Director, Merchandising (Specialty Retail)

The Specialty Retail division of Naturalizer is searching for a strong, innovative Director, Merchandising.  An ideal candidate has strong managerial background in one of the following: Allocation, Retail Planning, Location Planning, Business Planning. 

Position Accountabilities

• Assures the effective use of people, systems, processes and collaborative partnerships to optimally plan and execute sales, margin, and turn of all categories for stores and webs.
• Assures Assortment plans accurately reflect the financial targets while establishing the differences in the various profiled groups that support existing stores, new stores, and webs for sales and inventory goals.
• Assures an accurate and manageable flow of inventory to stores for visual statements, catalog prep, and promotional items while tracking delivery dates from factories, communicating with the wholesale division, distribution centers, and stores.
• Assures transfer plans and shipping forecasts are accurately reflecting trends; appropriately balancing store inventories to addressing category and geographic needs
• Assures thorough analysis for buying correct sizes and widths for individual stores and webs at the category level; establishing the differences in the various profiled groups and maintaining updated profiles.

Profile Accountabilities

• Assures high performance and customer focus from all direct reports for cross-functional impact by:*
• Motivating and inspiring team to achieve their highest potential
• Providing ongoing coaching and performance feedback
• Providing the opportunities and tools direct reports need to grow and gain the skills and knowledge needed to realize their potential
• Attracting talent and selecting high caliber people of diverse cultures, backgrounds and experiences from both inside and outside of the organization
• Delegating authority and encouraging staff to take calculated risks
• Adapting style to capitalize on different talent

Assures effective management of change to reach functional and organizational goals by:

• Translating business strategy into operating plans, and operating plans into understandable and executable goals for both individuals and functional areas
• Proactively developing intra-company and intra-divisional relationships, partnerships, and initiatives
• Demonstrating creativity by breaking norms, trying new models, and generating ideas
• Replicating successful endeavors and institutionalizing successful practices

Assures the judicious use of company resources and sound business justification for all budgetary decisions by:

• Evaluating long-range business impact
• Searching for the most accurate information and facing the brutal facts

Assures a collaborative environment that fosters and values partnerships, diversity, and trust by:

• Demonstrating and modeling a passion for meeting customer needs and exceeding customer expectations
• Exhibiting selflessness by helping others become more successful in their roles
• Sharing talent resources to create or improve business results
• Actively seeking the ideas of others and valuing differing perspectives
• Building trust by communicating honestly, directly, and candidly

*Applicable for supervisors only

Position Essential Functions

• Assists the Buying and Marketing groups to ensure that store inventory and visual objectives are met and correctly executed to plans.
• Assists the Planning group in building meaningful category assortment plans to execute target sales and inventories for planned buy periods
• Reports daily, weekly, quarterly, and season retail metrics by volume grade, store, region, category, shipping, transfers, and identifies trends, opportunities and/or issues to senior management.
• Builds New Store assortments, assists buyers with opening visual sets, and communicates opening shipping details with Distribution centers, District managers and Store staff.
• Researches, recommends, and develops system and process opportunities to improve merchandising results
• Visits stores to determine special needs and pricing at category level based on competition and customer profile
• Closely interact with Sales and Service and provide all pertinent information to effectively sell shoes.
• Responsible for maintaining size width penetration in stores and webs
• Monitors factory deliveries to meet projected shipping plans and inventory levels; works with Buying and Planning to make adjustments as needed
• Partners with the Store and Logistics teams to ensure execution of strategies across functional areas

Position Specifications

Educational Preference:Bachelor’s Degree in related field, or equivalent combination of education and work experience

Job Experience:

• Allocation, Buying and/or Planning experience
• Retail outlet experience
  
  
  Computer Experience:
  
  Microsoft Office and Merchandising applications (JDA/Arthur or equivalent)