Vans: Manager, Merchandising, Women's & Kids Apparel

Vans; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 77,000 - 97,000; Full time

Job summary

Vans is seeking a Merchandising Manager for Women's and Kid's Apparel, responsible for crafting product strategies to meet regional goals. The ideal candidate will have 8-10 years of retail experience, strong analytical skills, and a keen understanding of market dynamics. This role requires collaboration across various teams to ensure the right products are delivered at the right time. The position is located in Costa Mesa, CA and offers competitive compensation along with benefits to foster a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of experience in retail in a merchant or buying role.
• Strong knowledge of retail mathematics and Open to Buy.
• Proven ability to work with and lead a cross-functional team.

Responsibilities

• Create and execute product strategies for regional relevance.
• Manage regional line architecture and assortment strategies.
• Monitor consumer demand trends and shape planning decisions.

Skills

Analytical skills

Leadership

Communication skills

Decision-making

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Commerce, or Fashion Merchandising

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Vans is the original brand rooted in the authentic lifestyle of skateboarding. We are driven by our mission to inspire and empower everyone to live “Off The Wall” – embracing the youthful spirit of freedom, non-conformity, and relentless progression. Yesterday’s “Off The Wall” moment is today’s new normal, and at Vans, we believe in constantly outdoing ourselves. Together with our communities across the globe, our vision is to push culture forward because we believe that the pursuit of progression never ends. We are constantly inspired by the future generation of positive catalysts within our community.

So, before we get to the job details, take a minute to learn a little more about us – our values and our culture. If you can see yourself working side-by-side with a team of people who think and live “Off the Wall,” Vans just may be the place for you.

To learn more about our values and our culture, visit Vans Careers or www.vans.com.

What will you do?

A day in the life of a Merchandising Manager for Women's and Kid's Apparel at Vans looks a little like this.

Reporting to the Director of Merchandising, the Merchandising Manager is responsible for creating and executing product strategies that are regionally relevant to help deliver long-term brand goals and profitable growth. The Merchandising Manager has a deep awareness and intuition of the consumer, competitor, marketplace dynamics, and guest needs. This person creates effective partnerships with Global Merchandising, Planning, In-Season Country teams, Visual Merchandising, Digital, Marketing, and Retail Operations to deliver “right product, right stores, right time.”

Let’s break down that day-in-the-life a bit more.

• LRP / Pre-season planning – Partners to execute Marketplace strategy (including defining white space opportunities) across wholesale and DTC in their respective category and marketplace responsibility. "Curated" assortments. Demand driving attributes to facilitate account meetings.
• Seasonal strategy, line architecture & pricing - In their respective category and marketplace responsibility, partner to develop and manage regional line architecture and assortment strategies. Set in-region pricing (with global guidelines). Balance mono-brand and multi-brand environments to align with brand and market objectives.
• Expertise in competitive landscaping and benchmarking.
• In-season management – In their respective category and marketplace responsibility, provide input on marketplace execution and manage capacity. Work with regional planning to deliver financial targets. In-region final promo and markdown decision (within global guidelines/strategy).
• Always on – In their respective category and marketplace responsibility, monitor and code consumer demand trends, using insights to shape planning and assortment decisions. Ad hoc reporting / analysis to support seasonal product decision-making.
• Regional Relevance: - In their respective category and marketplace responsibility, responsible to identify and drive regional including assortment definition, segmentation, customer-specific initiatives, and align need with global functions.
• Coaches and develops Merchandising teams to strengthen team capabilities and drive executional excellence.

What do you need to succeed?

We all have unique skills that we bring to work and celebrate every day. For this role, there are foundation skills you’ll need to succeed and excel. Additionally, while formal education in a related field is great to have, we are most interested in your 8-10 years of experience and professional achievements.

The foundation skills you will need in this position are:

• 8-10 years’ experience in retail in a merchant or buying role.
• Bachelor’s degree in a qualified area (Business, Commerce, Fashion Merchandising).
• Mastery of retail mathematics and Open to Buy.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret multiple data points across numerous channels and market segments.
• Vertical retail and omni-channel experience highly desirable.
• Proven ability to work with and lead a cross-functional team.
• Excellent sense of style and color trends; athletically minded.
• Excellent communication skills - interpersonal, written and verbal.
• Entrepreneurship – an ability to make decisions and take calculated risks.
• Focus on creating an extraordinary customer experience.
• Organizational and time management skills.
• Strong knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel and Outlook).
• Self-awareness, with a desire for constant self-improvement (goal-oriented).
• Location requirement: ideal candidate will reside within Southern California region and be in office in Costa Mesa, CA Tuesday – Thursdays weekly.

There are also a few skills that are not required but preferred.

• 2+ years of managing direct reports.
• Managing team budgets.

Now WE have a question for YOU.

Are you in?

Hiring Range:

$77,200.00 USD - $96,500.00 USD annually

Incentive Potential

This position is eligible for additional compensation awards that may include an annual incentive plan, sales incentive, or commission potential. Specific details of the additional compensation eligibility for this position will be provided during the recruiting and interview process.

Benefits at VF Corporation

You can review a general overview of each benefit program offered, including this year's medical plan rates on www.MyVFbenefits.com and by clicking Looking to Join VF? Detailed information on your benefits will be provided during the hiring process.

Our hiring ranges are determined and built from market pay data. In determining the specific compensation for this position, we comply with all local, state, and federal laws.

At VF, we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or other protected categories. If you are unable to submit your application because of an assistive technology or disability, please contact us at [e-mail]. VF will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities as required by law.

Pursuant to all applicable local Fair Chance Ordinance requirements, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, VF will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.