Job Description

As the Vice President, General Merchandise Manager (GMM), you will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction and success of our omni-channel product strategy for apparel and footwear. The VP, GMM is responsible for creating and executing multi-year, annual, and seasonal merchandising strategies that align with the Co-op’s goals that deliver results. This role is pivotal in delivering consumer-centric product assortments across multiple product categories and vendors within Apparel and Footwear, driving sales growth, sustainable profitability, and increased market share in the outdoor specialty retail sector. You will ensure REI stays relevant by understanding and forecasting market trends, emerging brands, and changing consumer behaviors to inform inventory allocation, store space, marketing, and internal resourcing. The role involves building and leading a robust merchant team that manages vendor relationships, product assortment, pricing, promotions, and vendor terms for $2B+ in revenue. Collaboration with senior leaders across marketing, commercial channels, planning, and supply chain is essential to realize a compelling omni-channel go to market (GTM) plan across all customer touchpoints, incorporating their insights into strategies. Leading with an enterprise lens, and helping to build out a robust, cross functional assortment planning process is critical.

Leading the Way

• Able to create a compelling, customer focused strategic vision and mobilize cross functional teams to turn it into action by effectively communicating and driving alignment. Lead with a customer-focused mindset to support and drive the company growth strategy and priorities.
• Drives accountability of strategies into actionable, aligned divisional plans and executes successful delivery and results across DMMs, CMM teams, and cross-functional partners.
• Supports the implementation of company programs, processes, methods and practices to promote a clear consumer focused strategy with compelling marketing/brand messaging.
• Collaborates closely with the Allocation, Assortment, Marketing, Digital, Store Operations, Finance, and Merchandising Data teams to ensure alignment and execution of merchandising strategies.
• Leverages data insights from the Merchandising Data team and other sources to inform strategic decisions and optimize product assortments and allocations.
• Challenges and inspires team to achieve business results. Effectively holds team and partners accountable to delivering results.
• Provides coaching, direction and leadership support to employees to achieve division, company and customer results.
• Monitors operational metrics, reports trends, variances and issues, and takes appropriate action.
• Fosters a positive team-oriented environment that recognizes successes, embraces the company’s values in action, and learns from challenges.
• Passion and commitment to our Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) agenda and DEI overall.
• Recruits and builds high performing teams that inspire others to learn, solve problems creatively and drive for results.

Your Planning & Navigating Requirements

• Develop and communicate a clear and compelling merchandising vision, strategy, and 3-year roadmap aligning with the organization's broader business objectives.
• Lead the identification, development, and implementation of new business strategies, initiatives, and product lines.
• Drive initiatives to enhance customer experience, increase market share, and meet financial targets (i.e., margin, pricing, market share, traffic, etc.).
• Set assortment architecture framework, category expansion and exits, pricing strategy, and activity positioning for all categories under oversight, supporting an aligned process across merchandising.
• Lead and mentor across divisional organization to enable the strategy execution through the GTM calendar, expectations, and goals.
• Analyze data and understand market trends, consumer behavior, and the competitive landscape to develop product strategies and inform regional assortments across categories.
• Integrate insights from Allocation and Assortment teams to create data-driven merchandising strategies that align with overall business objectives.
• Partner with the Merchandising Data team to analyze sales data, market trends, and consumer behavior to inform assortment planning and inventory management.
• Work with the Allocation team to ensure optimal distribution of products across all channels, maximizing sales potential and inventory efficiency.
• Work closely with marketing, visual, and digital merchandising to create product presentations that support strategy.
• Provide leadership and strategic direction to achieve financial goals, drive the core business, and the transformation agenda.

• 12+ years experience, with 8+ years building and leading teams in merchandising, and strategy development in a retailer or brand).
• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field, master’s degree preferred
• Knowledge of industry activity, brands and product trends
• Strategic change agent with track-record of evolving merchandising teams through people, process, technology in a fast-paced environment.
• Data driven leader who understands the power of leveraging data to understand consumer trends and identify new growth areas.
• Demonstrated understanding of product lifecycle management, event planning, vendor negotiations, and financial KPIs.
• Proven track record of successful delivery of strategic and operational initiatives from concept through implementation, including new business development, category expansion and contractions and exits.
• Ability to assess business risks proactively and collaborate to mitigate.
• Understanding of product development, sourcing and manufacturing of hard and soft goods.
• Demonstrated experience bringing large scale change opportunities to life through storytelling, fact-based orientation, and business analytics to inform complex decision making.
• Experienced with demand planning, supply planning and forecasting
• Results-oriented, adept in conflict resolution, skilled at prioritization and change management
• An inclusive leadership style and the ability to engage and communicate with all levels of the organization, from the C-suite to product specialists.
• People management experience including strong interpersonal and leadership skills: meeting facilitation, skill-sharing and training, organization, conflict management, change agent, manage relationships.
• Collaborative thinker, who will drive enterprise outcomes, and facilitate a “win-together” culture.
• Success leading and developing a team of world-class merchandising and product development professionals, including ability to coach, develop and leverage the experience of seasoned executives within organization.
• Excellent, proven interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills with all levels.
• Establishes trust and inspires others.

At REI, we believe the outdoors is for all. We are committed to becoming a fully inclusive, anti-racist, multicultural organization . We know that there's strength in our diversity – that each employee brings unique skills, experiences, and perspectives. Every day you are driving change, fostering a culture of respect, and knowing you're backed by benefits that support your whole life. To work towards this commitment and fulfill our brand promise of inspiring and enabling a life outside for everyone, we seek employees who demonstrate different ways of working, create a sense of belonging, and actively listen and learn.  

Pay Transparency  

We are committed to practices that promote pay equity and transparency. As required by applicable Pay Transparency laws, REI provides a range of compensation for roles that may be hired in locations under these requirements. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include a wide array of factors, including: your specific skills and experience, geographic location or other relevant factors .   

REI offers all regular employees a generous employee discount, access to health benefits, a retirement savings plan and accrued time off . Click here for a detailed overview of benefits plans by employee profile.

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