Merchandise Director - New York, United States - NinetyEightConsulting

Description

Our client is a British-based Women's fashion and lifestyle brand. They are seeking a Merchandise Director to join their North America team

Reporting to VP of Merchandise, the primary responsibility of the Merchandise Director is to develop and lead the execution of the product assortment strategies to drive revenue growth and increase market share. In this role, the candidate needs to have a strong understanding of luxury market trends, competitive landscape and translate it to client needs through a curated assortment for North America.

Tasks And Responsibilities

• Collaborate with key partners (Store, Visual Merchandising, Brand Image, Supply Chain, E-Commerce) to achieve sales plans and meet KPI's
• Possess a strong understanding of market dynamics and needs through store visits, competitor analysis, and constant connectivity to relevant brand adjacencies
• Actively communicate with the central merchandising team to drive seasonal product initiatives and provide feedback to outline needs of the market
• Define store assortment by product category and work to balance these inventories in season on a monthly basis
• Place seasonal market orders
• Head monthly and seasonal sales analysis
• Analyze weekly sales reports
• Provide regular guidance on sales forecast on a monthly basis, as part of a Monthly Forecast Review
• Responsible for the ongoing professional development of team (including assistant buyer)
• Provides store training on seasonal merchandise
• Lead strategic thinking and ownership on top of business execution across all categories and channels

Skills And Competencies

• Excellent organizational skills
• Strong understanding of merchandising financials, retail math and the ability to manage profitability
• Strong managerial skills and ability to develop teams
• Ability to analyze business trends and react quickly and strategically
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Ability to build relationships with corporate and retail teams
• Ability to remain flexible and adjust priorities to handle time wisely in a fast-paced environment

Requirements:

• At least 6 years of luxury Women's Buying experience, with emphasis on WRTW.
• Strong understanding of Women's fashion industry (i.e. competition landscape and trends)
• Strong management and leadership skills
• Well-versed in Microsoft Office programs
• Excellent knowledge of ERP tools (SAP, AS and analytical tools (BI, Looker, SAC)
• Ability to travel frequently (including international)