EMPLOYMENT

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation: Lead and optimize the sales, profitability, and brand equity within our Emerging Markets organisation by developing and executing a strategic merchandising plan. Key Responsibilities: New leadership layer to shape and lead the Pacific Merchandising strategy for both Concept and Value store channels, a growing network of 50 stores. Deliver key financial targets including Net Sales, Sell-through, Standard Margin, Inventory (IDL), and Operating Margin. Drive the pre-season planning and Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy for all categories in alignment with the Emerging Markets Business Unit (EM BU) and Concept-to-Consumer (CTC) team. Oversee end-to-end category management, including Open-To-Buy (OTB), pre-season product planning, option planning, range planning, and forecasting. Maximize both pre-season and in-season business opportunities by effectively understanding channel potentials. Continuously monitor industry trends, providing strategic insights and intelligence across the organization. Collaborate effectively with key internal stakeholders, including Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Store Operations, Supply Chain, and Logistics. Lead innovation and continuous improvement initiatives, enhancing process automation and product availability across channels. Provide actionable, data-driven category insights to internal and external stakeholders. Ensure best-in-class merchandising practices by optimizing systems, tools, and processes. Maintain optimal Weeks of Stock (WOS) across all retail locations. Conduct market visits as required (office/travel ratio approximately 80%/20%). Demonstrate leadership consistent with our leadership framework and foster a unified ONE EM team mindset. Key Relationships: BU Director and Category Managers (Category Merchandising) Omnichannel Activation and Visual Merchandising Retail Back Office and Retail Stores Retail HUB Demand Planning, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Logistics teams Finance and Controlling Global Merchandising Teams Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Exceptional leadership and influencing capabilities In-depth knowledge of merchandising, range planning, forecasting, and budgeting Strong analytical and communication skills Collaborative team player, capable of working effectively under pressure Proficiency in range segmentation and merchandising strategies, including eCommerce channels Entrepreneurial mindset with a strong commercial acumen to leverage business opportunities Fluency in English required; additional languages advantageous Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications: University degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, or related fields; MBA preferred Minimum of 10 years’ experience, with at least 5 years in senior leadership/directorial roles in merchandising/buying within retail environments Proven experience in fashion franchises and vertical/multichannel retail; Sporting Goods retail experience is highly desirable Essential experience managing multi-store operations and eCommerce platforms Broad understanding of store operations, Visual Merchandising, Marketing Activation, HR, Finance, Supply Chain, and Logistics Demonstrated success working with internal stakeholders and external agencies to develop efficient, scalable processes Experience effectively collaborating across international, cross-functional teams