Director, Global Merchandising

Samsonite Company Stores, LLC in; Mansfield (MA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Samsonite seeks a Director of Global Merchandising (Finance) to drive the global assortment strategy and lifecycle governance across regions and channels. You will ensure brand consistency, optimize product flow, and lead initiatives with regional partners and GMEO to deliver cohesive omnichannel experiences worldwide.

This role requires strong analytical skills, experience in matrixed organizations, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders while aligning with global product strategies.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in merchandising, product management, or assortment planning in retail, wholesale, or consumer goods.
• Experience in global or multi-region, matrixed organizations.
• Strong analytical and presentation capabilities.
• Experience partnering with marketing, ecommerce and brand teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the global assortment strategy across regions and channels.
• Maintain global product architecture across full-price, outlet, and ecommerce channels.
• Collaborate with regional teams to tailor assortments while preserving brand intent.
• Partner with GMEO, Product Management, Planning, Sourcing, and Visual Merchandising.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Influence cross-functional

Stakeholder management

Global merchandising knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree a plus

Job description

Director, Global Merchandising (Finance)

About Us

Samsonite is the worldwide leader in superior travel bags, luggage, and accessories combining notable style with the latest design technology and the utmost attention to quality and durability. For more than 100 years, Samsonite has leveraged its rich heritage to create unparalleled products that fulfill the travel lifestyle needs of conscious movers everywhere. With a portfolio of brands including Samsonite, Tumi, American Tourister, High Sierra, Gregory, Hartmann, and Lipault Paris, our products are sold in over 100 countries in North America, Asia, Europe and Latin America through our company-operated retail store, websites and a variety of retail partners.

Job Description

The Director, Global Merchandising plays a critical role in executing Samsonite's global product and assortment strategy across regions and channels. Reporting to the Vice President, Global Product & Brand Strategy, this role is responsible for executing the VP's vision on global product, brand, and lifecycle strategies into actionable merchandising and assortment frameworks that drive brand consistency, commercial performance, and operational efficiency worldwide.

This leader partners closely with regional merchandising teams, Global Marketing & Ecommerce (GMEO), Product Management, Planning, Sourcing, and Visual Merchandising to ensure cohesive assortments, disciplined SKU governance, and a strong omnichannel brand experience across full-price retail, outlet, and ecommerce channels.

The role operates as a key integrator within a decentralized organization-communicating the VP's vision and global direction, enabling regional execution, and feeding market insights back into product and brand strategy. We work a hybrid schedule; 4 days on site, 1 day remote, weekly.

Global Merchandising & Assortment Strategy

• Manage execution of the global assortment strategy across regions, channels, and product categories in alignment with the global product lifecycle framework.
• Maintain global assortment and product architecture frameworks across channels (full-price retail, outlet, and ecommerce), enabling regional teams to tailor assortments while preserving global brand and commercial intent.
• Ensure assortments align with global brand positioning, customer needs, and channel strategies as defined in partnership with Global Marketing & Ecommerce.

Omnichannel Experience & Go-to-Market Alignment

• Partner with Global Marketing & Ecommerce to support seasonal go-to-market planning, ensuring assortments support global campaigns, brand storytelling, and coordinated product launches.
• Manage alignment across merchandising, marketing, ecommerce, visual merchandising, and retail partners to deliver a cohesive omnichannel brand experience.
• Support product flow and storytelling moments across channels to maximize product performance and brand impact.

SKU Governance, Lifecycle & Productivity

• Manage day-to-day global SKU governance including SKU rationalization, productivity analysis, and lifecycle management.
• Monitor and analyze SKU-level performance, margins, and inventory efficiency, escalating risks and opportunities to the VP as needed.
• Partner with regional Product Management and Planning teams to determine end-of-life strategies, manage SKU exits, and improve assortment efficiency across regions and channels

Product Development Influence & Market Insights

• Influence future product development by synthesizing regional sales performance, trend analysis, and consumer feedback into clear, actionable recommendations for the Global and regional Product teams.
• Analyze competitive landscape, consumer trends, and regional insights to identify opportunities and risks within the global assortment.
• Leverage regional market visits, store observations, consumer research, and external insights to inform global merchandising strategies and best-practice sharing.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Ways of Working

• Partner closely with regional merchandising leaders to ensure consistent adoption of global merchandising frameworks, calendars, and tools.
• Collaborate with Visual Merchandising partners to support global standards for assortment presentation, collection flow, and storytelling.
• Support global price architecture reviews in partnership with Product Management by contributing competitive benchmarks and assortment-level insights.
• Act as a change agent in evolving global merchandising processes to improve speed, clarity, and execution discipline.

Leadership & Influence

• Serve as a trusted thought partner to regional merchandising leaders, balancing global standards with regional relevance.
• Influence across a matrixed organization without direct authority, driving alignment across merchandising, marketing, planning, and commercial stakeholders.
• Partner and guide regional teams to build strategic merchandising capabilities and a continuous-improvement mindset.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in merchandising, product management, or assortment planning within retail, wholesale, or consumer goods environments.
• Demonstrated experience working in global or multi-region, matrixed organizations.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into clear merchandising actions.
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional and regional stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills; comfortable working with senior leadership.
• Deep understanding of global merchandising, assortment strategy, and product lifecycle management.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree a plus.
• Experience partnering closely with marketing, ecommerce and brand teams.
• Strong systems and process mindset; experience implementing or operating global tools preferred.
• Prior experience in consumer durables or lifestyle brands strongly preferred.
• Position based in Mansfield, MA.
• Domestic travel: 10% / International travel: 40%

About the Team

Why you'll love working here:

• Our employees matter. As a people-focused business, we work hard to provide meaningful rewards and development opportunities for our employees, recognizing performance, and creating a supportive working environment for them, wherever they are based.
• Vibrant culture. We are committed to a diverse and rich culture, welcoming people from all walks of life. Our long-standing commitment to culture and inclusion empowers us to bring our authentic selves and unique differences to work every day.
• Socially responsible. We want to minimize our products' impact on the environment and help create positive journeys worldwide. We do this by creating the best products using the most sustainable and innovative materials, methods, and models.

What we value:

At Samsonite, we do more than create the bags that move with our consumer, we inspire and celebrate the moments that move them. We believe we have a responsibility to the world in how we operate, the products we sell, the communities where we live and work, and how we treat the people we employ. We're as diverse as travel itself, and like travel, your journey with Samsonite presents the opportunity to be a part of something bigger and explore your passions. This is why we offer various paths for professionals and celebrate the knowledge and skills they bring to our team. We are committed to a respectful workplace that allows our team members to bring their best selves to the workplace daily.

Samsonite is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to promoting and maintaining a work environment in which all applicants, associates, customers, and other individuals are treated with dignity and respect free from unlawful harassment, discrimination, or retaliation.