Manager, Product Strategy & Analytics - Merrell

Wolverine Outdoors, Inc. (United States); Rockford (IL); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Travel opportunities

Job summary

Wolverine World Wide, Inc. in the United States seeks a Manager of Product Strategy & Analytics to operationalize data-driven guidance for product development and finance. You will forecast multi-season volumes, revenue, and margins, and build scenario models feeding the strategic plan.

You will partner with PLMs, Planning, and PD Operations to align product strategy with financial targets. The role requires advanced analytics, strong modeling, and collaboration across product, tech development,

Qualifications

• 8+ years in product analytics, merchandise or franchise planning, or business analytics within a consumer goods brand or wholesale environment.
• Strong financial modeling skills across franchise forecasting, margin analysis, and should-cost modeling.
• Proficiency with PLM systems (Centric experience strongly preferred) and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent).
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex datasets into clear, executive-ready recommendations.
• Proven cross-functional collaboration skills, comfortable partnering with product, technical development, operations, and finance teams simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Long Range Franchise Forecasting Lead multi-season, franchise-level forecasting in partnership with PLMs and Planning, projecting volume, revenue, margin, and SKU productivity at the category, franchise, and silhouette level.
• Build and maintain scenario models that feed directly into the annual Strategic Plan cycle and long-range planning process.
• Connect the franchise outlook to line architecture decisions made by PLMs, keeping financial direction and product strategy aligned across pods.

Skills

Franchise forecasting

Financial modeling

Cross-functional

BI tools

PLM systems

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

Centric PLM

Job description

Merrell exists to share the simple power of being outside with everyone. We believe the \"outdoors\" is a much broader space than just the mountain summit; its any space beyond your front door. Our mission is to help our community rethink the outdoors by building gear that works everywhere, from technical alpine ridges to urban city streets. We don't just follow the trail; we help define where it goes next. We are a team that lives at the intersection of elite performance and modern style. Our history on the trail and commitment to innovation has made us the most awarded brand in the outdoor space. Recently, our MTL SpeedARC Peak won the prestigious ISPO Award for its breakthrough trail-racing tech, while the SpeedARC Surge BOA was named one of TIME's Best Inventions for its modern, futuristic design and energy return. Whether it's the Moab 3 being named \"Best Hiking Shoe\" by CNN Underscored and Popular Mechanics, or the Jungle Moc being recognized by HuffPicks as the gold standard for comfort, we are consistently recognized for building the most reliable, and most innovative, gear in the world.

To keep building products worthy of that mission, we are looking for a Manager, Product Strategy & Analytics - a newly created, cross-functional role at the center of Product Development & Operations. This individual serves as the analytical engine for the Sr. Director of Product Strategy, translating franchise, cost, pricing, and SKU data into clear, forward-looking direction for the broader product organization. Sitting at the intersection of product strategy, finance, and operations, this role partners daily with PLM, Technical Development, PD Operations, and Planning teams to build the data foundation that enables smarter decisions at every stage of the product creation calendar. For analytical thinkers who love turning complex data into clear direction, it is a rare chance to help shape how a beloved brand of the outside builds what comes next.

Primary Duties:

• Long Range Franchise Forecasting Lead multi-season, franchise-level forecasting in partnership with PLMs and Planning, projecting volume, revenue, margin, and SKU productivity at the category, franchise, and silhouette level. Build and maintain scenario models that feed directly into the annual Strategic Plan cycle and long-range planning process. Connect the franchise outlook to line architecture decisions made by PLMs, keeping financial direction and product strategy aligned across pods.
• Strategic Planning Guidance Provide the analytical scaffolding for seasonal and long-range strategic planning, building the models and narratives that inform leadership recommendations. Partner with PLMs - who own revenue, margin, and SKU productivity within their pods - to surface insights that shape line decisions and align to brand planning. Develop competitive and performance benchmarks that sharpen the team's understanding of where Merrell sits in the market.
• Should-Cost Innovation Collaborate with the Technical Development and Cost Engineering teams to model and analyze should-cost data across the product development process. Partner with the shared-service sourcing team to identify cost innovation opportunities, connecting manufacturing, material, and development data into a coherent view of technical development and manufacturing capabilities.
• Pricing & Margin Expectations Own and maintain pricing and margin expectation frameworks across all product categories. Work alongside PLMs to ensure seasonal line decisions align to financial targets pre-milestone. Flag margin risk early in the development cycle, enabling proactive adjustments in partnership with PLM leadership.
• Enterprise Reporting Deliver regular, decision-ready revenue and reporting outputs to the Sr. Director and leadership stakeholders. Synthesize sell-in, sell-through, and marketplace data into product- and line-level recommendations, supporting the reporting cadence with polished, executive-ready content. Partner with PLM teams who manage system data to ensure product-level reporting flows cleanly into enterprise-level summaries.
• SKU Management Lead analytical oversight of SKU productivity, portfolio rationalization, and line health across all categories. Build scoring models that inform seasonal line architecture and carry-forward strategy, working closely with PLMs responsible for franchise architecture within their business units. Track system product data and attribution quality in collaboration with the Product Analytics Analyst, who owns product-level system configuration, attribution, and data architecture.
• AI-Assisted Reporting Champion the adoption of AI-assisted reporting tools within the PD Strategy team, identifying automation opportunities across recurring reporting workflows. Partner with the Product Analytics Analyst to implement AI-powered dashboards and tools across the product toolset and connected systems. Contribute to the PD Strategy team’s systems and toolset roadmap by evaluating and piloting new analytical capabilities that reduce manual reporting burden.
• Team Leadership Lead, mentor, and develop the Product Analytics Analyst, directing their priorities across dashboard development, PD data governance, business review and commercialization reporting, and system configuration. Connect the Analyst's outputs to business needs while building their analytical and organizational capabilities over time.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• 8+ years in product analytics, merchandise or franchise planning, or business analytics within a consumer goods brand or wholesale environment.
• Strong financial modeling skills across franchise forecasting, margin analysis, and should-cost modeling.
• Proficiency with PLM systems (Centric experience strongly preferred) and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent).
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex datasets into clear, executive-ready recommendations.
• Proven cross-functional collaboration skills, comfortable partnering with product, technical development, operations, and finance teams simultaneously.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the footwear, apparel, or outdoor / active lifestyle industry.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted reporting tools and workflow automation.
• Prior experience managing or mentoring analysts.
• Exposure to cost engineering, sourcing negotiations, or vendor cost management.

Working Conditions:

Normal office environment. Some travel may be required. Wolverine Worldwide has a flexible, hybrid work schedule, with three days in office and two days remote.

#LI-MM1 #LI-Hybrid Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW) is a global footwear and apparel company driven by a vision to Make. Every Day. Better. Founded in 1883, the Company builds and grows iconic brands including Merrell®, Saucony®, Wolverine®, Sweaty Betty®, Chaco®, Hush Puppies®, Stride Rite®, HYTEST®, and Bates®, along with footwear licenses for Cat® and Harley-Davidson®.

Headquartered in Rockford, Michigan, the Company’s products are sold in approximately 170 countries and territories worldwide. For more information, visit www.wolverineworldwide.com. In 2025, the Company was recognized by Footwear News as Company of the Year, by Forbes as one of America’s Dream Employers, America’s Best Employers for Women, and America’s Best Employers for Company Culture, and by Inspiring Workplaces as one of the Most Inspiring Workplaces Globally. Wolverine Worldwide is a Certified™ Great Place To Work®.

Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. is committed to creating a company that is as diverse as our consumers. We value the differences in one another and believe our differences make us stronger. Our diverse and inclusive corporate culture starts with the recruitment process. We are committed to being an equal opportunity employer. We aim to create equal opportunities for our associates, customers, and suppliers regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected characteristic. Wolverine Worldwide is a global marketer of branded footwear, apparel, and accessories. With an established global footprint that spans approximately 200 countries and territories, as well as a rock-solid infrastructure, Wolverine Worldwide is dedicated to advancing the following brands that comprise the ever-expanding portfolio: Bates, Chaco, Cat Footwear, Harley Davidson Footwear, Hush Puppies, Merrell, Saucony, Sweaty Betty and Wolverine. Wolverine World's continued success is driven by our ability to stay true to our simple mission: we empower, engage and inspire our consumers - every step of the way.