Director, Merchandising, Handbags

JOB SUMMARY

The Director, Merchandising, Handbags oversees the merchandising and merchandising team related to the handbag category. This position will develop high-level product and business strategies by focusing on how profitability, product positioning and forecasted growth will continue to build the brand identity; is responsible for ensuring the development, execution, and communication of team's category strategies that will meet or exceed financial goals in all channels. They must mobilize and lead a team and successfully create and develop partnerships with cross-functional partners (Design, Production, Retail, Wholesale and E-commerce).

JOB DESCRIPTION

RESPONSIBILITIES

Merchandising

• Build the brand's point of view for the category that can exceed all global needs.
• Build and grow the business; identify and seek opportunities to positively affect category/company.
• Create strategy to balance assortment including short and long term milestones.
• Lead the merchandising process. Work with Design and Merchandising team to edit the assortment by commodity, by month, by color ensuring all markets needs are met.
• Drive category alignment with calendar to meet key timelines.
• Approve the line based on knowledge of fashion trends, competition, and department history.
• Oversee execution of the line plan and ensure stay true to the line plane throughout the process.
• Develop and maintain consistency of vision for category across channels of business and regions.
• Continuously seek deep competitor insight and trend prediction of category.
• Identify and pursue creative new ventures for the category and business.
• Work with internal teams to understand needs and growth opportunities related to category.
• Partner with the VP of Merchandising to understand international implications for category.
• Partner with the VP of Merchandising to devise a good- better- best retail pricing strategy by country.

Leadership and People Management

• Promote an environment that fosters the respect for the ideas of others and supports ongoing collaboration to execute business strategies; measures own success by the team's success.
• Leads by example and operates effectively in the face of continuous pressure imposed by the work environment.
• Provide leadership within the merchandising team by directing, focusing, and motivating team members to keep their efforts on track.
• Monitor development and performance of direct reports through regular meetings to discuss performance and development compared to goals; maintain a dialogue regarding their needs and concerns to aid in future development and increase retention.
• Continuously looks to innovate and improve our business and business processes.

Financial

• Determine and drive the strategic focus of the overall category area. Identify growth, maintain and downtrending businesses.
• Analyze how merchandising decisions and results impact earnings. Assess and respond to seasonal, yearly and strategic trends.
• Possess a clear understanding of gross margin return on investment; analyze and recommend pricing strategies to impact it.
• Monitor and ensure category adheres to the line plan to stay within budget.

Cross-functional Partnership

• Manage cross-functional team relationships on an on-going basis by providing direction on vision, strategy, and meetings to unify team toward a common goal related to the category.
• Partner with other Merchandising leaders to create consistency of product assortments, messaging and processes.
• With production team, determine where to produce garments, based on factors such as where to buy fabric, CMT in each country, historical costs, to make cost and quality decisions.
• Work with sourcing team to strategically analyze vendor base to best support future business needs.
• Partner with Design and Production to continuously improve our quality and function of product.
• Partner with Design to build a compelling assortment for the category each season.
• Partner with Marketing and Visual to ensure alignment in functions and clear and compelling category story pull through.
• Work with logistics and distribution to ensure timely product delivery.
• Serve as the representative of the division as needed within the company.
• Work with Design on product growth strategies and communicate to Production.

EDUCATION & PRIOR EXPERIENCE NEEDED

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related field of study
• 10+ years of merchandising experience
• Strong analytical skills paired with strategic business acumen and application
• Detail-oriented, results-driven, highly motivated, and entrepreneurial
• Ability to negotiate with and influence peers, members of a cross-functional team and senior management.
• Executive presence and acumen, ability to formally present business strategies and action plans.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Tory Burch LLC is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to an individual's age, race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy) or sexual orientation, gender expression, military status, marital status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, disability or membership in any other protected class under applicable law. Likewise, we will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Ordinance No. 184652. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.

Disability Accommodation

Tory Burch is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment. If you require assistance or an accommodation with the hiring process, please contact talent@toryburch.com .