Product Merchandising Manager

Zumiez Inc•Lynnwood, WA

29d•$90,000 - $105,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Product Merchandising Manager plays a critical role within the Design team, shaping merchandising strategies for owned and licensed brands, driving product performance, and influencing assortment decisions that align with business objectives. This position combines strategic thinking, data-driven insights, and trend analysis to optimize brand positioning and deliver compelling assortments that meet customer needs and maximize profitability. Success in this role requires a strong desire to learn, build connections, and foster collaboration across teams. As a key leader, this role partners cross-functionally with Design, Buying, Production, and international teams to ensure cohesive strategies and global alignment, while mentoring a high-performing merchandising team and advancing operational excellence.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent course work in Product Merchandising and/or Product Buying
7+ years of experience in merchandising, product management, or product buying, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
Proven track record of driving merchandising strategies and delivering financial results in a retail or consumer goods environment.
Knowledge of apparel manufacturing.
Strong proficiency in data analysis, trend forecasting, and competitive benchmarking.
Advanced Excel skills and experience with merchandising or planning systems.
Ability to synthesize complex data into actionable insights and strategic recommendations.
Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams.
Exceptional cross-functional collaboration skills with experience influencing senior stakeholders.
Strong communication and presentation skills to articulate strategies and insights effectively.
Deep understanding of seasonal assortments, brand alignment, and market dynamics.
Ability to balance creative vision with financial objectives to deliver trend-right assortments.
Experience managing global assortments and tailoring strategies for international markets.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

Lead Merchandising Strategy: Drive merchandising strategies for owned and licensed brands by analyzing sales data and identifying trends to optimize product and brand performance. Translate insights into actionable tools and clear guidance for design teams to deliver trend-right assortments and achieve revenue growth.
Evaluate Product Performance: Guide the team in assessing product performance against future line plans to ensure alignment with business objectives. Provide strategic direction through data analysis, real-time trend insights, and competitive benchmarking to identify growth opportunities and inform proactive assortment decisions that maximize profitability.
Brand Management: Support brand management by analyzing brand performance and competitive positioning across all categories. Deliver strategic recommendations to strengthen brand equity, optimize positioning, and inform long-term growth strategies.
Competitive Analysis: Own the competitive analysis process with product teams to align on insights that drive category and product strategies. Leverage competitive, sales, and trend analysis to shape strategic decisions and ensure resources, including travel budgets, support research initiatives.
Seasonal Assortment Planning: Lead seasonal assortment planning in partnership with Buying and Design leadership. Drive cross-functional alignment on strategies that achieve shared financial and growth goals. Apply expertise in product performance, competitive insights, and market opportunities to influence data-driven assortment decisions.
Performance Reviews: Oversee comprehensive monthly, seasonal, and annual hindsight reviews for owned and licensed brands to assess assortment effectiveness and brand health. Synthesize insights across silhouette, color, graphics, and category trends to shape forward-looking strategies, recommending where to build, invest, or divest.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as a key liaison between Buying and Design teams, ensuring alignment on shared goals and driving cohesive strategies. Guide the merchandising team in partnering with product and design teams to support internal print-ready products and provide strategic product and graphic recommendations.
Global Alignment: Deliver strategic insights to guide international teams (Blue Tomato EU, Fast Times AU) on seasonal assortments and U.S. buying selections.
Leadership & Team Development: Manage, coach, and mentor direct reports, overseeing onboarding and career development planning while fostering growth opportunities and team engagement. Align leadership practices with department strategic initiatives to build high-performing teams that support long-term business objectives.
Process Improvement: Drive strategic initiatives for continuous improvement across processes, tools, and workflows. Identify opportunities to enhance efficiency, optimize performance, and implement best practices that advance department goals for operational excellence and innovation.
Strategic Partnership: Serve as a member of the Product and Brand Services leadership team, partnering with team managers and department heads to shape strategic initiatives and goals. Align merchandising strategies with organizational priorities to drive sales growth, foster innovation, and deliver long-term business results.
Customer Insights & Cycle Planning: Oversee and collaborate with cross-functional teams to maintain and evolve internal customer insights information. Support cycle planning by providing information and insights as a representative for Owned Brands and Trend.
Additional Responsibilities: Perform special projects and additional duties as assigned by leadership to support evolving business priorities and departmental goals.