Product Analytics Manager - Merrell

WOLVERINE WORLDWIDE INC; Rockford (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Merrell, a brand by Wolverine Worldwide, Inc., is seeking a Product Analytics Manager to serve as the analytical engine translating franchise, cost, pricing, and SKU data into forward-looking direction for the broader product organization. The role is cross‑functional and centers on strategic planning, enterprise reporting, and SKU productivity across categories.

The ideal candidate will have 8+ years in product analytics within consumer goods, strong financial modeling, and experience

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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Deliver regular, decision-ready revenue and reporting outputs to the Senior 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Skills

Financial modeling

Leadership

Strategic planning

Communication

Tools

AI dashboards

BI tools

Job description

Merrell exists to share the simple power of being outside with everyone. We believe the outdoors is a broader space than just the mountain summit; it’s 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 are looking for a Product Analytics Manager — a newly created, cross‑functional role at the center of Product Development & Operations. This individual serves as the analytical engine for the Senior Director of Product Strategy, translating franchise, cost, pricing, and SKU data into clear, forward‑looking direction for the broader product organization.

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 Senior 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.

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, Inc. is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We value the differences in one another and are dedicated to creating an inclusive workplace that respects each person’s unique background and perspective.