Footwear Merchandiser I

Who We Are:

At Brooks, we believe movement is the key to feeling more alive. That’s why we’re driven to create gear and experiences that take people to the place that makes them feel more alive — whether it’s a headspace, a feeling, or a finish line.

Everyone who works at Brooks is propelled by a company culture that sparks excitement, fuels collaboration, inspires creativity, and ignites innovation.

Our brand values help bond us together and drive our success:

·       Runner First  

We act in the best interest of the runner

·       Word is Bond 

We do what we say we’ll do

·       Champion Heart  

We give our all in everything we do  

·       There is no “I” in Run

We stay generous with our humanity

·       Keep Moving

We find ways to move every day, because joy is kinetic!

We welcome everyone from every walk of life looking to inspire others through the power of movement — because we’re all moving towards something. Let’s run there.   

Your Job:

The Footwear Merchandiser I is a key product person focused on Brooks footwear success which translates to revenue and margin.  You work closely with demand planning, sales, brand marketing, color trend, and product line management to create relevant runner, channel and market assortments. Your main responsibility is to influence and merchandise the footwear line for the best product line outcome delivering the right product at the right time at the right place and at the right price.  You are the “eyes and ears” of the competition as it pertains to the market, the runner and the customer.

This position requires 15% travel.

• Assess and deliver runner readiness and relevant assortments each season to ensure market readiness and competitive advantage
• Merchandise the footwear line to maximize regional business, customer, consumer opportunities
• Act as “eyes and ears” for footwear (business, market, customer, channel, runner) and provide feedback to the footwear team.
• Assess bi-annual competitive analysis of Brooks products vs. our competitors on fit/feel/ride/support/price/value.  Present analysis findings to product creation teams and identify and recommend opportunities where we can focus efforts to improve products. 
• Analyze brand performance, brand competitiveness, product trends and make recommendations based on your research and analysis.
• Validate seasonal article counts, price points, widths, and color flow
• Drive seasonal data inputs including colorways, prices, and intro dates for Flex PLM, ensuring accuracy of information and updating changes throughout the season. 
• Participate in product prelines with key accounts & regions to obtain feedback on design, materials, color, and price. Consolidate feedback from all regions for scorecard to inform product decisions.  Synthesize and aggregate the information and prioritize for communications to Design and Development.
• Create product preline presentations for key accounts and regions.
• As product representative for the footwear line, provide runner and market insights to the color team to support creating the right color choices during the creation process.
• Collaborate with the color teams to create the seasonal assortments
• Ensure go-in margin meets Brooks targets and recommend solutions if margin doesn’t meet the target. 
• Embraces and lives Brooks values!

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, Business or a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum 3 years’ prior experience in working with footwear product (wholesale or retail) and at least 1 years of working for a running footwear brand in related field (sales, tech rep etc.)
• Creative thinker with the ability to effectively communicate and convey ideas to design, development, color and trend.
• Working knowledge of the footwear product merchandising process, retail environment and consumer buying habits
• Strong business orientation and analytical skills in managing SKU efficiency, product mix, and profitability
• Demonstrated ability to conceive/create new thinking and ideas pertaining to the consumer and the product line
• Strong ability to work professionally and efficiently within the team and across departments and connect different functions
• Excellent oral and written communications skills – skilled presenter, great communication ability
• Ability to influence, persuade and negotiate to achieve progress toward goals
• Results-oriented person with the ability to balance numerous tasks and utilize all available resources
• Ability to work professionally and efficiently within the team and across departments
• Passion for the running enthusiast and active lifestyle
• Travel 15% (Domestic)

Compensation: The pay range for this position, based out of the Brooks Seattle HQ, is $68634.60 - $103,003.82 per year. Base pay offered will vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.  

Other:

Brooks is proud to offer a robust benefits package to our employees and their families!

Benefits- including medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance, HSA and employer contribution, FSA, family & fertility assistance, 401K Savings Plan and match, employee assistance program, and transportation assistance.

Paid Time Off- Brooks offers generous time off including five weeks of paid time off, eleven paid holidays, paid sick and parental leave.

Bonus-in addition to base pay, Brooks employees may also be offered an annual bonus based on company performance.

Perks- including product discounts, employee recognition, fitness discounts, volunteer and donation benefits.

Location- You will spend 3 days per week in our Seattle offices, as we believe our organization flourishes when connections, collaboration, creativity, problem-solving, and celebrations happen in person.

At Brooks, we celebrate diversity & equity. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment, and encourage people of all backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and skills to apply. Brooks is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, two-spirit identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, the presence of a physical, mental, or sensory disability, marital status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), caste, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, actual or perceived victims of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault or stalking, HIV or Hepatitis C infection, political ideology, use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability, or on any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, or any other non-merit based factors.