Sr. Director, Merchandising and Strategic Projects, Utility

Job Summary

The Sr. Director, Merchandising & Project Management for the Utility product line is a strategic merchandising and operational leader responsible for driving the product vision, managing cross-functional distribution execution, and ensuring successful integrated go-to-market delivery. This role combines deep merchandising expertise, leadership, and project execution excellence to manage the product lifecycle from concept through commercialization, aligning closely with Product Design, Development, Sales, Marketing, and Sales Planning & Operations.

This role is based in Portland and requires a regular presence at our global headquarters (four days per week).

Essential Functions

• Merchandising Leadership
  • Develops and leads the best-in-class merchandising strategy for the Utility product line, ensuring alignment with brand vision, market trends, and customer needs.
  • Owns the seasonal line architecture and roadmap, ensuring a balanced and profitable assortment across channels, and influencing and leading cross-functional teams.
  • Partners with Sales and Product teams to translate market feedback into product opportunities and assortment, white space attack plan, and execution to help the brand and business gain market share.
  • Conducts ongoing competitive analysis to identify whitespace opportunities and differentiation, including analysis and dashboard creation on market share and market comp insights.
  • Defines product positioning, key features/benefits, and price point strategy in collaboration with Product and Marketing.
  • Help create consumer-led sell-in and sell-through tools for the cross-functional teams.

• Strategic Project Management
  • Leads cross-functional project management for the Utility line, ensuring key milestones, timelines, and deliverables are met.
  • Creates and masters the cross-functional use of the global Utility integrated go-to-market calendar, and creates dates/gates of account prelines, final lines that drive to internal and external customer milestones, aligning global, regional, and customer needs to maximize brand and business outcomes.
  • Develops and leads the long-range planning and strategic business build process, ensuring alignment with overall brand and commercial goals. Drive execution through cross-functional coordination and milestone management.
  • Creates, manages, and leads internal milestone meetings as the center point of all departments and commercial-facing milestone meetings, including but not limited to FLC and sales meetings.
  • Acts as the central point, trusted leader of coordination between Merchandising, Design, Development, Operations, and Go-to-Market.
  • Drives calendar adherence and problem-solving throughout the development cycle to ensure on-time product launches for both inline and quick strike opportunities.
  • Implements tools, frameworks, and processes that promote clarity, accountability, and agility across stakeholders.
  • Manages project reporting, status updates, and post-season performance reviews.

• Team & Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Manages and mentors a small team of merchandising and/or project support staff (as applicable).
  • Fosters a culture of collaboration and positivity as a team player, driving innovation and results across departments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Merchandising, Product Management, or related field required. 
• Master's Degree in Business or related field preferred. 
• Twelve (12) years of progressive experience rooted in merchandising, product management, or business unit category leadership - preferably in footwear, apparel, or durable goods. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

• Prefer strong people management experience and a strong player/coach mindset and execution.
• Demonstrated expertise in managing workwear, safety, or performance product categories is strongly preferred.
• Proven track record of leading complex, cross-functional product initiatives from concept to market.
• Strong analytical skills and business acumen with the ability to interpret data into actionable insights. 
• Excellent communication, influencing, and leadership skills. 
• Experience working in PLM and merchandising systems; proficiency in Excel and project management tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Asana, Airtable).

Travel - No

Base Salary: $195,000 - $205,000 yearly
This range represents the low and high ends of this position's ant