Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation:Lead and optimize the sales, profitability, and brand equity within our Emerging Markets organisation by developing and executing a strategic merchandising plan.Key Responsibilities:New leadership layer to shape and lead the Pacific Merchandising strategy for both Concept and Value store channels, a growing network of +50 stores.Deliver key financial targets including Net Sales, Sell-through, Standard Margin, Inventory (IDL), and Operating Margin.Drive the pre-season planning and Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy for all categories in alignment with the Emerging Markets Business Unit (EM BU) and Concept-to-Consumer (CTC) team.Oversee end-to-end category management, including Open-To-Buy (OTB), pre-season product planning, option planning, range planning, and forecasting.Maximize both pre-season and in-season business opportunities by effectively understanding channel potentials.Continuously monitor industry trends, providing strategic insights and intelligence across the organization.Collaborate effectively with key internal stakeholders, including Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Store Operations, Supply Chain, and Logistics.Lead innovation and continuous improvement initiatives, enhancing process automation and product availability across channels.Provide actionable, data-driven category insights to internal and external stakeholders.Ensure best-in-class merchandising practices by optimizing systems, tools, and processes.Maintain optimal Weeks of Stock (WOS) across all retail locations.Conduct market visits as required (office/travel ratio approximately 80%/20%).Demonstrate leadership consistent with our leadership framework and foster a unified ONE EM team mindset.Key Relationships:BU Director and Category Managers (Category Merchandising)Omnichannel Activation and Visual MerchandisingRetail Back Office and Retail StoresRetail HUBDemand Planning, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Logistics teamsFinance and ControllingGlobal Merchandising TeamsKnowledge, Skills, and Abilities:Exceptional leadership and influencing capabilitiesIn-depth knowledge of merchandising, range planning, forecasting, and budgetingStrong analytical and communication skillsCollaborative team player, capable of working effectively under pressureProficiency in range segmentation and merchandising strategies, including eCommerce channelsEntrepreneurial mindset with a strong commercial acumen to leverage business opportunitiesFluency in English required; additional languages advantageousRequisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:University degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, or related fields; MBA preferredMinimum of 10 years’ experience, with at least 5 years in senior leadership/directorial roles in merchandising/buying within retail environmentsProven experience in fashion franchises and vertical/multichannel retail; Sporting Goods retail experience is highly desirableEssential experience managing multi-store operations and eCommerce platformsBroad understanding of store operations, Visual Merchandising, Marketing Activation, HR, Finance, Supply Chain, and LogisticsDemonstrated success working with internal stakeholders and external agencies to develop efficient, scalable processesExperience effectively collaborating across international, cross-functional teams
