Head of Footwear Merchandising

Role overview

As the Head of Merchandising for Footwear, you will define the category direction for the Americas and make sure the assortment reflects both the company’s premium brand positioning and the commercial needs of each region. In this senior role, reporting to the Director of Merchandising, AMER, you will help reduce regional complexity, shape a unified omnichannel approach, and unlock market opportunities that strengthen brand affinity. The position plays a key part in connecting global product strategy with local execution to deliver strong business outcomes and a culture focused on excellence and innovation.

Key responsibilities

• Create and roll out a regional footwear merchandising plan that supports global product direction while meeting wholesale and direct-to-consumer goals across the Americas.
• Own seasonal assortment planning, including category segmentation, account-specific differentiation, and product lifecycle decisions to support premium growth targets.
• Lead regional go-to-market coordination by aligning global product, sales, and demand planning teams so launches stay on schedule and forecasts remain accurate.
• Review competitor activity, consumer behavior, and market shifts to spot and act on opportunities specific to the Americas market.
• Work with analytics teams to convert sales performance and market research into practical insights that improve product decisions and commercial results.
• Monitor core KPIs such as sell-through, inventory productivity, and margin performance, then use the findings to improve category execution.
• Coach and grow the merchandising team, supporting each person’s development and strengthening functional expertise across the group.
• Collaborate across functions to connect global priorities with local execution and ensure footwear contributes to broader strategic goals.

Candidate profile

• At least 9 years of experience in merchandising, product management, or retail buying within a premium global retail environment in footwear or apparel.
• Minimum 4 years of experience managing merchandising teams in a fast-growing business, with responsibility for regional scope and cross-functional coordination.
• Strong background in building and managing footwear assortments in a vertically integrated or omnichannel brand, balancing global direction with regional flexibility.
• Strong results in margin improvement, assortment planning, and inventory turnover supported by data-led decisions.
• Advanced analytical ability with experience working through complex data and systems to find trends and root causes.
• Hands-on experience using PLM systems and BI tools to improve workflows and support planning.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders and align on shared business goals.
• Clear commitment to inclusion and to supporting sustainable practices across the product lifecycle.

Team context

You will join the Americas Merchandising team, which acts as a strategic partner in defining the product vision for the region. The team serves as the link between global product/commercial groups and regional business leaders. Its work is highly collaborative and consumer-led, spanning multiple internal functions to build commercial plans, identify profitable growth, and act on sales opportunities together. The Americas team is expanding, and this role will help shape that growth.

Compensation

The expected cash compensation for this role, including base pay, bonus, and equity, is between $220,000 and $270,000. Final compensation will depend on factors such as experience, industry background, qualifications, skill set, and location. Some positions may also include equity compensation in addition to cash pay.