Merchandising Director

ABOUT US

Stio® is an omni-channel mountain brand that designs, develops and sells beautiful, functional, and innovative apparel, footwear and other accessories infused with the soul of the mountain lifestyle. With headquarters in Jackson, Wyoming, Stio draws inspiration from the surrounding Teton Range and offers product via Stio.com, catalog and its Mountain Studio® retail locations.

We live and love mountain life, and as such see ourselves as caretakers of the resources that provide it. We are proud partners of Protect Our Winters and the Conservation Alliance among many other organizations. We have a strong preferred materials platform, use Bluesign® approved textiles wherever possible, audit our supply chains for best practices, and operate our workplaces responsibly.

We think that outside is the best side and that you can’t improve on nature. It’s good for mind, body and soul, and it’s our responsibility to help enable access for all people, regardless of race, gender, beliefs, background or ability. We strive for inclusion at Stio and in our local and national communities.

YOUR ROLE

The Merchandising Director is responsible for leading merchandising strategy to drive revenue, profitability and product efficiency across Stio’s sales channel owners. Charged with curating a compelling seasonal product assortment, the MD collaborates extensively with cross-functional teams, fostering communication and idea exchange among product, brand, e-commerce, owned retail and wholesale partners. As the channel expert, this role owns assortment strategy for existing and future distribution channels and plays a pivotal role in achieving financial and brand objectives through effective merchandising including lifecycle management, inventory optimization and compelling on-trend assortments to meet customers where they are and deliver sell through. Beyond seasonal opportunities, the MD informs longer term product planning to contribute to revenue and profitability growth.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Foster strong collaboration with design, product development, marketing, and sales teams to align product strategies with the overall brand vision in digital and physical environments
• Partner with sales channel owners (DTC & B2B) to develop sell in and sell thru strategies and campaigns that support product launches and channel revenue goals
• Analyze market trends, consumer behavior, historical sales and industry comparisons to make data decisions for final seasonal assortment and mix, positioning and pricing
• Curate a product assortment that aligns business drivers and meets customer demands according to seasonal initiatives, revenue and efficiency budgets and customer needs
• Establish and optimize pricing strategies to ensure profitability while staying premium yet competitive in the market
• Partner with production and planning teams to support supplier negotiations to secure the best terms, pricing, and production schedules
• Create initial costing expectations according to margin requirements and market value
• Actively analyze product performance to identify trends, waning demand and growth opportunities
• Monitor and analyze inventory positions and implement lifecycle management strategies to optimize stock levels to capture demand and balance cash outlay
• Inform and adhere to annual Product Development operational budget while contributing to topline revenue, margin and EBITDA goals
• Coordinate with production teams to ensure that designs are manufactured at quality, on time, and in accordance with transit strategy
• Inform color assortment, style investment and timing of delivery according to merchandising strategy
• Execute merchandising responsibilities including data management, tool building and assortment planning deliverables
• Build and lead a high-performing team, providing guidance, mentorship, tools, resources and training as needed
• Stay updated on industry trends, competitors' strategies, and emerging market opportunities to inform decision-making
• Support and lead stewardship efforts in alignment with Stio’s mission, vision, values and industry trends
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and regularly measure and report on departmental performance and progress towards goals
• Own Go To Market (GTM) tasks, milestones and related timing including assortment inputs and recommended investment in partnership with sales channel and inventory planning team
• Define, create and maintain physical and digital assets needed to support cross departmental understanding of product range inclusive of release month, color and end use
• Identify and mitigate potential risks to the merchandising process, including supply chain disruptions, and develop contingency plan
• Streamline communication from concept to customer via channel teams in order to sell in and sell through according to merchandising strategy
• Inform long range plan and business drivers according to brand strategy

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree required, business, merchandising, or retail management focus preferred
• Minimum of 10 years leadership and merchandising experience required
• Efficiency in MS Office and application of systems, including Centric (PLM Software) experience preferred
• Data compilation, analysis and ability to generate insightful reporting
• Proven experience in merchandising required, apparel or technical outerwear preferred
• Proven ability to effectively collaborate and interact with various levels of seniority
• Flexible, self-starter, motivated to continually learn and grow, strong organizational and prioritization skills
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, throughout all levels of the organization
• Analytical thinking, effective visual and verbal communication through professional experience managing multiple product segments and teams
• Experience managing teams of all sizes successfully
• Commitment to company mission vision and values

THE FINE PRINT

• Ideally this role will be based in Jackson, WY. However, this role can be remotely located anywhere within the continental US.
• Domestic and International travel required, including Stio Studio locations
• Medical, Dental Vision plans
• Company Paid Long Term Disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• 401k with Match
• Flexible paid time off policies
• Gear stipend, Company perks, and more

We provide competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives and benefits. The base salary range for this role is $100,000-$160,000. It would not be typical for someone to be hired at the top end of the range for the role, as actual pay will be determined based on several factors including experience, skills, and qualifications.

This job description is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, we reserve the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed. Stio is an equal opportunity employer of all qualified individuals, including minorities, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, veterans & individuals with disabilities.