Lead Merchant: Licensed Apparel & Partnerships

Nike Inc; Beaverton (OR); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Nike, Inc. in Beaverton, OR is seeking a Lead Merchant to drive the strategic vision, assortment creation, marketplace strategy, and licensed business growth for the Licensed Apparel portfolio.

This role combines consumer insight, merchandising expertise, and business acumen to influence cross-functional teams and external licensees, shaping product strategies and identifying growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of merchandising, assortment planning, buying, product management, or related experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience, and training.
• Proven experience managing complex apparel and/or footwear portfolios.
• Strong understanding of marketplace strategy, consumer segmentation, and retail fundamentals.
• Experience with licensed products or strategic partnerships is preferred, but not required.
• Strong analytical, storytelling, and presentation skills.
• Ability to balance consumer, product, and financial considerations to drive business growth.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute seasonal and long-range merchandising strategies for the Licensed Apparel business.
• Create consumer-right assortments balancing brand priorities, marketplace opportunities, and financial goals.
• Define assortment architecture, product segmentation, and franchise strategies across channels.
• Translate consumer insights and marketplace trends into actionable merchandising strategies.
• Identify whitespace opportunities and emerging trends for future growth.
• Drive key initiatives tied to seasonal launches, partnerships, and events.
• Evaluate performance and adjust strategies based on insights.
• Lead licensed business partnerships and collaborate with third-party licensees.
• Influence product strategy and marketplace opportunities through planning.
• Represent licensed apparel during seasonal reviews and strategic planning.
• Identify opportunities to improve differentiation, accelerate growth, and expand reach via partnerships.

Skills

Merchandising

Assortment planning

Buying

Product management

Market strategy

Analytical skills

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing

Job description

Nike, Inc. in Beaverton, OR is seeking a Lead Merchant to drive the strategic vision, assortment creation, marketplace strategy, and licensed business growth for the Licensed Apparel portfolio.

This role combines consumer insight, merchandising expertise, and business acumen to influence cross-functional teams and external licensees, shaping product strategies and identifying growth opportunities.