Manager, US Brands Merchandising

Responsible for global development of profitable long-term merchandising strategies for a wide group of brands. Provides leadership and direction to cross-functional teams on all areas pertinent to merchandising product assortments. Combines strategic vision with hands-on execution, focusing on building a commercially strong and brand-aligned product offer across all channels. Works with planning, product design & development, brand management, finance, and customer/sales teams to improve sales, margins, revenues, and market relevance. Evaluates new emerging opportunities and ensures proper follow-up.

Develop and maintain highly complex strategic mid to long-term merchandising strategic plans for assigned brands, capitalizing on market opportunities as they arise
 

Lead seasonal and long-term assortment planning, aligning product architectures of assigned collections with brand positioning and commercial targets
 

Monitor sales performance (sell-in and sell-out), inventory, and profit to optimize the assigned product lines and proactively identify new business opportunities
 

Serve as primary contact for Sales in terms of product/assortment feedback and implementation of new business strategies/sales opportunities
 

Analyze market trends, emerging developments, and consumer behavior to deliver strategic brand insights to the team and leadership
 

Monitor the competition and eyewear market evolution to leverage synergies and harmonize/optimize the portfolio assortment

Continuously monitor market trends through regular retail shop visits, gathering market intelligence from a wide variety of sources
 

Provide merchandising leadership for the Auto-Replenishment Program, streamlining product offerings and improving performance

Lead merchandisers by implementing a data-driven approach to support decision-making, taking ownership of the annual process

Contribute to annual budgeting and financial planning processes, owning Merchandising KPIs

Collaborate with internal teams through the full life cycle of a product to ensure long-term success of the brand/product

Own the Merchandising Brief and create a guideline document outlining future product developments, including style count, target materials, gender focus, price range, pricing strategy, and maximum cost based on market and competitors’ benchmarks

Define the final line plan and pricing strategy for each brand in collaboration with design, product, and brand teams, ensuring the right product at the right price

Coordinate market reviews to adapt as needed and support sales by managing product lifecycle and minimizing obsolescence through efficient collection analysis and line reviews

Evaluate market and customer information together with historical data, incorporating trends/concepts into the merchandising plan

Manage the product launch phase by evaluating the expected potential sales for each product, collecting feedback from key stakeholders

Coordinate cross-brand product mix and synergic assortments across collections, while developing dedicated assortments to maximize sales in specific regions or distribution channels

Liaise and create strong cross-functional relationships with Brand and Product Design teams to develop comprehensive tools required by sales channels

Assure effective communication across the team, including with international colleagues and direct leader

Monitor the performance of employees; provide prompt and objective coaching, feedback, and counseling to help ensure high levels of engagement

Evaluate workflow processes, assign resources, and recommend staffing and training needs based upon corporate objectives and priorities

Job Specifications

Typically has the following skills or abilities:

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Fashion Merchandising, Marketing, or related field, or equivalent experience; minimum of 1 year of additional experience related to functional area

Minimum of 3 years of management experience with responsibilities for hiring, training, assigning work, and managing performance of direct reports

Proven experience motivating and leading a team through the development and execution of multiple, simultaneous projects and complex integrated campaigns, with various vendors, business partners, and significant budgets

Strong knowledge of eyewear industry or experience in fashion accessory field

Excellent computer skills, especially MS Office programs

Strong analytical and organizational skills with the ability to meet key deadlines

Ability to write and present clear, concise reports

Superior written, verbal, and interpersonal skills