Arc’teryx - Director, Merchandising – APAC - Tokyo

If you were in the Director, Merchandising role now, here are some of the core activities you would be responsible for:

• Developing and contributing to regional merchandising strategies for our Apparel, Footwear, Hardgoods & Accessories product categories across all sales channels in the APAC market, in alignment with global brand and product direction
• Building out a team of high performing merchants who oversee our Men’s, Women’s, Footwear, Hardgoods & Accessories, and Veilance product categories across the APAC market
• Creating guidance and best practices to build out a mirrored global and regional merchandising structure
• Partnering to build product positioning and in-season assortment strategies based on consumer insights, market trends, and the competitive landscape
• Partnering to lead the seasonal product buying and sales planning for the region to ensure profitable growth
• Partnering cross-functionally with the Global Product Management teams to ensure that regional needs for APAC are integrated into the global line planning process, strengthening the connection between global and regional strategy and execution
• Owning key KPIs for the APAC market, including sales, gross margin, inventory productivity, and sell-through
• Driving pricing, promotion, and inventory strategies to maximize profitability
• Building strong relationships with regional commercial leaders to elevate retail and channel performance within region
• Monitoring and analyzing consumer behaviours, market dynamics, and retail trends and translating insights into actionable recommendations to position Arc’teryx as a pinnacle brand
• Serving as a key member of the APAC leadership team, contributing to broader business strategy and decision-making
• Encouraging innovation and exploration of new category opportunities to fuel growth
• Championing digital and data-driven decision making in regional merchandising operations
• Driving the development and implementation of tools to evolve regional merchandising operations and drive efficiencies
• Upholding Fair Labor Association’s Workplace Code of Conduct and Principles of Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing, throughout the Arc’teryx supply chain

Here are some of the things you could be working on in the future:

• Contributing to and implementing the long-term merchandising vision for the APAC region across multiple categories
• Driving business transformation initiatives to enhance cross-regional collaboration and operation excellence
• Partnering with global teams to test new product concepts in select markets and pilot new GTM approaches
• Contributing to building a sustainable growth paths for the region, balancing global brand priorities with local market opportunities

Are you our next Director, Merchandising?

• You have 10+ years’ experience merchandising in a sports, apparel or fashion environment, with product-led brands at both a global and regional level, and 5+ years’ experience building and leading a team
• You have working knowledge of the APAC consumer and apparel athlete market
• You are able to effectively communicate in English, in both written and verbal communications
• You have a strong understanding of outdoor apparel, footwear, hardgoods and accessories marketplace
• You are product-obsessed, with a drive for understanding the “why” behind new products, and an unparallel capacity for product knowledge
• You have expertise in driving strategy, line planning and line architecture
• You have a proven track record in developing and leading the execution of a multi-year business strategy
• You set a clear vision, align your team around common objectives, and foster commitment to these objectives
• You are an influential leader; possessing high emotional intelligence, with the ability to drive alignment across diverse cross-functional groups at all levels of the business
• You have strong business acumen with the ability to lead in a complex matrix business environment
• You thrive on building relationships and creating partnerships across the organization
• You have proven people leadership skills and the ability to build, coach and guide a diverse and high performing team 
• You demonstrate tireless integrity in driving excellence to milestones and deliverables
• You flourish in a fast-growth, entrepreneurial environment and thrive on contributing to our brand and team’s evolution
• You are proactive in identifying the root cause of issues and developing solutions
• You have the ability and willingness to travel internationally
• You seek the best (sometimes not the easiest) solutions, with an unwavering commitment to do what is right 
• Your passion for your work is paralleled by your passion for getting outside and living it 
• You are willing and able to travel for up to 50% of your working time