Apparel Product Merchandise Manager - International Distributor Region
Columbia Sportswear CompanyAbout the role
The Apparel Product Merchandise Manager - International Distributor Region is responsible for driving and executing merchandising strategies that deliver consumer‑right assortments, balance brand‑building initiatives with volume-driving product, and ultimately support long-term revenue growth for our International Distributor Region (IDR).
This role sits at the center of the regional Go-To-Market (GTM) process—owning product adoption, influencing assortment direction, and partnering closely with Sales, Planning, Marketing, and Product Creation to ensure the region delivers a compelling, profitable, and strategically segmented product offering.
HOW YOU’LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Regional Merchandising Strategy & Execution
- Build market- and consumer-relevant seasonal assortments aligned to brand strategy, leveraging historical performance, trend insights, and financial risk/reward analysis.
- Implement regional merchandising strategies that balance brand heat with high-volume commercial drivers across the marketplace matrix.
- Identify market opportunities and influence future line direction by partnering with Product Creation teams to shape investment priorities that meet regional needs.
- Lead End-in-Mind assortment planning, including channel segmentation, pricing strategy and merchandising classification excellence to ensure enough products that serve the marketplace and drive productivity
Go-To-Market Leadership
- Own the product handover to Sales Planning, Channel Merch, ensuring teams are equipped with clear product stories, innovation highlights, and seasonal Brand priorities.
- Manage the full seasonal adoption process—from concept through sales meeting—ensuring financial targets, SKU productivity, and style count goals are met.
- Maintain accuracy and integrity of all merchandising systems and data, including adoption, pricing, forecasting, and catalog readiness.
Cross-Functional Partnership
- Build strong relationships with channel leaders to define and implement segmentation strategies that maximize revenue and profitability.
- Partner with Sales, Planning, and Marketing to develop seasonal and long-term growth strategies supported by business planning.
- Collaborate with Sales and Strategic Response Team to ensure SMUs are efficient, profitable, and aligned with the regional vision.
- Work with Sales to develop competitive and aligned seasonal pricing strategies.
Business Performance & Optimization
- Improve forecast accuracy, SKU efficiency, and overall product productivity each season.
- Use market insights, consumer data, and sales performance to influence product mix and ensure coverage of key price points.
- Manage sample ordering and sample room organization to ensure easy access and visibility for cross-functional teams.
Team Enablement & Communication
- Educate the sales force on product innovation, technologies, brand initiatives, assortments, and marketing support.
- Communicate clearly and effectively across small and large groups, ensuring alignment and clarity throughout the GTM cycle.
- Bring a positive, collaborative, and solutions-oriented mindset to daily work.
YOU ARE
- A clear, confident communicator who can influence across functions and levels.
- A strategic thinker who thrives in detail-oriented execution.
- Skilled in persuasion, storytelling, and presenting complex ideas simply.
- Analytical, curious, and comfortable solving ambiguous problems.
YOU HAVE
- 5+ years of merchandising experience in sportswear, outdoor, or specialty retail categories.
- Internation Distributor Region Apparel Merchandising experience preferred.
- Strong business and product management skills with demonstrated financial acumen.
- Deep understanding of the consumer, retail landscape, and competitive marketplace.
- Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Creative Suite (PC or Mac).
- Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field, or equivalent experience in Merchandising or Sales.
- Ability to travel 20% of the time
#CR-1
This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general defin
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