Lead Merchant

We are looking for a Lead Merchant to lead Accessories as part of the North America Brand Merchandising Team. You will be part of an agile team that leads the Accessories product and assortment strategy for North America, in partnership with Footwear and Apparel Merchandising teams. You will work across Consumer and Field of Play Merchandising teams to enable an integrated, cohesive execution of Accessories with North America and Global partners. This role requires an agile, enterprise mindset and the ability to partner across key collaborators (Product, Planning, Consumer Merchandising). Strong communication, analytical thinking, and business acumen skills will be critical for these roles. 

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

For Nike Inc. merchants, everything begins and ends with the consumer! The Merchandising team understands consumer needs and market opportunities to craft a significant product mix for each marketplace. We blend art with science to bring Nike’s vision to life in all retail environments, leading with our Members and Nike Direct digital and physical spaces and expanding to our retail partners. The team has the unrivaled ability to see beyond trends and identify new market opportunities, delivering the right product, at the right price, in the right place, at the right time.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

As a Lead Merchant on the North America Merchandising team, you’ll utilize marketplace data, consumer insights, foresight, and hindsight to make decisions, influence and develop seasonal plans to serve our consumer. You’ll provide qualitative and quantitative insights to the Product Creation teams, the counterparts on Global Merchandising teams across Fields of Play and gender constructs. You’ll lead the management of our merchandising KPIs through robust analysis of retail insights and performance. You’ll build positive and trustworthy relationships with your partners (including Nike One Marketplace Merchants, Marketing, Consumer Planning, and Territory Merchants, among others) to build and land assortments that meet the needs of consumers, take them to a new place, and differentiate the key points of distribution across key cities. You’ll work with your cross-functional team to maintain the optimal balance between a pull and push market.

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

You will work closely with fellow merchants and cross-functional teams within global and geo merchandising;  Planning, Allocation, and Brand Marketing. We also work with finance, operations and the insights/analytics teams; relying on business reporting for your area which includes quantitative and qualitative metrics on sales, inventory and consumer behaviors.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 5+ years experience in merchandising, product creation, and or retail, in a vertical or wholesale environment
• Footwear, apparel and/or equipment merchandising experience
• Understanding of retail key performance indicators and profit based metrics
• Strong strategy building skills that shape the future of the business

• Effective communicator that collaborates and brings people together
• Provides direction and mentorship to teammates
• Values differences and builds strong relationships with high cultural awareness
• Proven balance of art and science in decision-making
• Self-directed, independent, and dedicated
• Cultivates innovation while also ensuring accountability
• Communicates vision and purpose and able to lead effectively in complex situations
• Solves problems using limited information and implements solutions with the ability to foresee most future implications
• Advises others on complex matters requiring in-depth knowledge or conceptual thinking
• Responds with speed and agility, curiosity, and motivation

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.