Director of Merchandising

Haddad Organization Ltd.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Haddad Brands in New York is seeking a Director of Merchandising to define and oversee the strategy, vision, and execution of line planning and assortment maximization for a division. You will lead global line planning, present at licensor milestone meetings, manage SKU counts, and guide cross‑functional teams to ensure brand with retail goals.

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising or Business Administration and 8+ years in wholesale fashion, plus strong communication,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Merchandising or related field.
• 8+ years in wholesale fashion.
• Ability to travel up to 40% and strong communication, presentation, and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Act as primary contact for assigned brand licenses to execute the brand vision.
• Lead licensor milestone meetings and present product plans.
• Manage global line planning and SKU counts across geo initiatives.
• Oversee the development of directed assortments aligned with corporate vision and retail goals.
• Educate cross-functional leadership on market trends and opportunities.
• Partner with Design, Planning, and Sales to align budgets and product flow.

Skills

Communication

Presentation

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Merchandising or related field

Job description

Haddad is a privately held family business with over 100 years of experience in the children’s apparel & accessories industry. A leader in the industry, Haddad Brands is the exclusive global licensee for the most iconic brands in the world, including "Nike", "Jordan", "Converse", "Hurley", "Levi’s", "Polo", "Abercrombie and Fitch", "Lacoste", and "Huggies". Supported by a team of professionals skilled in design, sourcing, production, sales, marketing & distribution of premium quality children’s wear, Haddad distributes globally to 100+ countries and maintains sales and sourcing offices in 22 cities globally, including New York, Paris, Hilversum, Shanghai, Egypt, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Montreal.

Overview:

The Director of Merchandising will define and oversee the strategy, vision, and execution of line planning and assortment maximization for a division or brand(s).

Key Accountabilities:

• Act as primary contact for assigned brand(s) licensee(s) to execute the vision of the brand(s) and maintain alignment and consistency in the marketplace
• Lead and present in licensor milestone meetings and present the product accordingly
• Effectively manage global line planning and SKU counts so that all brand, geo, company initiatives and opportunities are met
• Oversee the development of directed assortments for each segment of distribution that align with corporate vision and ensure that retail brand presentations appropriately represent the product we sell in to capture strong retail sales
• Guide the creation of market research on competition in relation to brand(s) and lead in the analysis to influence line development and MSRPs that will drive the business
• Educate cross functional leadership on the competitive landscape and identify/present retail opportunities
• Educate sales on the product strategy, merchandise assortments and recommended flow for the season
• Partner closely with Design leadership to execute their vision while hitting retail goals. Be vocal on cross merchandised strategies to best meet all geo needs
• Partner with Planning and Sales to develop and execute seasonal budgets and plan the merchandise flow and assortment accordingly
• Partner with Sales to support account strategy/exclusives and ensure sales goals are met by account
• Partner with Marketing and Integrated Marketplace leadership to ensure the Merchandising team is supporting the development of brand awareness, advertising photo shoots and in store support
• Recruit top talent, train, develop and motivate team members to ensure all business needs are met
• Develop strategy decks for licensor executives that indicate current sales, future strategies and opportunities in market
• Own the SMU approval process
• Special projects as assigned

Required Skills/Abilities/Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business Administration or related field
• 8+ years of experience in the wholesale fashion industry
• Ability to travel as needed (up to 40%)
• Strong communication, presentation, and organizational skills
• Ability to understand and explain the brand’s needs

Consistent in-office presence is vital to the role as it is for all Haddad Brands team members, so that we all have a full appreciation, aesthetically and tactilely, of the qualities that define our brand partners’ products and set them apart from their competitors.