Senior Category Merchandising Manager; Kids Apparel

The Opportunity

A global athletic and lifestyle brand is looking for a senior merchandising leader to step in and own Kids Apparel Sport Product Merchandising during a maternity leave. This is not a caretaker assignment. You are coming in as the subject matter expert for a team of four, setting the vision for kids apparel and keeping the category moving through a full season cycle.

Six months is enough time to leave a real mark. You will lead the team, sit at the table with Product, Planning, and Marketplace partners, and make the calls that shape what lands in the North America marketplace. For someone who wants senior scope inside a world-class merchandising org without a long-term commitment, this is a rare window.

• Lead and develop a merchandising team of four, acting as the go-to expert for the category
• Drive the product merchandising strategy for Kids Apparel Sport
• Partner daily with Product, Planning, and Marketplace teams to align assortment, flow, and go-to-market
• Build and champion a clear vision for kids apparel
• Translate marketplace insight into assortment decisions for North America
• Present recommendations to cross-functional partners and leadership

• 8+ years of merchandising experience, apparel strongly preferred
• Bachelor’s degree
• Proven people leadership and team management experience (required)
• Strong command of the North America marketplacel
• Excel, PowerPoint, and Keynote fluency with polished presentation and communication skills

• Kids apparel and sports/athletic apparel background
• Account-facing experience
• Product creation exposure
• Prior experience with a large global athletic brand

Proactive operators. Problem solvers who move before being asked. People who can hold a vision for a category and rally partners behind it.