Corporate Merchant, Men's Apparel

L.L.Bean; Freeport (ME); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health programs

Work-life balance initiatives

Job summary

L.L.Bean is seeking a Corporate Merchant for Men’s Apparel to join the Merchandising team in Freeport, Maine. The position requires 4 days in-office work and relocation to Maine. We seek someone with strong merchandising knowledge and leadership skills who thrives in a fast-paced environment.

The role focuses on developing strategies, analyzing market trends, and ensuring a robust product assortment to meet business goals. Ideal candidates have at least 5 years of experience and a BA/BS degree.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant experience required.
• Strong merchandising and institutional process knowledge.
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrates leadership across cross-functional teams.
• Drives in-season business performance through analysis.
• Build and manage a profitable assortment.

Skills

Merchandising and institutional process knowledge

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Microsoft Excel proficiency

Verbal and written communication skills

Education

BA/BS

Tools

Microsoft PowerPoint

Business systems management

Job description

Overview

At L.L.Bean, we believe the outdoors brings out the best in all of us. We are committed to fostering a culture of belonging and creating safe, inclusive spaces where everyone feels welcome—both here and Outside. We value individual differences and are dedicated to maintaining an inclusive work environment where everyone can bring the best of their experience and talents and truly thrive. L.L.Bean is seeking a Corporate Merchant, Men’s Apparel to join our Merchandising team located in Freeport, Maine. Relocation to Maine and 4 days in office required.

Responsibilities

• Leadership and Influence: Demonstrates confident presence and builds trusted, collaborative partnerships across cross-functional teams and all levels.
• Fosters a culture of accountability, inclusion, and shared ownership of outcomes.
• Applies strong business acumen to make data-informed decisions balancing customer needs, financial goals, and growth.
• Operates effectively in fast-paced, evolving environments as a flexible, solutions-oriented partner.
• Adapts quickly to changing priorities while maintaining focus on execution and continuous improvement.
• Communicates clearly to align partners, share insights, and drive business priorities.
• Planning & Analytics: Drive in-season business performance through analysis of sales, margin, inventory productivity, and sell-through trends, identifying opportunities to maximize results.
• Develop and execute pricing, promotional, and markdown strategies to optimize product lifecycle performance and profitability.
• Identify opportunities and risks through sales analysis, customer insights, and marketplace trends to inform business decisions and future strategies.
• Strategy: Build, develop, and manage a profitable and customer-relevant assortment that supports brand positioning and achieves financial targets.
• Partner cross-functionally with Inventory Management, Planning, and Allocation teams to optimize inventory flow, forecasts, in-stock levels, and seasonal product strategies.
• Collaborate with Channel Partners to deliver a compelling and cohesive shopping experience across web, retail, and catalog channels.
• Participate in strategic planning discussions and develop the vision and apparel merchandising strategy.
• Utilize customer insights, market trends, and competitive analysis to identify opportunities and inform assortment strategies.

Core Work/Tools and Systems

• Management: Ownership of merchandising systems and assortment management processes to ensure accurate product setup, execution, and business continuity.
• Lead clear and timely communication of assortment strategies, product updates, and business priorities across cross-functional stakeholders.
• For assigned business areas, deliver milestone presentations to executive leadership outlining merchandising strategies, seasonal assortment direction, and key business opportunities.
• Influence cross-functional partners through strategic recommendations, business storytelling, and data-driven insights.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Health and Safety

Every employee is responsible for contributing to a safe and healthy workplace. Employees are expected to be active participants in health and safety by following all safety policies and procedures, reporting unsafe conditions or at-risk behaviors to leadership, and conducting work in a safe manner. Those in a leadership role are also expected to model safe behaviors, evaluate risk, and ensure that risks are reduced to acceptable levels.

Skills and Qualifications

• BA/BS required
• 5+ years relevant experience required
• Strong merchandising and institutional process knowledge, including assortment, pricing, and margin strategy development
• Highly analytical with expertise in category performance, market trends, and competitive analysis
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and business systems management
• Exceptional organizational skills with strong attention to detail and deadline management
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects and thrive in fast-paced, evolving environments
• Self-motivated with the ability to work with minimal oversight and exercise sound judgment
• Collaborative team player who works effectively with diverse personalities and cross-functional teams
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to remain calm and professional under pressure
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present insights clearly

Note on Benefits

Priority: If you care about the outdoors, joining L.L.Bean is a great way to feel good about what you do. Our benefits package makes a good thing even better, with programs and perks designed to support your health and financial goals. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance and re-charging outside are part of the plan.