Senior Manager, Global Retail Category Planning

Role overview

This position leads global retail category planning for a defined product category across direct-to-consumer channels. The goal is to shape a commercially strong, consumer-focused, and clearly differentiated assortment for full-price stores, factory outlets, and e-commerce. The role partners with global go-to-market teams and regional merchandising groups to build DTC-specific assortment strategies, including retail-exclusive offers, product lifecycle planning, and close alignment with retail marketing across every channel.

Global DTC assortment strategy

• Set the guiding principles for assortments across e-commerce, full-price stores, and factory outlet formats.
• Create a product strategy that is distinct, coherent, and aligned with the wider brand direction.
• Design assortment structures covering product flow, depth, breadth, option counts, article counts across business units, gender segments, age groups, product groups, franchises, and price points/tiers.
• Maintain the right mix of core items, seasonal launches, and trend-led products.
• Establish seasonal launch and drop schedules that support traffic, engagement, and productivity.

Cross-functional collaboration

• Work closely with global GTM, product merchandising, planning, marketing, and retail marketing teams.
• Ensure direct-to-consumer needs are considered early in the product creation process.
• Bring merchandising plans into line with in-store and online retail execution.
• Help deliver strong product presentation through compelling storytelling and channel-specific execution.

Regional support and alignment

• Provide regional merchandising teams with frameworks, tools, and strategic direction.
• Support assortment localization while preserving global consistency.
• Enable clear channel segmentation and strong execution across markets.

Performance and insights

• Track key business measures such as sell-through, margin, and inventory productivity.
• Spot risks and opportunities that can improve future assortments and product flow.
• Share actionable insights with global GTM and product creation teams.

Candidate profile

Applicants should bring a bachelor’s degree in business, fashion merchandising, or a related discipline, along with 5 to 8+ years of merchandising experience, ideally within sportswear or fashion retail. Experience in direct-to-consumer or retail merchandising is essential, and exposure to full-price and outlet channels is considered an advantage. The role also calls for strong commercial results, a consumer-first mindset, analytical strength, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving matrix organization.

Additional information

The company welcomes applications from all genders and emphasizes values built around drive, energy, teamwork, and individuality. It promotes equal opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or disability. The hiring process is handled by real people, and automated systems or AI tools are not used to make hiring decisions. Some isolated administrative steps, such as interview scheduling, may use AI-supported functions, but these do not affect hiring outcomes. The organization is a global sports brand with footwear, apparel, and accessories, operating in more than 120 countries and employing around 22,000 people worldwide.