Merchandise Manager, Industrial

Job Summary

The Merchandise Manager, Industrial is a highly visible, high-impact role responsible for shaping the future growth trajectory of our ACE branded industrial business. This individual will lead the category strategy, product roadmap, and go-to-market execution for the company’s industrial portfolio, including the ACE Industrial brand and strategic co-branded partnerships with DeWalt, Puma Safety, and others. Reporting to the SVP of Marketing, this role serves as the business owner for the Industrial category, driving long-range growth through consumer insights, product innovation, competitive differentiation, and strategically mapping the assortment to the sales growth charter.

The Merchandise Manager will play a pivotal role in accelerating market share gains, strengthening brand positioning, and delivering against the company’s long-term revenue and profitability objectives. As a key partner across Shoes For Crews’ cross-functional teams, the Merchandise Manager, Industrial will bring a deep understanding of customer segmentation, pricing strategies, and channel distribution to maximize sales and profitability. This individual will work directly with Product Development (US and China), Marketing, Sales, Operations, and other teams to ensure seamless execution of merchandising strategies that enhance global brand equity and grow market share.

• Own the long-term category vision, growth strategy, and commercial performance for ACE Industrial and co-branded partners, including DeWalt, Puma Safety, and others
• Develop and execute a multi-year product innovation roadmap aligned to company financial targets and market opportunities
• Identify whitespace opportunities, emerging trends, customer needs, and competitive threats to inform future product pipeline
• Monitor category performance and recommend actions to improve sales, margin, market share, and product productivity

• Lead assortment architecture, line planning, pricing strategies, and lifecycle management across the Industrial portfolio
• Ensure product offerings are differentiated, competitively positioned, and aligned with customer and channel needs
• Drive product rationalization and SKU optimization initiatives to improve portfolio productivity

• Develop compelling product briefs grounded in customer insights, market intelligence, and commercial objectives
• Partner closely with global Product Development, Design, and Sourcing teams to bring innovative products to market
• Manage product testing and validation programs to ensure products exceed customer expectations

• Own the merchandising strategy throughout the entire go-to-market process, from concept through commercialization
• Ensure successful launch execution with Marketing through coordinated planning, positioning, messaging, and channel strategies
• Support key customer presentations, line reviews, and strategic business development opportunities

• Lead cross-functional alignment with Sales, Marketing, Operations, Inventory Planning, and Product Development teams
• Serve as the category expert for industrial end users, occupational segments, and workplace safety trends
• Analyze consumer feedback, wear testing results, sales performance, competitive activity, and market data to drive decision-making

• Assist with the creation and review of financial models and provide strategic recommendations for new product initiatives
• Manage the upkeep of product-related tools, resources, training materials, and customer service documentation

• Genuine passion and curiosity for the footwear industry, consumer behavior, and staying ahead of consumer trends
• Experienced leader with a proven track record of influencing cross-functional teams
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate data into actionable insights; proficiency in Microsoft Office and BI tools such as Tableau, Notion, or similar
• Ability to analyze project needs and determine resources required to meet objectives
• Exp…