Vans: Director – Merchandising – Women’s & Kids Footwear

Vans: Director – Merchandising – Women’s & Kids Footwear

Requirements

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in merchandising, product development, or related roles within the footwear industry.
• Proven track record of achieving financial targets and driving commercial success.
• Strong leadership skills with experience in team development and performance management.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to leverage data and insights for strategic decision-making.
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Drive the global merchandising strategy for Women’s and Kids Footwear.
• Ensure alignment between the brand’s vision and regional marketplace needs in close partnership with regional merchandising leads.
• Oversee the development of a compelling, consumer-centric product assortment that balances brand consistency with commercial success, utilizing data and insights.
• Partner with design, marketing, and cross-functional teams to create a cohesive and innovative seasonal product line.
• Ensure global consistency with regional relevance.
• Supervise the execution of pricing, lifecycle management, and product attribute conventions to optimize revenue, profitability, and brand integrity.
• Achieve and exceed financial targets for assigned categories.
• Work closely with planning teams to meet revenue, margin, and sell-through goals.
• Manage the design process budget, ensuring financial targets and KPIs, such as gross margin, style complexity, and global commonality, are met.
• Lead in-season business analysis in collaboration with regional merchandising and planning teams.
• Identify opportunities for future development, including speed lanes and agile responses to market demands.
• Monitor progress and adjust strategies to ensure timely and accurate execution of the seasonal line plan.
• Coach and develop the global merchandising team, fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, and collaboration.
• Ensure the continuous development of team capabilities through training, mentoring, and performance management.
• Partner with global product leaders and regional partners to craft compelling seasonal and annual product stories.
• Drive brand loyalty through innovative and resonant product narratives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Fashion Merchandising, or related field; MBA preferred.