Head of Brand Merchandising, Handbags & Small Leather Goods - Luxury, Women's Polo, Lauren Brand

Company Description
Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. At Ralph Lauren, we unite and inspire the communities within our company as well as those in which we serve by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, ensuring inclusion, and fairness for all. We foster a culture of inclusion through: Talent, Education & Communication, Employee Groups and Celebration. Any offer of employment is contingent upon proof of full COVID 19 vaccinations upon hire. Accommodations due to medical or religious reasons will be evaluated in compliance with the law.

Position Overview
Key brand leader overseeing development, execution and communication for handbags and small leather goods product strategy that drives brand elevation and exceeds financial goals.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

* Drive overall strategy and execution for a handbags and small leather goods lines in partnership with design, development, marketing and buying partners; and influence set strategies with other cross functional partners in digital, store presentation, etc.
* Understand the target customer archetypes, informed by a deep knowledge of the consumer and competitive landscape and in support of the brand priorities.
* Partner with regional buying teams to ensure vision and message of the concept is reflected at the retail level.
* Oversee seasonal brand merchandising strategies and assortment presentations to commercial and cross functional partners.
* Identify growth opportunities in product offer; validated by analytics, commercial hindsight learnings and global market research.
* Create clear product briefs for all new developments; clearly articulating target customer, competitive benchmarks and product attributes including target price and AUC.
* Accountable for financial performance of handbags and small leather goods in Luxury, Women's Polo & Lauren by monitoring sales, identifying losses, competitive analysis regarding pricing, profit, marketing, etc.
* Monitor divisional adherence to deadlines to ensure timely deliveries.
* In conjunction with regional buying & retail teams, provide framework & implementation of product training
* Maintain knowledge of industry/market trends through business, competitive analysis and a synthesis of commercial feedback and input.
* Strengthen the talent of the company by developing capabilities of direct reports, promoting successful partnerships, and managing effective and diverse teams.

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

*
* Proven expertise and experience with growing Handbag and SLG product lines at comparable brands.
* Superior product savvy and commercial acumen - in equal parts .
* Deep experience in handbags and small leather goods categories ideally in luxury market.
* Ability to quickly identify market value drivers; prioritize and act on opportunities to position the business for growth.
* Successful track record of consistently delivering profitable growth.
* A career demonstrating solid leadership skills and cross-functional influencing skills; a proven ability to develop and implement new strategies in competitive business situations.
* Ability to successfully motivate, negotiate and influence effectively across departments & divisions strong understanding of the product life cycle & business calendars.
* Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
* High emotional intelligence and relationship building skills.
* Highly collaborative with cross functional partners.
* Exceptional people management and leadership skills.
* Comprehensive understanding of Retail Math - business terminology, key retail metrics and calculations
* Proficiency in Microsoft Excel/Word/PowerPoint.