Job Title: SMU and Special Project Merchandiser
Department: Merchandising
Reports To: Sr. Merchandiser
Dotted Line: Project Development
Full-Time - Hybrid Role (3/2)
Summary:
The SMU and Special Project Merchandiser plays a pivotal role in driving the success of product lines by integrating merchandising and project development strategies. Collaborating with cross-functional teams, this role is responsible for bringing profitable and marketable products to fruition. The Merchandiser ensures profitability and timely delivery across seasonal cycles, overseeing SMU and Inline data inputs, supporting Product Development Managers with tech pack handoffs, and coordinating WIP communication.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Merchandising
- Lead the SMU, Special Projects, and SPO processes from concept through PO issuance.
- Work closely with sales to understand product needs and ensure the creative team receives clear design direction.
- Own target costing, pricing, and margin goals by requesting, negotiating, and finalizing pricing for assigned product categories to ensure profitability targets are met.
- Monitor and process incoming development samples, ensuring timely feedback from sales and any adjustments needed for final execution.
- Input merchandising and supply chain data into the seasonal line list and PLM system, ensuring accuracy and timely updates.
- Maintain and update design overviews with relevant product and project information.
- Collaborate with planning teams to help create and refine the SMU Roadmap and fill key account gaps and plans.
- Analyze sales data and customer feedback to drive targeted improvements.
- Stewardship of brand identity in storytelling and merchandising strategies.
- Uphold brand price positioning and strategically manage category pricing.
Cross-Functional
- Contribute to the creation of the seasonal roadmap with the planning team.
- Align with Design and Production to deliver on-time products that meet cost targets.
- Set up the seasonal SPS tab & lead regional cost and vendor updates with product dev.
- Support product line development to meet financial and efficiency goals.
- Manage assigned SMU product categories from tech pack hand-off to PO placement.
- Create T&A’s for each SMU project to ensure on-time deliverables.
- Ensure Tech Pack data accuracy and facilitate updates as needed.
- Manage vendor partners, including daily communication and WIP tracking.
- Collaborate across teams to execute strategic line planning and ensure profitability.
- Team with planning to analyze product performance and pull data-driven levers.
- Guide product design, development, and production with focused line plans.
- Track and process incoming SMU development samples.