Sr. Regional Merchandising Manager, Utility presso KEEN Footwear

Job Summary 

The Sr. Regional Merchandising Manager for the Utility product line manages and executes the merchandising strategy, vision, market assortment plan and profitable growth. Combines merchandising expertise with retail acumen and execution excellence to support the product lifecycle from concept through commercialization, aligning closely with Product Design, Development, Sales, Marketing and Sales Planning.

This role is based in Portland and requires a regular presence at our global headquarters (minimum four days per week).

Essential Functions

• Develops and delivers the merchandising plan that enables category initiatives and alignment with market, customer and commercial needs.
• Executes short/long-term strategies in line with market and account opportunities.
• Delivers thoughtful seasonal analysis that drives the global briefing process by summarizing the findings of competitive market analysis.
• Partners with Sales and Product teams to harmonize and translate commercial input into product opportunities including white space plan.
• Conducts ongoing competitive analysis to identify white space opportunities and differentiation.
• Collaborates with product team to generate assortments that deliver revenue, pricing, productivity/lifecycle targets and segmentation plans.
• Responsible for the creation and management of the blended pricing and margin model and product margin of the seasonal line, as well as the entry, management.
• Provides ongoing maintenance of regional forecast and pricing in system.
• Works cross-functionally throughout the seasonal product process to bring a cohesive, cross-merchandised, fan-focused line with compelling global and regional stories.
• Works with sales management and key accounts to develop a distinctive, effective, and brand-appropriate distribution merchandising strategy by channel.
• Manages and monitors new product introductions and carryover product to ensure health of planned launch and/or lifecycle. Continuous improvement focused on SKU efficiency, margins, and global assortment alignment.
• Delivers market planning leadership with forecasts that align with targets for range size/segmentation, flow, adoption and systems integration.
• Executes unit and margin forecasts and analysis by season, category, gender, and style across key moments in the go-to-market process.
• Acts as a Brand and Product champion, presenting pre-lines, sales meetings, key accounts, influencers and visiting editors as required with sales.
• Builds and utilizes go-to-market tools in partnership with sales and marketing to deliver target results including merchandising plans for key wholesale accounts. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in merchandising or related field required.
• Six (6) or more years of progressive experience in merchandising, product creation and/or retail; experience in footwear preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience navigating a highly cross-functional matrix environment.
• Strong knowledge of footwear landscape and consumer insights.
• Strong understanding of KEEN regional fans, competitors, trend, and market insights.
• Strong organizational, analytical and time management skills.
• Strong verbal, written, and presentation communication skills with an ability to communicate at all levels of the organization.
• Knowledge of Utility trends with the ability to translate into commercial concepts.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Excel. Power Point, Word).
• Possess inherent interest and sense of Utility performance and style trends.
• Ability to forecast trends and plan and build product assortments.
• Results orientation that is balanced between both long-term objectives and short-run performance.
• Ability to successfully communicate cross-culturally as part of a global brand and merchandising team.
• Ability to work with different sales partners (direct, partner, distributor).
• Ability to independently utilize resources to increase knowledge.
• Ability to deliver the art and science of merchandising (product assortment + analytics).
• Ability to lead and influence people in support of overarching business and category goals.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Base Salary: $128,000 - $138,000 yearly
This range represents the low and high ends of the anticipated base salary range for this position. The actual base salary will depend on numerous factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, and location. Our base salary is just one component of our competitive total rewards strategy, which includes numerous benefits and perks as well as specific health and welfare benefits.

Why Work at KEEN:  Driven by a passion for life outside, KEEN is a values-led, independently owned brand from Portland, Oregon, that’s on a mission to create original and versatile products, improve lives, and inspire outside adventure. Founded in 2003, KEEN launched a revolution in the footwear industry with the introduction of the Newport adventure sandal and has donated more than $18 million to non-profit organizations and causes around the world to promote responsible outdoor recreation, including conservation efforts to protect open spaces. KEEN strives to show the world through its products and its actions that a business for good can actually be good for business. By giving back, reducing impact, and activating communities and individuals to protect the places where we work and play, KEEN puts its values in motion and takes action to leave the world a better place.  

At KEEN, we believe in a more just and equitable future for all people. As a global brand, we acknowledge that our business, buildings, and daily lives exist within the traditional territories of indigenous peoples. We strive for a future that recognizes the knowledge, rights, and resilience of these peoples.

Furest Group, KEEN, and Chrome are equal opportunity employers.  We value an inclusive and diverse community. Qualified candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply and will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability.