Reporting to the SVP of Product (with a dotted line to the CEO), the VP of Product will lead the strategic development and execution of our product assortment, ensuring alignment with brand vision, customer needs, and business objectives. This role will drive seasonal assortment planning, oversee Athlete Led Design, and manage merchandising from concept to market. Partnering closely with the product and brand teams, the VP of Product will shape product, storytelling and enhance cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate is a data-driven, customer-focused leader with a deep understanding of performance apparel and a passion for innovation. This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic thinker who thrives at the intersection of analytics and creativity, turning insights into impactful merchandising strategies.
ACCOUNTABILITIES:
- Develop and execute overall assortment strategy, ensuring a strategic product mix that aligns with brand goals and market demand.
- Achieve full understanding of the target customer, anticipating their needs and serving as their advocate in assortment planning, product development, and storytelling.
- Manage Athlete Led Design, ensuring an extreme ownership mentality to the outputs.
- Collaborate closely with the product team to develop seasonal product assortments, ensuring a cohesive and performance-driven collection.
- Own assortment build-out and beginning of season projections within planning software (Toolio), utilizing data-driven insights to forecast demand and optimize assortment planning.
- Lead the creation and refinement of product briefs, clearly defining key details, positioning, and merchandising strategies to guide product development.
- Partner with brand team to collaborate on the positioning of new and existing products.
- Accountable for brand collaborations, demonstrating a high level of ownership and strategic execution in all partnership initiatives.
- Work closely with brand team on graphic editions, ensuring assortment strategy is clearly laid out in advance and buys are aligned with expected customer interest.
- Oversee product development calendar, ensuring key milestones and deadlines are met across merchandising and product teams.
- Foster strong cross-functional collaboration, working closely with design, marketing, operations, and e-commerce teams to align product strategies and execution.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in Product, Business or related field.
- 10+ years leading Merchandising in technical performance and/or outdoor categories.
- Strong acumen building and executing an assortment strategy.
- Leadership acumen with ability to influence cross functionally and develop teams.
- Experience collaborating with product team partners to develop truly exceptional products, with an appreciation for experience in activewear, outdoor or outerwear.
- Dynamic thinker who thrives at the intersection of analytics and creativity.
- Ability to create and execute on a vision, taking product from concept to launch.
- Passion for deep customer understanding, with a strong appreciation for personal interest in the activewear or outdoor space.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and drive business decisions.
- Ability to create product and brand stories in collaboration with the brand team.
- Able to work independently within company and team guidelines.
LOCATION:
- New York City, this is an onsite leadership position. (4 days in office, 1 day remote).
COMPENSATION:
- The base salary range for this role is $175,000 - $200,000
