Director, Merchandising

Fleet Feet Sports; Carrboro (NC); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Robust benefits package

401(k) with employer match

Training and advancement opportunities

Professional development programs

Community involvement and service

Job summary

Fleet Feet Sports is seeking a Director of Product Merchandising to drive strategic merchandising excellence, Open-to-Buy creation, and seasonal business planning. You will lead a team of merchandising professionals and partner with Marketing, Ecomm, and Retail to activate seasonal assortments across all customer touchpoints.

The role requires 10+ years in merchandising with senior leadership experience, strong analytical skills, and a track record of success across retail and ecommerce

Qualifications

• Senior merchandising leadership experience (10+ years) and track record of managing merchandising/visual teams.
• Strong ability to develop seasonal merchandising plans and Open-to-Buy frameworks.
• Proven experience overseeing merchandising across retail and ecommerce environments.
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration and strategic communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction for seasonal merchandising plans and category strategies.
• Lead Open-to-Buy frameworks to support revenue, margin, and inventory goals.
• Guide seasonal planning, assortment architecture, and lifecycle decisions across categories.
• Partner with Buying, Ecommerce, Retail, and Marketing to align product stories and channels.
• Monitor sales, margin, and inventory performance and recommend in-season adjustments.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Retail metrics

Tools

Excel

Planning/BI systems

Job description

Our Company

We believeRunning Changes Everything. If you believe that, too, we want to talk. With more than 280 stores and a robust e-commerce site, Fleet Feet is the largest running retailer in the country. Catering to more than runners, we pride ourselves on having an inclusive environment! We believe it’s a privilege to serve and to deliver unmatched service and support when outfitting every customer. We run together to solve problems, reach goals, encourage others and champion our brand.

Overview

The Director of Product Merchandising is a strategic leader responsible for driving merchandising excellence through informed assortment planning, Open-to-Buy (OTB) creation, and seasonal business strategy. This role ensures that product assortments are compelling, financially sound, and aligned with the brand’s positioning and customer expectations. This role oversees a team of merchandise professionals. This role also collaborates closely with Marketing, Ecomm, and Retail to activate seasonal assortment across all customer touchpoints.

This is a hybrid position based in Carrboro, NC, with an expectation of working in the office three days per week. Candidates must currently live within commuting distance or be willing to relocate to the area.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Seasonal Planning Oversight

• Provide strategic direction for the development of seasonal merchandising plans, including category strategies, channel distribution, and key product stories.
• Oversee the team’s creation of seasonal Open-to-Buy (OTB) frameworks that support revenue, margin, and inventory goals.
• Guide initial seasonal planning and hindsight processes, ensuring data-driven insights and market trends are incorporated into assortment decisions.
• Set strategic objectives and guardrails for seasonal line plans and product flows.

Assortment Strategy & Product Architecture

• Lead the team in building customer-focused assortments that reflect category goals, price architecture, and channel-specific needs.
• Ensure seasonal assortments align with overarching brand and financial strategies through consistent reviews and checkpoints.
• Drive high-level decisions on SKU count, lifecycle planning, and key item development across categories.

Cross-Functional Alignment

• Serve as the senior merchandising voice in cross-functional meetings, ensuring alignment between merchandising goals and business-wide strategies.
• Partner closely with the Buying to support and inform the seasonal management of OTB, providing strategic guidance and alignment on investment strategies and in-season decisions that drive financial and merchandising goals.
• Partner with Ecommerce, Retail, and Marketing leadership to ensure seasonal product stories are aligned across all channels and platforms.

Performance Monitoring & Business Insights

• Review team reporting and analysis to monitor sales, margin, inventory health, and category performance.
• Lead the strategic response to risks and opportunities surfaced through hindsight reviews and in-season performance data.
• Empower the team to recommend in-season adjustments to maximize financial performance and customer relevance.

Team Development & Leadership

• Manage, coach, and mentor a team of merchants and visual merchandising professionals.
• Foster a high-performing, collaborative, and customer-focused culture.
• Ensure the team is equipped with tools, processes, and training needed to execute at a high level.
• Champion cross-functional visibility and development for team members.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in merchandising or buying, with at least 3 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing merchandising and visual merchandising teams.
• Strong understanding of Open-to-Buy creation, seasonal planning, and assortment architecture.
• Demonstrated success overseeing merchandising across retail and ecommerce environments.
• Excellent cross-functional leadership, strategic thinking, and communication skills.
• High proficiency in retail metrics, Excel, and planning/BI systems.

Benefits

• Robust benefits packageincluding medical, dental, vision, FSA, HSA, EAP, and more
• 401(k) with 4% employer match and immediate vesting(available to part- and full-time employees age 21+ at company-owned stores)
• Training and advancement opportunitiesacross the Fleet Feet brand
• Professional development programs, including mentorship, employee resource groups, and monthly learning sessions
• Community involvement and service initiativessupporting local engagement
• Discountson training programs and products
• Supportive, passionate teammateswho live the mission every day
• For full-time employees (30+ hours/week), check out our Fleet Feetbenefits summary for details on healthcare, wellness, and more.

Equal Opportunity & Reasonable Accommodations

We are an equal opportunity employer and believe having teams in which everyone brings their whole self to Fleet Feet is key to our success. We encourage people of all backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives. Our dedication to inclusion is reflected in our hiring practices, workplace culture, and community engagement.

Fleet Feet utilizes E-Verify in all corporate and company-operated stores as part of the hiring process.