Lead, Kids and Core Merchandising - Jordan APLA

Overview

For Jordan merchants, everything begins and ends with the consumer. We are looking for a consumerist with an affinity for product and assortment curation, the architect of business growth, and an advocate for the Jordan Brand. A successful Lead Merchant contributes to an inclusive, positive, and progressive team dynamic. At Jordan, it’s about each person bringing excellence through skills and passion to a challenging and constantly evolving game.

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

They will report to the Senior Director of Jordan Merchandising APLA and work closely with the APLA Jordan cross-functional team, including Sales, Planning, and Brand Marketing; the APLA Nike merchandising team; the APLA Jordan Merchandising team; the APLA Express Lane product creation team; and other APLA cross-functional partners.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a self‑driven individual with passion for the consumer, sport, streetwear, and fashion. This role requires a high level of verbal, written, and visual communication, along with the ability to collaborate with and influence cross‑functional partners across a large matrixed organization.

The candidate should possess a strong understanding of the Jordan consumer and marketplace landscape, solid retail and merchandising acumen, analytical capability, and a deep understanding of retail environments and industry trends.

This role requires the ability to work autonomously, be agile, and be solution‑oriented. The key responsibility in this role is driving the consumer product offering (product line plan) for the Kids and Core parts of the Jordan product line end to end (from insights to adoption), as well as focusing on multi‑season management for sustainable growth.

• Bachelor's degree or higher, or combination of relevant education, experience, and training
• 5+ years of experience in Footwear, Apparel, Equipment, or relevant consumer product merchandising, product creation, and/or retail in a vertical, multi-brand, or digital environment
• Strong command of common retail and/or digital metrics, such as sell-through, margin, full price realization, inventory, and weeks of supply
• Understanding and intuition for consumer insights and trends, with the ability to translate them into clear strategies, product briefs, and action plans
• Strong product line management expertise and the ability to build, lead, and drive long-term product line strategy and assortment creation; proven ability to translate consumer, sales, trend, and marketplace insights into both in-season and long-term assortment strategies
• Ability to prepare seasonal tools that equip marketplace partners with a clear understanding of seasonal priorities
• Experience developing strong relationships with teammates and cross‑functional partners locally and internationally
• Strong verbal, written, and visual communication skills; comfort navigating a cross‑functional organizational matrix with an emphasis on influencing skills
• Attention to detail and a deep appreciation for consistency and process

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

You will play a crucial role in understanding the APLA Jordan consumer and business, generating insights to inform Global, Geo, and Territory partners about product opportunities and needs, as well as curating and building the Jordan product line for the Geo.

You will build consumer‑centric assortment plans for the full marketplace, blending fact‑based and intuitive inputs to create segmentation and differentiation that drive long‑term sustainable growth for the Jordan Brand.

• Refined Curator. You will ensure consumers are served with the right product, in the right place, at the right time. You will drive and execute assortment strategy end to end—from line plan brief through bringing it to life at retail across all channels of distribution.
• Obsessed Consumerist and Insights Champion. You will gather consumer and marketplace insights and trends to inform future line plans, hyperlocal product opportunities, and in‑season franchise management recommendations.
• Growth Architect. You will work directly with Global merchandising counterparts, Geo cross‑functional teams, and Territory merchandising teams to drive Geo…