Director, Category & Merchandising

Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc.; Morgan Hill (CA); On-site; USD 129,326 - 225,026; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) company matching

Comprehensive healthcare plans

Generous vacation and paid leave

Job summary

Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc. is seeking a Director, Category & Merchandising to lead the Category Management team and set the strategy for the Americas. You will develop category business plans, ensure alignment with global strategies, and drive merchandising performance across digital and physical retail.

The ideal candidate has over 10 years of experience in category management and a deep understanding of omnichannel retail. This role offers a competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in category management, merchandising, or commercial roles.
• Proven leader of cross-functional, geographically distributed teams.
• Experience in financial planning and market strategy.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Category Management team and set the strategy for the Americas.
• Build category business plans tied to margin targets and inventory.
• Present performance reviews to the Head of Americas Region.

Skills

Category management

Financial planning

Omnichannel retail

Demand planning

Supply planning

Bilingual (Spanish or Portuguese)

Job description

Director, Category & Merchandising

Job Summary

Category Management is the financial and strategic backbone – every range decision grounded in margin targets, sell‑through expectations, and market data. Merchandising Strategy translates that into a coherent product story across owned retail, IBD, and e‑commerce. Demand and Supply Planning ensures the inventory is there to execute it. Ecommerce Merchandising carries it to the digital shelf. Retail Services now spans NorAm and LatAm under a single Americas‑wide manager – bringing strategy to life on the floor of every IBD and owned retail store across the region.

Responsibilities

• Lead the existing Category Management team and set the category strategy for the Americas, aligned to global direction and local market opportunity across NorAm and LatAm.
• Build category business plans tying range decisions to margin targets, inventory positions and sell‑through expectations.
• Ensure category managers and demand planners operate in a shared rhythm – same data, same priorities, same planning cadence.
• Present category performance reviews and forward plans to the Head of Americas Region and key retail accounts.
• Own the merchandising architecture that drives category performance across owned retail, IBD, and e‑commerce.
• Develop and manage seasonal merchandising plans aligned to global brand direction and local market realities.
• Define range architecture – what products go where, in what quantities, with what adjacencies, across physical and digital shelves.
• Ensure owned retail, IBD, and e‑commerce tell the same product story at the same time, every season.
• Translate global category strategies into locally relevant plans for NorAm and LatAm markets.
• Connect merchandising decisions directly to financial outcomes – margin, sell‑through and inventory efficiency.
• Lead a planning function of eight people across NorAm and LatAm.
• Own demand forecasting for both regions using commercial data, sell‑through trends and real market signals.
• Lead supply planning to align inventory availability with seasonal sell‑through targets and retailer needs.
• Identify supply risks early and resolve before they become revenue problems.
• Deliver real‑time visibility into stock health, forecast accuracy, and fulfillment performance across both regions.
• Own the commercial direction of how Specialized products are sequenced, featured and merchandised on the digital shelf for the Americas.
• Set the Americas digital merchandising strategy for Specialized.com – aligned to seasonal plans, inventory position, and category priorities.
• Direct the Ecomm Merchandising Manager on product sequencing, promotional placement, and digital shelf priorities.
• Use sell‑through and traffic data to drive ongoing optimization of the digital shelf.
• Lead the Americas‑wide Retail Services function through a single Retail Services Manager who owns NorAm and LatAm in‑store execution.
• Set the in‑store execution standard for Specialized across all physical Americas retail touchpoints – consistent regardless of market.
• Own the retail activation calendar tied to seasonal merchandising plans, product launches and key commercial moments.
• Drive creation of point‑of‑purchase materials – signage, displays, fixtures, and assets – that translate the merchandising strategy into conversion.

Qualifications

• 10+ years across category management, merchandising or commercial roles with real experience in financial planning and go‑to‑market strategy.
• Proven track record building and leading cross‑functional, geographically distributed teams.
• Category management experience – building plans that connect range strategy to margin outcomes.
• Deep understanding of omnichannel retail – owned retail, IBD and e‑commerce simultaneously.
• Strong grasp of demand and supply planning – understanding how forecasting decisions affect the floor and the digital shelf.
• Experience working in or with Latin American markets and cultural fluency.
• Bilingual strongly preferred: English and Spanish or Portuguese.
• Comfortable building structure and clarity where it does not yet exist.
• Strong communicator – presenting to senior leadership as well as engaging with retailers on the floor.
• Data‑literate – decisions come from numbers, not instinct alone.
• Willing and able to travel 50–60% across NorAm and LatAm.

Benefits

• Competitive pay with annual performance‑based reviews.
• Comprehensive healthcare plan options – PPO, EPO, HDHP, HMO (acupuncture and physical therapy included).
• Health Savings Account with employer contributions when enrolled in HDHP.
• Dental and vision plans.
• 401(k) company matching up to $5,000 annually with immediate 100% vesting.
• Company‑paid life, AD&D, short‑term and long‑term disability insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program for mental well‑being care.
• Generous vacation, sick, paid holidays and volunteer time off.
• 14 weeks 100% paid leave for birthing parents and 8 weeks 100% paid leave for non‑birthing parents, plus a Specialized bike for your new baby.
• Up to $9,000 annually in career development and degree assistance.
• Up to $250 annually in fitness and wellness reimbursement.
• Industry pro‑deal discounts and perks.

Compensation

Based in CA, $129,326 to $225,026 annually plus bonus.

For additional information on benefits and perks, please visit https://benefits.specialized.com.