Manager, Footwear Merchandising - Asia Pacific

*This is a hybrid position based out of our corporate HQ near Portland, Oregon. In office expectations are 3 days a week*ABOUT THE POSITIONThe APAC Merchandising Manager is the cross-functional champion for the regional merchandising direction, as they are directing specific categories of the product line, specifically footwear. They are tasked with developing clear seasonal strategies and objectives to deliver consumer right assortments that drive growth and profitability. A critical partner to sales, they will work together to ensure the assortment direction meets the needs of the marketplace. They have a strong numbers acumen and steward the product line through the go to market process.The APAC region consists of China, South Korea, and Japan. Columbia has a long history within these countries and strong growth expectation for both short and long term. Time and experience within these markets is beneficial. The regional merchant will provide a robust seasonal framework to global product creation to convey consumer and market feedback. Determine and identify new product and merchandising needs, trends and opportunities for the category.HOW YOU'LL MAKE A DIFFERENCEDeliver seasonal assortment direction and lead the building of your regional product assortment across franchise by categories based on consumer trends and analytics.Work with product to fulfill any gaps or emerging opportunities.Partner with country merchandising leaders to align commercial partners across channels and key accounts.Keep the long-term growth roadmaps top of mind to ensure the assortment delivers a balance of brand energy with commercial drivers.Support the seasonal Go-To-Market process across multiple seasonal deliverables ensuring work is accurate and completed at a high level, including system accuracy, catalog, forecasts, and pricing.Represent your category during key pre-line meetings, presenting to broad internal stakeholders during checkpoint meetings, and ultimately owning the product hand-over to sales.Inform market insights to global creation team as regional market expert.Influence Global Merchandising through leveraging your knowledge of the market, competitive landscape, consumer and market trends in order to ensure product needs for your region are incorporated into the global seasonal line plan.Demonstrate effective cross-functional communication (verbal and written), collaboration and coordination throughout the seasonal product creation process. Follow through and closed loop communication effort is mandatory.Effectively present ideas and concepts to a diverse audience through storytelling and business justification.Deliver results, drive business analytical workstreams (margin, style/sku count, style/sku productivity, forecasting, bookings, and sell-thru analysis) and Market/Consumer knowledge improvement to build team expertise on the regional business and the management of it.YOU AREA Global merchant, with a strong understanding of the Asia Pacific region.A strong leader, mentor, and expert in leading business analytical workstreams and teams.A product guru, able to achieve sales targets and adjust product assortment as needed.Well-versed in international markets relating to product merchandising, and retail sales.Effective at working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.A strong communicator, including written, verbal, and presentation skills.YOU HAVEMBA and/or Bachelor's degree in business or related discipline.Minimum of 8+ years footwear merchandising experience in the sportswear, outdoor or action sports industry.8+ years Team Development and Management experience.Prior experience working in a distributor model or with international markets.Solid business management skills with demonstrated financial acumen.Strong understanding of the consumer, retail environment and competitive marketplace in region.Highly proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint.Demonstrated ability to develop strategic plans to meet or realign regional revenue & gross margin targets.Must be a leader, communicator, listener, analytical thinker, presenter with footwear merchandising skill set and business management expertise.Knowledge of and/or basic understanding in Digital Marketing/eCommerce/social media is preferred.This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function in the company.Columbia Sportswear is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.

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