Director of Merchandising, Next to Skin

Pact; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 150,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k

Competitive compensation

In-office in Boulder

Job summary

Pact is seeking a Director of Merchandising based in Boulder, CO, to own Next to Skin and Womens categories with a shopkeeper mindset. You will own briefs, line plans, and in-season actions, collaborating across design, planning, and digital to drive revenue and customer value.

You will manage 1–2 PLM Managers, report to the Chief Merchant, and leverage AI as a working tool to sharpen briefs, research, and market analysis. Boulder office with in-person cadence is expected.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years in product development or merchandising at a DTC apparel brand.
• Experience owning a product brief process end to end.
• Experience managing direct reports.
• Background in intimates and/or next to skin categories preferred.
• DTC-first brand experience; wholesale a plus but not primary.

Responsibilities

• Own product briefs and GTM storytelling for every product and two briefs per item.
• Define the brief to design with commercial and customer direction.
• Create the brief to digital/marketing as the originating source of truth.
• Build line plans with the Chief Merchant and define style count, mix, price, and newness.
• Monitor sell-through weekly, act on data, and chase reorders.
• Ensure accurate visual line plans; account for market intelligence.
• Partner with design on material innovation and maintain data integrity (PLM).
• Leverage AI to accelerate research, analysis, and brief writing.

Skills

Product leadership

Merchandising strategy

Line planning

Category ownership

Cross-functional collaboration

AI tools awareness

Job description

Pact is a sustainable apparel brand on a mission to build a better world through better basics. We make organic, fair trade certified clothing that doesn't compromise on quality, style, or the planet and we're growing fast. We're building an exceptional, lean product team to match that ambition, and this role is central to that build.

About Pact

Pact is a sustainable apparel brand on a mission to build a better world through better basics. We make organic, fair trade certified clothing that doesn't compromise on quality, style, or the planet and we're growing fast. We're building an exceptional, lean product team to match that ambition, and this role is central to that build.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a Director of Merchandising to own our Next to Skin business, Womens categories. This is a true product ownership role for someone with a shopkeeper mentality. You own your categories pre-season, in-season, and post-season. You set the merchandising direction, write the briefs that guide design, actively manage your categories in-season to drive revenue, and bring those learnings back into the next season. You will report directly to our Chief Merchant and manage a PLM Manager who owns the data integrity of your categories. This role sits at the center of the product process, working closely with design, technical development, planning, marketing, and digital.

This is not a buying role. This is not a channel execution role. This is a product-first seat for someone who thinks deeply about what to make, why it exists, and what customer problem it solves and who can translate that thinking into briefs that design can execute without guessing.

What You'll Own

Product briefs and GTM storytelling - your primary outputs. You own two briefs for every product: the brief to design and the brief to digital and marketing teams.

The brief to design gives the creative team clear commercial and customer direction. What are we making, who is it for, why does it exist, and what does it need to do to win in market. Design executes your brief, not the other way around.

The brief to digital and marketing captures the product story downstream. Why we made it, what makes it special, the key features and details the customer needs to know, and how it fits into the line. This brief is the originating source of truth that digital, marketing, and content teams use to bring the product to life across all channels. You are the expert on your product and this brief ensures that expertise travels with it.

Line planning. Partner with the Chief Merchant to build the line plan for your categories. Define style count, category mix, price architecture, and newness strategy each season aligning with the long range plans. Partner with planning on the size of the prize. Own the commercial logic of your portion of the assortment from concept through to final line adoption.

In-season management. Monitor sell-through weekly, customer reviews and returns data, react to what the data is telling you, and take action. Chase winners by recommending reorders before you're out of stock. Flag underperformers early and recommend markdowns or promotional support before inventory becomes a problem. Partner with the digital team to ensure your categories are merchandised correctly on site. Product sequencing, category pages, and content should reflect what's actually selling and what needs support. Work with the paid media team to recommend actions that drive the business. If a style is flying, it should be supported. If something needs to move, paid is a lever. You are running your shop in real time, not watching from the sidelines. Own the post-season hindsight process for your categories. Analyze what worked, what didn't, and why — by style, category, color, and price point. Bring those learnings forward into the next season's brief and line plan. A great merchant learns from every season and lets the data sharpen their instincts over time.

Visual line plan (VLP) accuracy. Own the accuracy of your visual line plan. Ensure VLPs reflect real market intelligence and are kept current throughout the season. Inaccurate VLPs lead to bad buys - this is a non‑negotiable part of the role.

Competitive and market intelligence. Be in the market constantly. Shop competitors, track trend, monitor pricing, and bring outside perspective into everything you make. You should always know what the customer can buy elsewhere and be able to articulate clearly why Pact's product wins. This intelligence lives in your briefs and informs your seasonal strategy.

Close partnership with design. Work hand in hand with the design team throughout the creative process. Your brief starts the conversation — but great product comes from a merchant and designer who trust each other, push each other, and stay in close dialogue from brief through final adoption. Partner with design on material innovation based on market insight. You are a creative partner, not just a commercial gatekeeper.

PLM team ownership. Directly manage 1–2 PLM Managers who own the data integrity of your categories in the PLM system. You are accountable for the accuracy of every product record in your portfolio — from brief to spec to launch.

AI as a working tool. We expect this person to actively leverage AI in their day‑to‑day work. From competitive research and trend analysis to brief writing, sell‑through, and market analysis, AI is part of how our team works. Comfort using AI tools to move faster and think sharper is a plus. Work closely with design, technical development, planning, and GTM to move product through the calendar with quality and intention. Respect pencils down. Hold your categories to the agreed line plan. Be a collaborative but accountable partner across functions.

Margin and OTB input. Partner with the Dir of Planning on up‑front margin mix planning — helping shape the seasonal assortment to hit margin targets by category and price point before briefs are written. Provide input into OTB and color/size split recommendations.

What We're Looking For

Experience

• 8–12 years in product development or merchandising at a DTC apparel brand
• Demonstrated experience owning a product brief process end to end — not assisting, owning
• Experience managing direct reports required
• Background in intimates and/or next to skin categories (bras, underwear, sleepwear, baselayers) strongly preferred
• DTC-first brand experience required; wholesale experience a plus but not the primary lens

Skills and instincts

• You think in product first — customer, category, and commercial fit before channel or margin optimization
• You write briefs that are specific, directional, and actionable — not mood boards
• You are comfortable with data and can use sell‑through, return rate, and market analysis to sharpen your point of view
• You have the organizational credibility to hold a line on your assortment strategy when design or leadership wants to deviate from the plan
• Comfortable using AI tools to accelerate research, analysis, and brief writing — we expect this to be part of how you work, not an afterthought
• You are a strong cross‑functional partner — collaborative in process, decisive in output

What this is not This role is not for someone coming primarily from a wholesale buying or retail planning background. The brief is your primary output. If your strongest instinct is channel margin and door count rather than product and customer, this is not the right seat.

Why Pact

• You will own a meaningful portion of a growing product assortment with real authority to shape what we make
• You will work on a lean, high-caliber team where your decisions matter and your impact is visible
• You will be part of a brand that genuinely believes business can be a force for good — organic cotton, fair trade certified, real sustainability commitments
• Boulder, CO — one of the best places in the country to live and work, with a growing apparel and outdoor industry talent community
• Competitive compensation: $150,000–$175,000 base salary; bonus + 401k

Reporting Structure

Reports to: Chief Merchant; Direct reports: PLM Manager(s) — Next to Skin, Womens

Pact is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Location & schedule:

This role is based in our Boulder, CO office. We are an in‑office team. Most weeks you'll be in 3–4 days, and during key seasonal moments (line reviews, blueprint sessions, market weeks) you should expect to be in 4–5 days. We work from home on Fridays and occasionally Mondays. If you're looking for a fully remote role, this isn't it. We do our best work together in the room.

Travel:

Domestic and international travel is a regular part of this role. You will be expected to travel for market weeks, trade shows, competitive shopping, and factory or vendor visits. The ability and willingness to travel internationally is required.