Merchandising Director - Apparel & Licensing (Wauwatosa, WI, US)

Harley-Davidson, Inc.•Wauwatosa, WI

37d•Onsite

About The Position

At Harley-Davidson, we are building more than machines. It's our passion and commitment to continue the evolution of this storied brand, and heighten the desirability of the Harley-Davidson experience. To keep building our legend and leading our industry through innovation, evolution, and emotion we need the best and brightest talent. We stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul. Are you ready to join us? The Harley-Davidson Motor Company Product Development Center (PDC) located in Wauwatosa, WI is home to the mantra - You dream it. We build it. Join our team as a Merchandising Director - Apparel & Licensing. Job Summary Harley-Davidson is seeking an experienced, business-savvy, opportunistic, and product-focused merchant leader for our global Motorclothes Lifestyle and Sport business. The Merchandising Director leads the end-to-end merchandising strategy for the apparel business, owning the line architecture, category vision, and financial performance. This role sets the seasonal product strategy, drives consumer-right assortments, and partners cross-functionally to bring compelling, profitable products to market. The Director ensures the line meets both brand and business objectives while guiding a team toward operational excellence and long-range growth.

Requirements

High School Diploma or Equivalent Required
8-12+ years of merchandising or product leadership experience within the apparel industry.
Proven success in building product strategies and driving profitable growth.
Strong leadership capability with experience managing, developing, and inspiring teams.
Deep understanding of consumer trends, competitive landscape, and product creation processes.
Highly analytical with mastery in line planning, margin analysis, and merchandising systems.
Strong communication and executive presentation skills.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Merchandising, Business, Fashion, or related field preferred; MBA a plus

Responsibilities

Develop and own the multi-season merchandising strategy aligned to brand positioning, consumer insights, and financial targets.
Define category architecture, SKU strategies, pricing frameworks, and margin goals.
Lead product storytelling and strategic intent across seasons to ensure clear direction for Design, Planning, and cross-functional partners.
Conduct marketplace, trend, and competitive analysis to inform long-term opportunities and risks.
Oversee the seasonal line creation process, ensuring assortments reflect consumer need states, channel strategies, and growth priorities.
Evaluate and refine assortments based on business performance, consumer insights, and regional feedback.
Lead milestone meetings, communicating product strategy, seasonal objectives, and line rationale to senior leadership.
Ensure product briefs reflect strategic intent, target consumer, and margin requirements.
Partner closely with Planning and Finance to build annual and seasonal financial plans that balance growth, margin, and productivity.
Make data-driven decisions using historical performance, sell-through, and consumer analytics.
Optimize assortment productivity by managing SKU efficiency, pricing strategies, and margin enhancement initiatives.
Collaborate with Design to guide conceptual direction, material usage, and product priorities.
Partner with Sourcing to achieve cost targets, negotiate margin improvements, and ensure production feasibility.
Work with Sales, Marketing, and GTM teams to develop product narratives, seasonal presentations, and channel strategies.
Align with Operations and Supply Chain teams to ensure on-time delivery, inventory alignment, and distribution needs.
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing merchandising team.
Create clear expectations, process discipline, and accountability across seasonal workflows.
Promote a collaborative culture that brings consumer, design, and business perspectives together.
Oversee merchandising tools, systems, and process improvements to increase speed, accuracy, and collaboration.
Ensure data integrity across PLM, ERP, and merchandising documents.
In partnership with Operations, drive continuous improvement across the product creation calendar and milestone processes.