Merchandising Director, RTW And Shoes

Summary

Lead merchandising strategy for RTW and Shoes across womens and mens categories for North America based from the New York corporate office. Partner cross functionally with design, production, marketing, sales and headquarters in Paris to drive category performance during a maternity leave temporary assignment from January 2026 to July 2026.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement merchandising strategies aligned with brand vision and financial goals.
• Lead market analysis to identify trends and opportunities for RTW and Shoes.
• Collaborate with design, production, marketing and sales teams to develop cohesive product lines.
• Manage category performance through sales analysis, inventory monitoring and assortment adjustments.
• Supervise direct reports including a Merchandising Manager and Associate Buyer and provide leadership.
• Coordinate with visual merchandising to ensure consistent product presentation across channels.
• Prepare sales reports by activity, line, colour and boutique and propose purchasing plans.
• Execute order processes by SKU, review orders with merchandising and marketing and ensure completion on schedule.
• Work with sales planning and finance on forecasts, OTB and action plans based on sales follow up.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, fashion merchandising or related field; master's preferred.
• At least 8 years of retail merchandising or buying experience in luxury fashion focused on RTW and Shoes.
• 7-10 years of fashion or luxury buying experience and minimum 4 years of North American market retail buying experience.
• Direct report management experience with at least 1 direct report and minimum 3 years managing staff.
• Strong analytical skills, Excel expertise including pivot tables and vlookup.
• In-depth knowledge of luxury fashion market dynamics, pricing and inventory management.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to travel to stores and Paris frequently; travel may be 40-60%.