Director of Merchandising & Planning (f/m/d)

Patagonia; Amsterdam; Hybrid; EUR 70.000 - 90.000; Full time

Job summary

An environmental apparel company based in Amsterdam is seeking a leader for regional product strategy and inventory management. The role involves driving long-term brand positioning and collaborating with various teams to ensure product availability. Requires strong leadership, collaboration, and analytical skills, with a commitment to Patagonia's environmental values. This is a full-time position with a hybrid work model, allowing work from home up to 3 days per week.

Qualifications

• Business fluency in English; other European languages are a plus.
• Proven ability to influence outcomes in a matrix environment.
• Strong connection to Patagonia's purpose statement and values.

Responsibilities

• Lead the regional product strategy and inventory management.
• Oversee demand planning to ensure product availability.
• Participate in the EMEA leadership team and shape long-term strategy.

Skills

Leadership capabilities

Collaboration skills

Analytical skills

Financial acumen

Merchandising knowledge

Tools

MS Office Suite

Job description

Overview

Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company founded in 1973. At a time when all life on earth is under threat of extinction, we aim to use the resources we have—our business, our investments, our voice and our imagination—to influence changes needed to protect our planet. A registered B Corporation and founding member of 1% for the Planet, Patagonia is recognised internationally for its commitment to product quality and environmental activism, contributing over $145 million in grants and in-kind donations to thousands of grassroots environmental groups around the world.

Your role: We’re in business to save our home planet. This role is responsible for leading the regional product strategy and inventory management to drive long-term brand positioning, quality growth, and financial health across EMEA. This role acts as the strategic link between global product teams and local markets, curating the global product lines into categories, product mix, assortments and business planning that meet regional consumer needs and address market opportunities. This role partners with Marketplace, Marketing and Logistics teams to achieve a healthy product availability in the marketplace and that the right product is in the right place at the right time.

As a member of the Executive Leadership Team EMEA, this role transcends functional responsibilities and collaborates with the ELT on leading Patagonia EMEA. This role is accountable for building high level strategy in collaboration with ELT and implementation with key stakeholders as well as taking strategic and tactical decisions for Patagonia EMEA as needed.

Main tasks:

• Lead and develop a high-performing merchandising and planning organization through regular coaching and mentoring, clear goal setting, feedback, and fostering cross-functional collaboration to drive EMEA business objectives and build organizational capabilities that support long-term growth.
• Lead the creation and execution of the EMEA merchandising and planning strategy, aligned with global product and brand direction, consumer and industry insights, and regional market dynamics to drive regional brand positioning and revenue and margin goals
• Own the seasonal line planning, range architecture, and category curation for channels and countries in EMEA, ensuring product assortments meet local consumer needs and shaping our positioning and presence in the marketplace with complementary approaches by channel
• Oversee demand planning in partnership with Marketplace and Operational teams to ensure accurate forecasts, optimal inventory levels, and timely product availability across EMEA
• Partner with Finance and Marketplace teams to meet revenue, margin, and sell-through goals through aligning targets, pricing and buying choices, SKU optimization, allocation decisions etc.
• Act as a key liaison between the EMEA team and global HQ teams (U.S.), ensuring regional needs are represented in global line planning, business planning, and facilitating alignment as needed
• Actively participate in the EMEA leadership team, shaping the long term EMEA strategy and vision for the future, fostering cross-functional alignment and collaboration, and driving key business decisions to support responsible business, financial health, culture, and organizational priorities.

What we’re looking for:

• An inclusive mindset
• Advanced leadership capabilities in team management and development, driving results by empowerment, ongoing feedback, and coaching
• Strong collaboration and co-creation mindset and skills
• Proven ability to navigate disagreements and facilitate convergence and decision-making
• Proven ability to influence critical business outcomes in a matrix environment
• Strategic and forward-thing skills to shape what the future should look like
• Humility, empathy, and courage
• Strong merchandising knowledge and experience to drive MFP, product lines, and assortments strategies and choices
• Track record of executing seasonal planning and GTM at high standards
• Strong financial acumen, with command of pricing, margin management, and profitability levers
• Strong analytical skills and understanding of forecasting, supply chain dynamics, and inventory optimization
• Demonstrated understanding of outdoor industry products, consumers, distribution, and specifically Patagonia’s
• Business fluency in English, other European languages a plus
• Strong command of MS Office suite
• Strong connection to Patagonia’s purpose statement and values

Other important details:

• This is a Full-time position based in Amsterdam
• We have a hybrid work model, working from home for maximum 3 days per week
• We strive to make unbiased decisions and to offer a great experience to every person who applies for a role at Patagonia. Our interviews include standardised questions that focus on the aspects that are important for success in the role. For this role there will be also a practical assignment where you can showcase your skills
• To find out more about what we offer our employees click here: https://eu.patagonia.com/nl/en/what-we-offer/

At Patagonia, we commit to becoming an anti-racist company that leads by example. This means doing the work to be inclusive and equitable, across all aspects of our business.

Every person who applies to join Patagonia receives equal employment opportunities, and we value a welcoming environment where each member of our EMEA team feels included, respected and empowered, regardless of their race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, civil status, national origin, disability or age.

At Patagonia, we strive to have inclusive representation within our organisation and embrace a diverse mix of talent to contribute to our culture. We actively seek applications from Black and People of Colour (BPOC) and other underrepresented groups.

As we are in business to save our home planet, we can only do this together.

Please make sure that your CV and cover letter are in English.

Disclaimer for recruitment agencies:

Thanks for your interest in supporting us for this role, but we don’t accept unsolicited CVs from recruitment agencies