Position Summary The Director of Merchandising is responsible for developing and executing the merchandising strategy across all categories to drive growth, profitability, and brand positioning. This role will oversee end-to-end merchandising functions, ensuring product assortments meet financial goals while exceeding customer expectations across Wholesale, Retail, and DTC channels. Key Responsibilities Merchandising Strategy & Assortment Planning • Develop seasonal merchandising strategies aligned with brand vision and financial objectives. • Curate balanced assortments that reflect market trends while supporting core brand DNA and bestsellers. • Analyze historical data and current market insights to guide line architecture, SKU productivity, and margin optimization. Product Lifecycle Management • Oversee the product lifecycle from initial concept to market launch, ensuring alignment between design, production, and sales. • Partner with design and production teams to drive assortment decisions, line plan counts, and pricing strategies. • Manage style count productivity and profitability to ensure efficient SKU management. Channel Merchandising • Create channel-specific assortments that maximize opportunities in Wholesale (major retailers and specialty), DTC, and brick-and-mortar retail. • Collaborate with sales leadership to develop tailored assortments for key accounts to drive sell-through and strengthen partnerships. Financial Ownership • Develop and manage top-line category sales plans and markdown forecasts to achieve margin and profitability goals. • Monitor and analyze sales performance weekly, identifying risks and opportunities and driving actionable strategies. Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration • Lead and develop the merchandising team, fostering growth and accountability. • Partner cross-functionally with Design, Production, Planning, Sales, and Marketing to ensure alignment and timely execution of seasonal strategies. • Present seasonal assortments, strategies, and hindsight analyses to executive leadership and key stakeholders. Qualifications • 7-10 years of merchandising experience, with a minimum of 3-5 years in a senior merchandising leadership role within contemporary or premium fashion. • Proven track record of building successful assortments that drive growth and profitability. • Strong financial acumen with expertise in sales analysis, SKU productivity, and margin management. • Highly strategic yet detail-oriented with a strong aesthetic sensibility aligned to contemporary fashion. • Excellent leadership, communication, and presentation skills. • Experience managing across multiple channels including Wholesale, DTC, and Retail. • Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, retail math, and merchandising/planning systems.