Vans: Merchandise Manager, Wholesale, Men’s Footwear

VF Corporation • Costa Mesa, CA

8d • $90,720 - $113,400 • Onsite

About The Position

Vans is the original brand rooted in the authentic lifestyle of skateboarding. We are driven by our mission to inspire and empower everyone to live “Off The Wall” – embracing the youthful spirit of freedom, non-conformity, and relentless progression. Yesterday’s “Off The Wall” moment is today’s new normal, and at Vans, we believe in constantly outdoing ourselves. Together with our communities across the globe, our vision is to push culture forward because we believe that the pursuit of progression never ends. We are constantly inspired by the future generation of positive catalysts within our community. So, before we get to the job details, take a minute to learn a little more about us – our values and our culture. If you can see yourself working side-by-side with a team of people who think and live “Off the Wall,” Vans just may be the place for you. To learn more about our values and our culture, visit Vans Careers or www.vans.com . What will you do? A day in the life of a Merchandise Manager, Wholesale, Men’s Footwear at Vans looks a little like this. Reporting to the Senior Manager of Men’s Footwear Merchandising, the Wholesale Merchandise Manager owns the Wholesale business for assigned categories across the Americas. This role drives strategic assortment planning, partners with internal teams during go-to-market milestones and serves as a regional marketplace expert. Success relies on strong cross-functional collaboration with Wholesale Sales Teams and Accounts, Category Merchandising Leads, Planning, and Marketing teams to ensure the right product reaches the right stores at the right time. Let’s break down that day-in-the-life a bit more: What you will do: Create marketplace assortment plans that support strategic initiatives and optimize the broader product line for efficiency, differentiation, and consumer connection. Develop and execute assortment strategies for strategic partners to enable regional execution and align with brand and marketing objectives. Provide consumer, marketplace, and business insights to Category Merch Leads to drive growth in the Americas. Support with insightful recaps ranging from future trend to in-season sales reporting. Deliver operational excellence through in-season management of Wholesale tools such as B2B and MAP Policy and effectively share new product information. Support Category Merch Leads in preparing for and presenting during seasonal Go-to-Market milestones, including to external account teams. Manage a team to bring to life all functions of Wholesale merchandising for your business. Coach and develop direct reports to strengthen capabilities and drive executional excellence. How You’ll Do It: Demonstrate cross-functional leadership and strong communication with internal Sales partners & external Account Teams, Category Merch Leads, Planning, and Marketing. Partner with Category Merch Leads to communicate a consumer-focused view of the competitive landscape, market trends, and regional needs to meet revenue goals. Monitor consumer demand trends and Vans’ competitive positioning to inform assortment decisions and regional strategy. Execute ad-hoc reporting and analysis to deliver impactful recaps and performance-driving insights for seasonal planning. What Success Looks Like: Present product strategies clearly, backed by data, during Line Reviews and Go-to-Market milestones. Collaborate effectively to contribute to a cohesive marketplace assortment that supports storytelling and seasonal initiatives. Bring a unique, inclusive perspective that fuels regional growth and values diverse viewpoints. Meet or exceed financial targets, including revenue and margin goals. Coach and develop the Wholesale Merchandising team to strengthen capabilities and drive executional excellence. What do you need to succeed? We all have unique skills that we bring to work and celebrate every day. For this role, there are foundation skills you’ll need to succeed and excel. Additionally, while formal education in a related field is great to have, we are most interested in your 8-10 years of experience and professional achievements. The foundation skills you will need in this position are: 6-8 years’ experience in retail in a merchant or buying role Bachelor’s degree qualified (Business, commerce preferred) Experience working with external or wholesale accounts highly desirable Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret multiple data points across numerous channels and market segments Proven ability to work with and lead a cross functional team Excellent communication skills - interpersonal, written and verbal Organizational and time management skills Strong knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel and Outlook) Self-awareness, with a desire for constant self-improvement (goal –oriented) Travel for this role is expected - up to 20%. Location requirement: ideal candidate will reside within Southern California region and be in office in Costa Mesa, CA, 3-4 days every week. There are also a few skills that are not required but preferred. 2+ years of managing direct reports What do we offer you? At Vans, we know you expect as much from us as we do from you. That is why we make a commitment to support and grow our people. We offer extensive development and growth opportunities for your current and future positions, a competitive compensation package, and a strong benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and 401(k). Our commitment extends beyond this and into your daily work life. We strive to foster a diverse and inclusive culture based on respect, connection, and authenticity. Our focus on DEI is at the foundation of who we are and what we do. To learn more about Vans’ benefits package, follow this MyVFBenefits.com and click “Looking to Join VF”. To learn more about Vans‘ Diversity and Inclusion efforts, go to www.vans.com. Now WE have a question for YOU. Are you in?

Requirements

• 6-8 years’ experience in retail in a merchant or buying role
• Bachelor’s degree qualified (Business, commerce preferred)
• Experience working with external or wholesale accounts highly desirable
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret multiple data points across numerous channels and market segments
• Proven ability to work with and lead a cross functional team
• Excellent communication skills - interpersonal, written and verbal
• Organizational and time management skills
• Strong knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel and Outlook)
• Self-awareness, with a desire for constant self-improvement (goal –oriented)
• Travel for this role is expected - up to 20%. Location requirement: ideal candidate will reside within Southern California region and be in office in Costa Mesa, CA, 3-4 days every week.

Nice To Haves

• 2+ years of managing direct reports

Responsibilities

• Create marketplace assortment plans that support strategic initiatives and optimize the broader product line for efficiency, differentiation, and consumer connection.
• Develop and execute assortment strategies for strategic partners to enable regional execution and align with brand and marketing objectives.
• Provide consumer, marketplace, and business insights to Category Merch Leads to drive growth in the Americas.
• Support with insightful recaps ranging from future trend to in-season sales reporting.
• Deliver operational excellence through in-season management of Wholesale tools such as B2B and MAP Policy and effectively share new product information.
• Support Category Merch Leads in preparing for and presenting during seasonal Go-to-Market milestones, including to external account teams.
• Manage a team to bring to life all functions of Wholesale merchandising for your business.
• Coach and develop direct reports to strengthen capabilities and drive executional excellence.

Benefits

• extensive development and growth opportunities for your current and future positions
• a competitive compensation package
• a strong benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and 401(k)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees