Senior Merchant, Direct - Converse

Converse; Hilversum; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Converse is seeking a consumer-obsessed merchandiser to drive Western Europe Direct assortments across stores and digital platforms. You will translate consumer insights into profitable product strategies, balancing brand priorities with seasonal opportunities.

As an individual contributor reporting to the Merchandising Manager, WE, you will lead seasonal buys, manage assortments, monitor performance metrics, and collaborate with Planning, Allocation, Marketing, Retail and Digital teams to

Qualifications

• Proven experience in merchandising, buying, planning, retail or e-commerce.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage seasonal Direct assortments for Western Europe across stores and digital channels.
• Own the execution of seasonal buys in partnership with Planning and Allocation.
• Own product cuts throughout the seasonal buy process with data-informed decisions.
• Analyze weekly business performance: revenue, margin, traffic, conversion, AOV, sell-through, weeks of supply.
• Use consumer, marketplace and trend insights to shape seasonal product priorities and pricing.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Retail and Digital teams to connect product stories and launches.
• Prepare clear recaps and recommendations for leadership meetings.

Skills

Merchandising

Planning

E-commerce

Retail analytics

Job description

Who You'll Work With

This role will sit within Converse Global Marketplace Merchandising and partner closely with Merchandising, Planning, Allocation, Marketing, Retail and Digital teams to deliver consumer-right assortments across stores and digital platforms. This role reports into the Merchandising Manager, WE and is an individual contributor role.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for a consumer-obsessed merchant with strong retail acumen, omni-channel experience and the ability to build and execute our product strategy into profitable assortments for Western Europe Direct. This person is both analytical and product-led, comfortable using sell-through, traffic, conversion, AOV, margin, inventory and consumer insights to make clear recommendations. They bring strong cross-functional influence, collaboration and communication skills, with the confidence to manage competing priorities across seasonal planning and in-season trading. The ideal candidate understands how to build assortments that serve the consumer, elevate the brand and deliver business results across physical retail and digital channels.

• Proven experience in merchandising, buying, planning, retail or e-commerce experience, preferably within footwear or apparel.


• Proven experience building assortments, executing seasonal buys and managing in-season trading, using performance data to inform future product and assortment strategies.


• Strong analytical skills and retail math fluency, including sales, margin, sell-through, inventory productivity and forecast inputs.


• Ability to influence across functions, present recommendations clearly and operate with agility in a fast-paced marketplace environment.


• A collaborative, innovative thinker who proactively connects across teams, challenges existing ways of working, and turns new ideas into action.


• Travel: Ability to travel up to 15%, including seasonal milestone meetings, marketplace visits and cross-functional business reviews as needed.

What You'll Work On

You will execute the WE Direct merchandising strategy from seasonal assortment creation and buy execution, as well as in-season management, helping ensure the right product shows up in the right channel, at the right time, with a clear consumer point of view.

• Build and manage seasonal Direct assortments for Western Europe across stores and digital, balancing brand priorities, consumer demand, commercial opportunities and inventory health.


• Own the execution of seasonal buys in close partnership with Planning and Allocation, including buy quantities, demand forecasts, depth, segmentation and replenishment recommendations.


• Own product cuts throughout the seasonal buy process, making clear, data-informed decisions that protect assortment intent, inventory health and financial targets.


• Analyze weekly business performance across key metrics such as revenue, margin, traffic, conversion, AOV, sell-through, weeks of supply and inventory productivity to identify risks and opportunities. Turn insights into action.


• Use consumer, marketplace, trend and competitive insights to shape seasonal product priorities, pricing recommendations and future assortment decisions.


• Collaborate with Marketing, Retail, Digital partners to connect product stories, launch plans and commercial moments across Direct touchpoints.


• Prepare clear recaps, hindsight analysis and forward-looking recommendations for seasonal reviews, leadership meetings and cross-functional business conversations.

Please note, no relocation offered for this role.