Senior Merchant, Direct - Converse

Converse, Inc.; Nederland; Hybrid; EUR 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Converse, Inc. is seeking a consumer-obsessed merchant for Western Europe Direct. You will build assortments for stores and digital channels, execute seasonal buys, and manage in-season trading with a clear consumer POV.

The role emphasizes analytics, cross-functional collaboration and agility in a fast-paced marketplace. You will partner with Merchandising, Planning, Allocation, Marketing, Retail and Digital teams to deliver profitable assortments and strong brand and business results across

Qualifications

• Proven merchandising, buying or planning experience in retail or e-commerce.
• Experience building assortments and executing seasonal buys.
• Strong retail math, sales and margin knowledge.
• Ability to influence across functions and present recommendations clearly.
• Collaborative, innovative thinker who drives action in a fast-paced marketplace.
• Ability to travel up to 15% for milestones and visits.

Responsibilities

• Execute the WE Direct merchandising strategy from seasonal assortment creation to buy execution.
• Own seasonal Direct assortments for Western Europe across stores and digital channels.
• Lead seasonal buy execution with Planning and Allocation including forecasts and replenishment.
• Make data-informed product cuts to protect assortment intent and inventory health.
• Analyze weekly performance metrics and translate insights into actions.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Retail and Digital teams to align product stories and launches.

Skills

Merchandising

Buying

Planning

Retail/e-commerce

Analytical skills

Cross-functional influence

Travel up to 15%

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.