Become part of the Converse Team
Converse is a place to explore potential, break barriers and push out the edges of what can be. The company looks for people who can grow, think, dream and create. Its culture thrives by embracing diversity and rewarding imagination. The brand seeks achievers, leaders and visionaries. At Converse, it’s about each person bringing skills and passion to a challenging and constantly evolving world to make things better as a team.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We’re looking for a Director of Merchandising. As a key member on the North America Merchandising team, this candidate must demonstrate a deep understanding of the consumer, marketplace and business, and an ability to drive strategy and influence cross-functional partners throughout the go-to-market process. An expert in merchandising principles and deeply engaged in the business to lead highly collaborative teams in delivering best-in class product strategies. They will champion the role of a leader inspiring teams by fostering a culture of agility and continuous learning.
WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON
This position defines and oversees the merchandising strategy, vision and execution aligned with the company’s strategy to achieve growth and profitability, while creating best-in class experiences for our consumer. Responsibilities include:
-Strategic Planning:
Develop and implement merchandising plans including line planning, product segmentation, lifecycle management, pricing, assortment maximization, and identifying new growth opportunities.
-Team Leadership:
Develop and mentor the team by setting clear expectations, creating accountability, and driving standardization. Foster open communication, creativity, and idea-sharing among teammates and functions.
-Consumer-Centric:
Obsess our consumer. Putting the consumer at the heart of everything we do. Use trend and market data as well as hold focus groups to gain insights and shape seasonal product priorities.
-Marketplace Analysis:
Balance long term strategy growth and immediate business needs based on sales trends, consumer insights and business KPI’s to manage in-season risks, identify and maximize opportunities for growth and innovation and influence the future.
-Cross-Functional Collaboration:
Collaborate with other functions, such as marketing, sales, planning and global product and consumer merchandising, to align merchandising strategies with overall business goals.
-Performance Measurement:
Monitor and evaluate merchandising performance, identify areas of improvement and optimization and celebrate wins to build on for the future.
WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH
This role will lead as a thought partner and communicate seasonal strategies and business / consumer insights into key cross functional partners and leadership across global product and consumer merchandising, channel merchandising, marketing, planning and sales.
WHAT YOU BRING
8+ years of relevant work experience with emphasis on consumer, product management, merchandise buying/ planning and marketplace knowledge
3+ years of people leadership experience
Ability to think creatively, strategically and technically; balancing working at both the operational and strategic level
Strong understanding and passion for product, consumer, and store / digital experiences
Deep knowledge of merchandising principles, consumer and market trends
Excellent leadership, facilitation and interpersonal skills with the ability to work across functional lines and levels
Excellent organizational skills with demonstrated ability to prioritize workload, delegate work and concurrently manage multiple projects
Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Business, Merchandising or related field; or equivalent combination of education, experience, or training
Footwear industry experience preferred
Ability to travel 20%
We offer a number of accommodations to complete our interview process including screen readers, sign language interpreters, accessible and single location for in-person interviews, closed captioning, and other reasonable modifications as needed. If you discover, as you navigate our application process, that you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please complete the Candidate Accommodation Request Form.
OUR HIRING GAME PLAN
01 Apply
Our teams are made up of diverse skillsets, knowledge bases, inputs, ideas and backgrounds. We want you to find your fit – review job descriptions, departments and teams to discover the role for you.
02 Meet a Recruiter or Take an Assessment
If selected for a corporate role, a recruiter will reach out to start your interview process and be your main contact throughout the process. For retail roles, you’ll complete an interactive assessment that includes a chat and quizzes and takes about 10-20 minutes to complete. No matter the role, we want to learn about you – the whole you – so don’t shy away from how you approach world-class service and what makes you unique.
03 Interview
Go into this stage confident by doing your research, understanding what we are looking for and being prepared for questions that are set up to learn more about you, and your background.
