Senior Director, Global Merchandising bei The IRONMAN Group

Description

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll® Running Series, IRONKIDS®, World Triathlon Championship Series, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, road cycling events including UTMB®, and other multisport races.

The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually with the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. For more information about The IRONMAN Group visit: www.ironman.com. 

Job Summary

We are seeking a strategic and operational leader to serve as Senior Director of Global Merchandising. This role will own the process that brings products from purchase to the customer - across physical stores and digital channels. The successful candidate will drive global central buying, planning, logistics, inventory, warehousing, registration platforms, and eCommerce operations while building scalable systems, processes, and teams that enable growth and efficiency.

The Senior Director of Global Merchandising will lead the Buying, Planning and Inventory teams whilst partnering closely with Product Development and the Regional Merchandising Operations teams to deliver a premium merchandising experience to our athletes.  

Key Responsibilities

Merchandising & Planning

• Lead global central buying and assortment planning to align with business objectives.
• Partner with our endemic sponsors to drive revenue across product categories while leveraging new product launches
• Identify and contract with new potential vendors in key categories where we see demand from athletes (lifestyle, premium,       collectibles…)
• Optimize product allocation and lifecycle management across channels and regions.
• Manage a bottoms up long range financial plan, including annual revenue and margin  goals by event,

Logistics, Inventory & Warehousing

• Oversee global inventory management to ensure product availability and minimize overstock across 18 trailers
• Ensure sufficient inventory levels for fast selling items at Events utilizing data analytics from prior events and key regional trends
• Manage warehouse operations, vendor relationships, and fulfillment strategies to deliver exceptional customer experience.
• Drive cost efficiency, operational excellence, and service-level improvements across supply chain touchpoints.

Digital Platforms & eCommerce

• Manage registration platform and eCommerce site operations to maximize conversion and customer satisfaction.
• Partner with technology teams to ensure platforms are scalable, reliable, and user-friendly.
• Partner with the Customer team on an
• order/fulfilment challenges to ensure customer satisfaction and brand reputation

Systems & Process Optimization

• Audit and streamline merchandising, checkout at event stores, logistics, and data processes to reduce complexity and improve accuracy.
• Lead data governance efforts to ensure clean, reliable, and actionable information.
• Drive the evaluation, selection, and implementation of new enterprise systems to support merchandising, planning, and operations.

Leadership & Team Development

• Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing global merchandising operations team.
• Establish a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as a key leader in aligning global teams  toward shared goals and long-term growth.

Requirements

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in merchandising, planning, supply chain, or operations, with at least 5      years experience of event retail in a senior leadership role
• Proven success in global retail, consumer goods, or eCommerce environments.
• Strong expertise in inventory management, logistics, and warehouse operations.
• Track record of leading system implementation and process transformation.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to translate data into strategy and execution.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Global perspective and ability to work across diverse markets and cultures.

The above declarations are not intended to be an “all inclusive” list of duties and responsibilities of the job described, nor are they intended to be such a listing of the skills and abilities required to do the job. Rather, they are intended only to describe the general nature of the job and are a reasonable representation of its activities.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.