans
Present the merchandise strategy, supporting insights, assortment guidance and trading plans to DTC teams seasonally.
Maintain an understanding of local market and competitive dynamics, target consumer needs, and product trends.
Be a consumerist: obsess the consumer and understand quickly new competitive trends
Lead with the art and science of merchandising