WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

This role collaborates with the cross-functional Global Football team and Nike Direct Merchandising team to ensure your assortment strategies meet the Nike Brand strategy and Nike market opportunities in all geographies. You’ll work with Geography Merchandising teams to maximize the business of the Football Clubs and Federations and drive a harmonized product assortment across geographies.

The role will report to the Director Global Football Apparel Merchandising. 

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

For Nike Inc. merchants, everything begins and ends with the consumer! The Merchandising team understands consumer needs and market opportunities to craft a significant product mix for each marketplace. We blend art with science to bring Nike’s vision to life in all retail environments, leading with Nike Direct digital and physical spaces and expanding to our retail partners. The team has the unrivaled ability to see beyond trends and identify new market opportunities, delivering the right product, at the right price, in the right place, at the right time.

We are looking for an Expert Merchant to lead the Global Licensed Football Apparel business. This role’s main goal is to represent and serve the voice of the global consumer who inhabits five major markets (Europe, North America, Greater China, Latin America, and Asia Pacific). 

As the Global Football Licensed Apparel Expert Merchant, you'll be responsible for leading the consumer product and assortment strategy across the One Nike Marketplace in partnership with cross-functional teams. You’ll drive and lead the Licensed Apparel team through product line planning, asset business management, assortment creation, marketplace segmentation and differentiation, and product flow to deliver positive results for the business and team.

You’ll lead the integration across Sport teams to make sure key product opportunities are amplified. You’ll work closely with the Global Football Inline Apparel merchants to create a holistic consumer offense. You’ll set Global product franchises to move at the pace of the consumer, balancing newness and consistency. Additionally, you'll use data and consumer insights to support your strategic decisions.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience, and training.

• At least 7 years’ experience in merchandising, product creation, and/or retail, in a vertical or wholesale environment.

• Footwear, apparel, and/or equipment merchandising experience.

• Passionate about Global Football, keeping up with the industry and events.

• Licensed apparel experience is a plus.

• Proficiency in retail and profit-based metrics.

• Assortment creation and line planning experience.

• Multi-season strategy and planning experience.

• Strong multicultural communication skills and the ability to build strong relationships with high cultural awareness.

• Proven storytelling capabilities.

• Strong strategy building skills that shape the future of the business.

• Effective communication and collaboration skills that bring people together.

• Proven balance of art and science in decision-making.

• Self-directed, independent, and dedicated.

• Cultivates innovation while also ensuring accountability.

• Communicates vision and purpose and able to lead effectively in complex situations.

• Responds with speed and agility, curiosity, and motivation.

• Willingness to travel 10% of the time.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

As the Global Football Licensed Apparel Expert Merchant, you'll utilize marketplace data, consumer insights, foresight, and hindsight to create seasonal line plans to serve the Football consumer by collaborating with Geography Merchants, Product Creation teams, and your cross-functional partners.

IN THIS ROLE YOU WILL

• Lead the management of our merchandising KPIs through robust analysis of retail insights and performance.

• You will manage and mentor a team of merchants to deliver breakthrough product assortments and line plans to the licensed apparel business.

• Build positive and trustworthy relationships with your partners (including Marketplace, Marketing, DSM, Product Managers and Geography Merchants, among others) to create and land assortments that meet the needs of consumers, take them to a new place, and differentiate the key points of distribution across key cities.

• Work with your cross-functional team to maintain the optimal balance between a pull and push market.

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.