Become a Part of the NIKE, Inc. Team

NIKE, Inc. does more than outfit the world’s best athletes. It is a place to explore potential, obliterate boundaries and push out the edges of what can be. The company looks for people who can grow, think, dream and create. Its culture thrives by embracing diversity and rewarding imagination. The brand seeks achievers, leaders and visionaries. At NIKE, Inc. it’s about each person bringing skills and passion to a challenging and constantly evolving game.

For NIKE, Inc. merchants, everything begins and ends with the consumer. The Nike Merchandising team understands consumer needs and market capacity to create the right product mix for marketplaces around the world. From stores to online, this team helps bring the seasonal category visions to life. The Merchandising team has the unique ability to see beyond trends to identify what’s next to deliver the right product to the right places at the right time and price.

The Lead Merchant role exists within Nike Direct (Nike’s own retail business) in North America, specifically in Men’s Lifestyle Footwear. The role is responsible for setting the Merchandising strategies and Assortment Frameworks for our digital platforms. By partnering cross-functionally with Consumer Merchandising, Planning, Site Experiance, Allocation, and Marketing – we help bring to market the products that best serve our consumers, enhance our brand, and drive profitable, sustainable growth.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We’re looking for consumerists with an affinity for product that enjoy the energy of moving at the pace of retail and the consumer. A successful Lead Merchant will thrive and contribute to an inclusive, positive, and progressive team dynamic, as well as manage and lead in a way that elevates the total team.

This role is responsible for driving the NA Nike Direct Digital business: building consumer right assortments, using consumer insights, historical data, analytics and real-time market feedback to advise the future (coming seasons) while winning today (trading real-time)!

The candidate should possess solid retail competence and analytical abilities as well as experience in retail environments, particularly digital commerce. They should understand the cross functional collaboration vital to win at the moment of truth. They should be comfortable overseeing and advising the work of individual contributors within a structured mentor framework, in addition to being a leader among their peers!

Provide Nike direct POV on Footwear Product Line, Strategic Intent, and Marketplace Insights.
Drive franchise health across the portfolio, aligned to product strategic intent and lifecycle balance – newness and consistency.
Influence Geography, Brand, and Platform teams to ensure we are supporting our most important products.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

You will drive the comprehensive offense for NA Nike Direct Digital concepts. You will own the seasonal assortment plan including product, pricing, flow and concept or initiative's intent. You will understand related aspects of the business and marketplace in making your plans, including coordinating between digital merchants, genders, brands (Nike & Jordan) and how individual products or collections affect each other. You will collaborate cross functionally to ensure assortment plans meet consumer demand and strategies implement in retail.

You’ll build consumer-centric assortment plans with an understanding of Nike Direct Digital platforms position in the market, blending fact-based and intuitive inputs. You will participate in seasonal reviews, submits and trading for your respective area. This includes assortment building and submits working with Associate Merchants and system entry. Lead Merchants may also lead projects across teams or topics.

You will balance multiple seasons and your insights will contribute to future seasonal plans and adoption by supporting Gender Merchandising Leadership upstream (10%). You will manage your areas of assortment planning in depth during the seasonal process (70%) and gather insights from and support optimal trading of in-market seasons (20%).

You will be a leader through captaining critical initiatives and moments across functions as well as aligning the team on standard processes. In addition, you will be responsible for training, coaching and mentoring Merchant II individual development.

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

We work closely with fellow merchants and cross-functional teams within Nike Direct; in particular Stores Merchandising, Planning, Allocation, and Site Experiance & 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.

Qualifications - Internal

WHAT YOU BRING

Requires Bachelor’s Degree or additional 2 years experience in lieu of degree
4 years experience in footwear or apparel merchandising, product creation and/or retail in a vertical, multi-brand or digital environment
Strong affinity for current market trends for Her and how Nike apparel can continue to be a style leader in the marketplace
Footwear, Apparel, Equipment or relevant consumer product merchandising experience
Strong command of common retail and/or digital profit-based metrics such as sell-through, turn, ASP, UPT and others
Ability to contribute to and drive thinking into breakthrough strategies
Ability to demonstrate leadership among peer group, inclusive of coaching and mentoring of teammates

NIKE, Inc. is a growth company that looks for team members to grow with it. Nike offers a generous total rewards package, casual work environment, a diverse and inclusive culture, and an electric atmosphere for professional development. No matter the location, or the role, every Nike employee shares one galvanizing mission: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.

NIKE, Inc. is committed to employing a diverse workforce. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability.

Lead Merchant, NA Merchandising NDDC Mens Footwear