MERCHANDISE MANAGER - HOME OFFICE - AUSTIN, TX
About Kendra Scott:
We are a fun, talented and driven team dedicated to providing our customers with gorgeous products and a WOW! experience. Family, fashion and philanthropy are at the core of our company and though we move at a very fast pace, we are committed to maintaining a family-oriented work environment and giving back to our community. A passion for great design, dedication to innovation and a strong social media presence are our building blocks for creating a unique and engaging lifestyle brand across all channels, including retail stores, wholesale accounts and e-commerce. Our headquarters are located in the heart of Austin, Texas, and we embrace the unique vibe and energy of our hometown as an inspiration for our brand and company culture.
Position Overview:
The Merchandise Manager is a professional member of the Merchandising team and reports to the Director of Merchandising. This is an exempt salaried position whose primary responsibility is to drive the strategy and product assortment for all product categories. The manager will play a key role in partnering with Design, Planning, PD and channel heads to develop and implement strategies to maximize sales and profitability, while aligning to the brand vision. The manager will be responsible for developing junior members of the team and ensuring that key deliverables are met.
Responsibilities:
Product Strategy & Direction
" Mange the Merchandising team and communicate strategic vision to drive a cohesive product assortment that mirrors the brand and consistently appeals to the customers' taste
" Provide creative leadership and strategic direction in partnership with department senior leadership
" Determine and communicate brand positioning for all categories
" Identify brand drivers, business goals and key products by season, communicating to CFTs for total company alignment
" Collaborate with channel directors to determine ecommerce and in-store presentations and strategies that support merchandising goals
" Identify and communicate product and launch priorities within the Product Lifecycle Calendar to CFTs
" Set IMU goals by category while overseeing the creation of a clear pricing structure that ties perceived value, quality and retail pricing together
" Determine category selling strategies, selling periods, product lifecycles and channel distribution for all categories
" Focuses on developing customer intimacy skills through regular store visits and competitive shopping; applies findings to merchandising and execution strategies.
" Develop total season line plan with merchandisers and collaborate with Design to effectively combine with creative strategy to build assortments that achieve sales and brand goals
" Identify and manage through all major merchandising milestone dates ensuring team deadlines and goals are met
" Committed to team's growth and development to set and re-direct priorities for team and communicate key action items
" Sets and redirects priorities for team and communicates action items
Cross Functional Partnership
" Influence CFTs on financial, brand and product decisions
" Partner with Planning Manager to influence seasonal investment strategy and ensuring big ideas and growth drivers are protected
" Collaborate with Planning team to drive a promotional strategy and calendar that compliments overarching product and launch priorities
" Partner with channel heads to continuously understand product trends, requests, opportunities and risks within their businesses
" Partner with design and development teams on sourcing new innovation, techniques and materials
" Maintain close partnership with Design on external trends and provide merchandising influence at necessary design milestones
" Ensure clear, 360-degree communication with CFTs gaining buy in on new initiatives, strategies, successes and opportunities
" Takes ownership to proactively manage risks and opportunities without guidance or direction
" Anticipates the impact of decision making on team and cross functional partners
Financial Metrics & Reporting
" Report merchandising and financial trends and analysis to Senior Leadership to include actionable takeaways, risks and opportunities from a trend, financial and brand perspective
" Partner with Planning team to establish financial expectations and metrics for all categories
" Proactively monitor product and category performance, competitors and landscape to identify risks and opportunity
Our Ideal Candidate will have:
" Experience and passion for fashion retail merchandising, planning and execution
" 7+ years of experience in retail merchandising or related field required
" 2-3+ years of experience managing an Assistant or Associate Merchant
" 4 Year College degree required; B.S Degree in Retail Merchandising preferred
" Strong cross functional leader with proven track record of collaborating and driving results
" Coaches team members to full potential and challenges development
" Holds team accountable to measurable goals
" Anticipates and resolves potential risks and roadblocks to achieving departmental strategies
" Champion for product, brand and customer in all cross-functional initiatives and plans
" Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, including prioritization, planning and execution
" Highly organized, detail oriented and accurate
" Excellent communication and presentation skills to communicate confidently with senior leadership